Archive for April, 2008

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I am changing my view of The Rev. Jeremiah Wright, to maybe not the ‘bad guy’ here

I watched only part of his address and Q. & A. session this morning on CNN, but I gained a greater understanding and appreciation for The Rev. Jeremiah Wright concerning the whole moronic political/religious outrage generated by the media and misunderstanding in recent weeks over Wright’s sermons and his role as Barack Obama’s former pastor.

According to The Rev. Wright, his sermons that made such a splash worldwide via YouTube, et. al., were “taken out of context.” That’s what he’s said all along. After listening to him today, I realize what he meant. According to Wright, the most “damning” or controversial statements from the video sound bites traversing the Internet were actually quotations Wright made of statements by the Libyan ambassador. (My apologies if I’ve gotten that source wrong. I wasn’t taking notes and didn’t get it taped/DVR’d.)

At any rate, The Rev. Wright, his character, and his sermons have been extremely badly handled and he has been seriously misrepresented.

As for Obama and all the fears supporters have that Wright’s continued public self-defense will hurt his candidacy — I dunno. I truly think Wright’s constant appearances and public statements are no gift baskets to Obama and his staff. I have no doubt Clinton and her minions will do their best to exploit this in a negative way against Obama. I don’t know whether McCain will do much with it unless Obama gets the nomination.

Frankly, I think the long drawn out warring between Obama and Clinton have submarined the Democratic Party and hurt them in the general election far more than ANYTHING The Rev. Wright has said or done!

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What does our watch battery misadventure say about our ‘consumeristic’ society?

Time today for a big rant about a little thing — finding a watch battery. Are my wife and I the only people who keep wristwatches running long enough to need new batteries? I think not, but maybe that’s true.

We both appreciate having solid, functional watches with digital displays. Many years ago, when digital watches were first invented (yes, we really ARE that old), they were the rage. Everyone wanted one. They could be read conveniently at a glance, and from the start they seemed more accurate and they actually had batteries — they needed no winding!

Not too many years ago, the fashion police decreed everyone was going to return to analog watch displays. Soon, the only people who wanted digital watches were long distance runners, speed walkers, and my wife and I.

Okay, I’ll shorten this story at this point. MOST women’s digital watches these days are less than elegant, looking instead as though they belong around the wrists of lady wrestlers or weightlifters. She has one that’s reliable and still looks “womanly” — it’s not one of those high-priced luxury watches, but it looks nicer than a “sports” watch. And we spent an entire evening driving around this miserable little city where we live looking for a watch battery when her old battery died. We tried the obvious big-box department stores. No luck.

We were headed home after concluding that she had simply kept the watch too many years and was the victim of “planned obsolescence consumerism by watch manufacturers.”

On a whim, we stopped at a place called “The Battery Store” — which we thought probably had mostly car batteries, boat batteries, etc.

They had a huge rack of every sort of watch battery you could imagine. They found one instantly that fit her older watch, installed it within a minute, and we were on our way back home.

I’m not sure what such a quest tells us about the consumer society in which we live. Perhaps it says we face throwing away or otherwise replacing a good watch just because the stores don’t expect us to keep it around long enough to need a new battery? Or perhaps we just were unlucky with her particular model of watch?

It does tell me I know where to look now the next time I need a battery — any battery!

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What a relief — local conservative willing, able to police political candidate’s faith choices

It was a great relief to me today to read a conservative writer’s column in our local newspaper explaining that Barak Obama’s religious affiliation was done from political expediency. Like all liberal politicians, according to this dummy, Obama chose which church to join based solely on the way that church would turn out volunteers and enhance his standing in his political base.

Of course, this genius pundant has absolutely no hard evidence, not even anecdotal testimony, to support his opinion. He doesn’t, by the way, even call this opinion. He presents it as fact.

I wrote a letter to the editor pointing out 1) the column’s absurdities, and, 2) my objections to this “Heavenly Scoutmaster” using his column to delineate what candidates make what religious choices and why.

Thank God that He chose to send us one so blessed with heavenly insight to guide us all! I was afraid, here in America, that we’d be forced to fall back on making our own choices in matters of faith and religion, based on our own reasons. What a relief to know we aren’t stuck doing something like that in America — we simply need to trust these “conservative Taliban” surrogates to take care of our choices for us.

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I’m not up to speed on this one — skate shoes are not what I thought they were

When I saw the term skate shoes on an online shopping website, I assumed they were shoes with roller skates (roller blades?) or something attached to them. In fact, I just saw a news feature in television last week warning parents to make sure kids with shoes that have those rear-heel-wheel in them are equipped with safety helmets, knee pads, etc.

