Anagram: Mega Millions/ Mailing Moles

        How do, everyone!  Happy Tuesday evening to you, one and all.  As far as the anagram goes, it has nothing to do with this blog, sorry, I just played a whole dollar on the Mega, that’s all that’s about.  Onto the news!

   

    I am looking everywhere, and i mean everywhere, for results on the 20th congressional district special election today.  And i can’t find diddly.  Looked at cnn and msnbc and they had nothing.  Well they had a bunch of stories about this being an important vote for the Democrats, the main point of those stories being that this will be scene as some type of referendum on the Presidents policies to date.  They at least gave that much.  Fox had nothing on it.  Nothing.  They had stories on How Former Gov. Sebelius owed $7,000 in taxes, a blog about kicking the UAW to the curb, or something to that effect, and a story about Sen. Reid changing his tune on cap and trade. 

     Curious, seeing how a) John McCain also planned a cap and trade program and b) everything I’ve read says that cap and trade is going through as originally planned. 

     But nothing on the important 20th N.Y. congressional district race between Scott Murphy and Jim Tedisco.  I’ll tweet it if and when I find it, and it’ll show up on this page soon after.

     WAIT! I JUST FOUND IT!  If you want the info on the news as it becomes available, click here.  Looks like Jim Tedisco has a slight lead at this point, with 15% of the vote in.  Good Luck to Dem. Hopeful Scott Murphy!

    

       That’s about it from me.  I have a number of things to do, and unfortunately I really don’t have the time to do a lot here right now.  Well, maybe a quick statement or two about things in my world.

        Being poor and out of works sucks, but it does give you plenty of free time.  So, I hear you ask, why aren’t you blogging more? Why are you in fact blogging less, and writing less when you blog?  Because, I have been busy filling out paperwork for hours a day looking for work.  Hours each day.  My ass is sore from sitting in front of this computer as much as I do.  Also, because i have a second blog on examiner.com, and I have been playing catchup on local Staten island politics trying to get up to speed for the Staten island examiner blog.  I more than know my way around the national scene, or at least i have a clearer view of it, having been looking at it and talking about it constantly for ages.  The local scene?  Not so much, and I have my hands full getting my shit together for that blog.

      But I am doing my best, if you would like to read my new blog, I’ll be putting a link to it here soon.  I have three stories up at this point, and I’m going now to toss out a fourth one.  I may write every day for it, I may only write 5 or 6 days a week, I’m not certain at this point.  I’m not exactly happy with my writing there so far either.  I need to tighten it up a bit.  I am used to using as many words as I see fit, but in this blog, there is  a general cutoff at 400 words.  The first instance of the word “the” in this sentence is word #530 here. 

     Like I said, I need to tighten things up a bit.  It’ll be interesting seeing what effect it’ll have on my writing. 

     A second video, a few quotes, and I am done.

     A report from earlier this evening, from bloomberg tv, on the g-20 meeting going on this week.

      

     That’s it for me.  Later!

Today’s Nuggets, by Rene Descartes, via Wikiquote:  Of all things, good sense is the most fairly distributed: everyone thinks he is so well supplied with it that even those who are the hardest to satisfy in every other respect never desire more of it than they already have.

So blind is the curiosity by which mortals are possessed, that they often conduct their minds along unexplored routes, having no reason to hope for success, but merely being willing to risk the experiment of finding whether the truth they seek lies there.

Anagram: It Ain’t Easy/ I Eat Sanity

       I eat Sanity… With a side of fries of course.     I have had a fun filled day, as I’m sure you have, but it has been a long one, so I am going to just drop a few videos and a few comments and call it a night.

      

      “A redesign of the world financial system.”  Mister Brown has a lofty goal there doesn’t he?  But then again, why shouldn’t he? With the world markets in turmoil, and Europe falling apart around his ears, it can only be the right move to step boldly and push as hard as possible towards a fundamental change in the system.  But then again, there are more concrete goals here, like increasing regulation and bolstering the IMF.  But i think the most important thing that can come out of this is a fundamental agreement that all the g-20 countries can get on board with.  The European nations and We Americans have been at odds on how best to fight this crisis, and as a consequence our efforts have been less than what they could be.  Coordination here would be a great legacy from which to build a lasting international economic framework.

       I don’t know how well the whole coordination thing will go, but one can hope, right?  The meeting between China and the USA should be something of an eye opener.  The Chinese have been talking about creating a new currency not pegged to the dollar, but the Americans have put the Kibosh on that more or less.  I’m thinking that talk will subside after the meeting with Chinese President Tao, and he figures out there really won’t be any co-operation from the Americans on a non dollar based international monetary system. 

     

   I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again.    Watch this show, all of it.  This particular section of this fine PBS frontline production, by and large deals with the situation at bear stearns and how the problems there unfolded.  You know what I’m thinking….Watch the next part, here, the bear collapse, Geithner, CDS’s and the problem with interconnectedness in the financial sector.

      

     There is some positive talk here of Ben Bernanke.  I am not a fan of Ben, but I think that when it hit the fan here, and again in September of 2008 when there was a run on the money markets he did the right thing.  Maybe the problem I have with Ben is that I tend to think of him and Hank Paulson as being two parts of the same beast.  And Paulson, him i just don’t like, so attaching Bernanke to Paulson would, by necessity, have a negative effect on Mr. Bernanke.

    That is about it for me, ladies and gentlemen.  Have a good one, I have to call it a night,  and get some rest before i start the weeks job hunting tomorrow morning. 

Today’s Nuggets, Via Wikiquote:  I read, I study, I examine, I listen, I reflect, and out of all of this I try to form an idea into which I put as much common sense as I can.    

Has it been found that bodies of men act with more rectitude or greater disinterestedness than individuals? The contrary of this has been inferred by all accurate observers of the conduct of mankind; and the inference is founded upon obvious reasons. Regard to reputation has a less active influence, when the infamy of a bad action is to be divided among a number than when it is to fall singly upon one.    Alexander Hamilton

Anagram: Brain Damaged/ Damned Airbag

          

      I like the answer Tim gives here, but rather than focus on that, I want to focus on the responses to the video itself, more because of the stupidity it engendered than anything else.  And because responses like them are everywhere i look, I feel the need to address them.

       I love it when people talk out of their asses, and seemingly purposefully talk like idiots. You gotta read some of the comments on this particular video.  Good stuff, entertaining and stupid as hell.   There’s one guy who talks about how Tim’s “TROLLS AND MASTERS” have given him marching orders to work against the wishes of the people, and the whole thing is an orchestrated tactic to steal power from the people.  Or the talk of “scare tactics” when he speaks here.  I am paraphrasing to make the point of how silly people can sometimes be.

    It’s actually fairly easy to shoot holes in this kind of shallow paranoid thinking.  No power has traded hands, nor will it. Fools who speak like this are much like their democratic brethren from 8 years ago who felt they had the presidency stolen from them.  The Bill of Rights and the constitution held together just fine after bush took office.  Some might say they are a bit shredded and threadbare, but they’re still in force.  Section 4 article 2 is still out there, threatening all in power with impeachment should they fail the people.  Article 1 section 8 is still there, still making sure we pay our taxes, and giving congress the capacity to wage war, among other things.  The second amendment still gives me the right to have a gun as a last line of defense against man and beast, just like it did over 200 years ago. The Ninth is still the least understood amendment, and the first still gives us the right to yak at a loose end on subjects ad infinitum, meet in public without fear of harassment, and pray to whatever god we choose to pray to.  And as far as the banks and government being in bed with one another… 

    …The banks and the government have fought tooth and nail for power for years and years, since well before your grandfathers were born.  Alexander Hamilton fired the first shot when he made the treasury and authored the infamous “report on public credit”, and started the nation on the long road to debtor nation status.  Andrew Jackson fought with all his might against the  corrupt power of the centralized banking system, and crushed the second national bank, which he saw as existing only to make the rich richer and which he thought exercised control over members of congress.  If you listen to Gore Vidal, the man who pushed the power of the banks over the top and finally gave them the upper hand in the power struggle was Teddy Roosevelt.  I don’t think Gore is right, but that’s me.   Why do I think Mr. Vidal is wrong?

    2 reasons.  One:  The fight isn’t over, that’s why.  You don’t declare a winner until the fight is over, and until there are no banks or no governments, the fight is still on, and from what I see we the people are beginning to get the upper hand in this fight for power over the banks.  Two: It was Woodrow Wilson who signed the Federal Reserve Act into law. 