Nope. The “skate shoes” for sale where I was looking are a whole new style of what we “old-timers” still call “tennis shoes” or perhaps “sneakers” — a style of shoe usually having a flat rubber sole in addition to the general high-tech support features of training shoes. The name “skate shoes” goes back to “skateboard” and “skateboarding,” because the flat-soled, rubber-soled design was favored by skateboarders.

So, the lesson here is clear: I really need to get out more, I guess. Maybe I’ll grab me a pair of skate shoes, shop for a skateboard, and — nah, probably not. But don’t let my huffing-and-puffing shuffle walk through the neighborhood discourage you from something more adventuresome and vigorous. Just wave and say hi as you zip past me. I’ll be the Old Bald Guy with the bad knees.
[tags]skate shoes, skateboarding, exercise, just a guy who reads the papers[tags]

Unsure where the ‘Outer Banks’ are, but they’re only now getting a Starbucks

Can you imagine a location anywhere in the populated regions of the civilized world — well, the U.S. anyway — which does NOT have a Starbucks coffee shop?? I just saw a news story that the very first Starbucks in the Outer Banks region of North Carolina is getting all prettied up and ready to open in May.

I’m an ocean shores fan, though I’ve never lived on the shores of any ocean. But I’ve always wanted to live along the Northern Pacific or Mid- to Northern Atlantic coasts. To tell you the truth, until a link I saw for Outer Banks rentals caught my eye, I’d never had more than a vague idea of where the “Outer Banks” region is.

And when I ran onto that news story about the first Starbucks opening there, I really gained a great deal of admiration for the sensible, good folks of the Outer Banks region. To have resisted Starbucks so many years took a lot of community resolve, I’m sure.

Perhaps any region that pristine and unspoiled will get a second look when our family gets any funds and time for a nice ocean shore vacation!

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Cautionary tale about career choices — dodged a bullet on insurance ‘career’

Many years ago, a buddy of mine, who had absolutely no experience as an insurance agent, contacted me with the career choice or business of my dreams — at least, that’s what he said at the time.

He had joined a company known as Primerica. The company specialized in term insurance, that is, term life insurance. They also handled some mutual fund investing, I think (but I may be wrong about that), and they were poised to take the financial world by storm, my buddy said. Their fundamental concept was to sell people term life insurance instead of “whole life” insurance — and since term insurance is almost always cheaper than whole life; the pitch was to save the people money on their insurance and encourage them to invest that money to grow their finances.

According to the system at the time, Primerica people (my buddy and I) received commissions and percentages of the commissions of those folks we recruited to be independent agents (us) with Primerica. In other words, this was an insurance/financial services based “multi-level marketing” business.

He and I tried the business a few months. He stuck with it a bit longer than I, and actually made some income. I, on the other hand, paid my own way through getting a state insurance license (training courses, test, the whole works) — and NEVER successfully recruited a single agent in the months I spent working at it.

Like all multi-level marketing schemes, the failing point is always this: You only succeed if you ruthlessly cast aside any real friendships and human relationships and view every person you see, meet, and know as either 1) a potential customer, 2) a potential recruit, or preferably, 3) both a customer and a potential recruit. I simply cannot live my life that way, so such “businesses” have never worked for me.

I said all that because today I was reminded of Primerica in a news item I read on the Internet: A one-paragraph brief on CNN Money announced today that a major insurance rating service dropped Primerica Life Insurance Company’s “financial strength rating” from “AA” to “AA-,” which the paragraph said was a negative financial outlook.

I absolutely have no feelings or knowledge one way or the other about Primerica, as my dealings with the company were literally decades ago. The company has undoubtedly changed a lot since then, maybe for the better or maybe for the worse.

But when I saw that news, it brought back “negative” memories and made me think perhaps I made a wise career choice leaving when I did.

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My ‘retirement plan’ is in place, my Powerball ticket clutched tightly

All right. Here it is, Wednesday morning and once again I have my Powerball ticket tucked safely away, just waiting to discover that I’m a multi-millionaire when they draw my number later tonight.

Yes sir, I have my Rolex Submariner all picked out (I like the looks of that 2-tone silver model with diamond and sapphire markers) and I have a good travel agency on speed-dial to quickly set up those two one-way tickets to paradise (no, of course I won’t tell you which paradise) for the wife and me.

Alas, I’ve been here before. Tonight’s drawing is for around $90 million. I suspect, should we win that much, we could live comfortably on the cash option the rest of our lives despite the current Bush-supervised “economic downturn.” Unfortunately, I doubt the numbers will fall my way. But wouldn’t it be fun if they do??

Yesterday’s “Today Show” had a short piece attempting to debunk 10 “myths” about Baby Boomers (I am one; my wife was born 2 years too soon). One myth that amazed me was the idea that all Baby Boomers are wealthy and eager to retire early. Wow. Not me. Not wealthy, and not likely to retire early.