    And no I’m not going to go into some zeitgeist type rant against the fed.  I don’t like that brand of silliness.  But…

   This whole thing leads me to a larger question.  Who do you trust?  Seriously, if you were given the choice between giving power to multi-trillion dollar corporations or multi trillion dollar governments, which would you choose? And don’t think you get another choice.  You don’t, no matter what you want. 

    Let me rephrase that. Would you trust people over whom you have no control whatsoever and who are more interested in their business or those who are accountable to you, and whom you can hire or fire as you see fit?

    I voted for people in this government, and have been a voter for over 20 years, though i didn’t use the franchise when i first had the chance.  I have some level of control over who gets to office, i have no such capacity for the CEOS and CFO’s and the like of large corporations. 

    What “We the people” want, And i think i speak for the guy who said that “TROLLS AND MASTERS” line in regards to Mr. Geithner, as well as most everyone else, is control over our own fate, not have it in the hands of those who don’t care about us, or more properly put, who care more about their own bottom line than about the people with whom they do business. Neither one is a great choice, but i prefer government in this case, I can kick the bums in Gov. out as I see fit, and make them account for their actions on some level.  Can’t do that with citigroup, or Goldman, or any of the other banks or private businesses.

    Don’t mind me, just going free form tonight.  Just thinking out loud.  Drop me a line and tell me what you think. Or not.

   A second viddy, a few quotes, and I am done. 

     I spoke of the constitution earlier. Here we hear Justice Antonin Scalia talking of the constitution. I dislike his interpretation of the founding documents in general, and his opinion here is no less annoying to me.  The Justice doesn’t think the rights of people should evolve and grow as the needs of a changing nation evolve and grow.  I’ll do a piece on my thoughts about how the Constitution is a living breathing piece of our world another time. 

      

    That’s it for me.  Later!

Today’s Nuggets, Via wikiquote:  Every power vested in a government is in its nature sovereign, and includes by force of the term a right to employ all the means requisite…to the attainment of the ends of such power.  Alexander Hamilton

It has always been denied by the republican party in this country, that the Constitution had given the power of incorporation to Congress. On the establishment of the bank of the United States, this was the great ground on which that establishment was combated; and the party prevailing supported it only on the argument of its being an incident to the power given them for raising money.   Thomas Jefferson

Anagram: Chicken Soup/ Punks Choice

     

     The first video is about timing the markets, and in particular about the last two hours of the day are the best for the market.  The man seems a little unsure as to exactly why the market is up for the last two hours of the day, in particular the 2pm hour.  I have an idea why.  Alcohol.   Trader goes out, has a few, comes back, feeling fine, he(or she) has his (or her) beer muscles on, and uses them when buying stocks.  Like any other theory, it is yet unproven, but can you think of another reason for the market to suck every hour until after lunchtime but a liquid lunch?

         

      Whatever works.  If I’d have known this before, I’d have volunteered to bring crates of Jack Daniel’s straight to the floor at the opening bell every day.  Sure it would create a lot of issues for the traders and their personal lives and health, but ya gotta take one for the team every once in awhile, ya know?

          But seriously,  the market is doing well finally.  I can’t tell you how long I’ve been waiting to be able to say that.  It seemed that every rally I’ve watched the last few days I was waiting for the other shoe to drop and for the market to drop like a stone.  It did it once, but it’s been relatively OK besides that one day, which was just a correction after the big 500 point uptick on Monday.  The market is merely one indicator of the overall health of the economy, so to be sure it’s not time to put on the party hats and get ready for a full force recovery just yet, but it is nice to see something happy happening out there. 

   In other news, Unemployment went up again.  Initial claims went up another 600,000 for the eighth straight time.   And you can officially add me to those rolls, I officially signed up for it, last week, and put in my first actual claim yesterday.  I have yet to hear anything from unemployment, they are in the process of going through my claim, but it should not be too much longer. Sad days at rhino manor, it’s tough not knowing when, and where, and when bummed, if, the next paycheck is coming from, but I think everything will be OK, sooner or later. 