But if that Powerball thing comes through … Hmmm …

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Go ahead, I dare you — explain how the stock markets really work

The U.S. stock markets closed up yesterday. They remain, at this point in the late morning where I live, on a healthy uptrend.

But yesterday the only economic news I heard was bad news: crude oil prices were at a new high; housing foreclosures continue at a record pace; the consumer price index to the biggest or one of the biggest monthly upticks ever, etc.

If you take the long-term approach to investing, I have always been told, the best investment you can make is in the U.S. stock market. Investors over the last couple of years would be willing to disagree.

But whether you examine the stock markets and their workings long-term through a magical financial telescope, or short-term through a magnifying glass of financial details — I defy you to give me an explanation of how the markets REALLY work.

Of course, I suppose people who really have it figured out are those folks who have become wealthy through investments. Sadly, I am not one of those people. Certainly it seems a general pattern to me that “bad news” about the economy and the state of our nation causes the market to thrive; “good news” such as increased jobs, lower gasoline prices, etc., causes the market to plummet.

Except when good news runs the markets up and bad news plunges them downward.

I don’t get it. Ah, well, what do I know? I’m just a guy who reads the papers.

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Ever try to get off a political party’s mailing list? How’d that work for you?

Got another mailing today from the Republican National Committee. It’s a pretty serious fundraiser pitch for Sen. John McCain, of course. It’s a 4-pager, with lots of “sky is falling,” “sky is falling” warnings about how we’ll descend straight to hell in a hand basket if the Democrats win the presidency in November.

Of course, I know from having worked briefly writing fundraising letters, that all of it is bunk. The bunk is “personalized” (this one really wasn’t even personalized) and created to push exactly the right buttons of the optimum number of party faithful to raise money for the election campaign. I will have to admit, as letters to the party faithful go, these mass mailings aren’t exactly festive party invitations. I’ve written and seen much better. Too “Republican grim” by far.

But the biggest problem is — I’m NOT one of the party faithful. I have been a happily registered Democrat who has voted for Democratic Party candidates almost exclusively for the last 16-20 years. I once worked with a guy who is now a very minor GOP leader in our particular state congressional district. I guess that’s how I got on the GOP mailing list. (If you’re reading this, Ron, you’re wasting your time. Please take me off.) Seems like a terrible waste of fundraising efforts if you ask me.

But, it’s their postage on the postage-paid envelope. I’m happy to scribble across the return piece something like: “Once again, any real people reading this, I am requesting for the XXth time to be removed from your mailing list. I do not belong to the Republican Party and cannot imagine belonging in this lifetime. PLEASE REMOVE ME FROM YOUR MAILING LIST!!!”

Or something like that. Sure, it’s irritating to have to do this three or four times a year, but I have the satisfaction of knowing that, by using their postage-paid envelope, I am doing my small bit and costing the Republican National Committee that little bit.

Small victories, I guess.

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How ludicrous — candidates battling over who is an ‘elitist’

Just when you think this idiotic presidential campaign has become as idiotic as possible, the candidates make new strides and go above and beyond your expectations.

Barack Obama apparently violated the only universally sacred rule in America: He spoke politically incorrect and said average, small town Americans were so bitter about our unresponsive government that they were falling back on their lifestyle of guns and religion for some sense of comfort and normalcy.

Those weren’t his words, but you’ve probably heard and read them enough to get my point. I think that’s an accurate paraphrase of what he was saying.

He said that to some sort of “closed door” private fundraiser.

His comments have drawn screeching charges of “elitism” from Clinton and McCain.

I take back what I said in the first paragraph and in the title of this post: That charge was NOT idiotic. Idiotic doesn’t seem right after all. It was absolutely asinine. Yeah, asinine definitely is the word that “feels” best there.

Explain to me, really, what Clinton and McCain really understand by the term “elitist” — and how it doesn’t apply to every presidential candidate.

Let me think about this: Which candidates have material wealth beyond the reach of average, small town and big city, Americans? Oh, yeah, that would be all three.

Which candidates have a level of education and opportunity in every sense beyond the reach of average, small town and big city, Americans? All three once again.

Which candidates have medical care and “retirement” benefits far and away beyond the reach of average, small town and big city, Americans? Why, that would be all three once again.

Which candidates have any privileges, perks, and resources you wish to name materially, emotionally, and physically that go far and away beyond the reach of average, small town and big city, Americans? Yeah, you got it — all three.

How in God’s name do these three people, Obama, Clinton, and McCain, and their overpaid staff members get off referring to anyone or anything EXCEPT from an elitist standpoint? If any of the three or their huge staff of minions EVER understood or experienced “average” American life that was NOT in some way “elitist,” it was so long ago and far away they wouldn’t recognize “average” if it slapped ‘em on their silly, over publicized faces.

Man, we gotta get this presidential campaign over. It’s starting to wear on me just a little bit, did you notice? LOL!

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