      

     You know what I want to know?  I want to know if any of these  jobs mentioned in this video will be coming to my area anytime soon.  I would not mind at all working on one of these windfarms, or doing some other job on the new energy grid.  Yes I know the video is a bit old, but I put it up here for one reason. I’ve been out of work for a few weeks now, and it’s probably going to be at least a few more before I get my hands on anything.  So I’m thinking, why the hell not at least put some thought into going into another line of work? I’m not afraid of heights, I’ll work on top of a 400 foot high wind turbine or whatever.  I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get the bills paid, and any job is a good job as far as I see it.  I’ve never been one of those people who looked down his nose at any type of work. 

      On the job front, I only put in one application today.  At http://www.whitehouse.gov  I figured why not? I know I’m not going to get anything hugely important out of it, there is no chance I’ll be working directly with the CBO or Treasury Sec. Geithner or the President anytime soon, but the worse thing that happens is that it gets ignored.  Maybe, just maybe they forward it to someone who can get me some meaningful employment.  I’m not expecting it, but it would be nice.  When you apply there, they don’t have specific jobs to apply for, you put in a resume, fill out about ten pages worth of information, and they (i guess) figure out if there is anything they need you for, based on what you put in for preferences and your job skills. 

    Any port in a storm and other such concepts.  America needs all the help it can get at this point, so why not let’em know I’m ready to pitch in? Plus, this is the government, they may have created minimum wage, but I don’t think they actually pay anyone that little.  Government pays, maybe not as much as wall street, but it would be enough to pay the bills, I would presume.

      On a related subject, I have a new blog.  It is a place called examiner.com, and no it’s not related to the San Francisco Examiner, or the Houston Examiner.   I only have one story in there, and I have to tell you, I was not impressed with my writing there, but it’s not too bad.  The only problem i have with the spot is the size constraints on the pieces.  The size of each piece is supposed to be between 2 and 4 hundred words.  Let me tell you something folks, I am at around 870 words right now, and I haven’t broken a sweat.  I have been known here to write MUCH longer pieces.  The transition to writing for this will make for some challenges because of this, but it is nothing I can’t handle.

      The best part about this is that this is going to be about Local democratic politics.  This is going to give me the reason I needed to bother and cajole and talk to leaders in the local democratic party about what’s going on here.  I have focused here on national politics, and this should paint a nice contrast to that.   I’m just not sure where to start.  Start calling the members of CB1 like it’s transportation chairman Sean Sweeney, to get his take on the fare hike? Call the local leadership in the Democratic party? Mike McMahon?

      And I won’t let that blog take anything away from this one, or vice versa.  If anything, they should enhance and contrast each other rather nicely i think.  I’ll add a link to my blog-roll when i add a few more pieces.  Having only one piece to read on a link for you would not be fair to you, I think.

   That’s it for me.  Later!

Today’s nuggets, by Douglas Adams, Via Wikiquote: The great thing about being the only species that makes a distinction between right and wrong is that we can make up the rules for ourselves as we go along.

 The impossible often has a kind of integrity to it which the merely improbable lacks.

“What to do if you find yourself stuck with no hope of rescue: Consider yourself lucky that life has been good to you so far. Alternatively, if life hasn’t been good to you so far, which given your present circumstances seems more likely, consider yourself lucky that it won’t be troubling you much longer.”

Anagram: Carpe Diem/ Armed Epic

       This one is going to be very short today.  For all that has happened this day, my personal life has overshadowed things by and large today, and that is going to extend into tomorrow. First up, I am going to be writing, after going through some preliminaries, a blog, an actual paid blog.  I won’t say where until I have it nailed down, and all the i’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed, but it looks good.  It’s politics again, just like when I was writing at El-Co, but this is going to have a more local flavor to it, and will have a bit more of a  narrow focus, That being on the democratic party here on Staten Island.

      The other big happening is that I have my first job interview since being canned coming up.  I got the call tonight and called the person back, and this looks like a good job opportunity.  Doing the same thing I was doing before, but in more of an actual managerial vein.  It’ll be second shift, should I get it.  Again I don’t want to give too much away here, but this sounds good.

      I won’t pin all my hopes on this one job and one blog, but i do feel pretty damned good about doing things the way I have over the last two weeks.  The aggressive approach here has helped get me this far.  But i do admit to being somewhat nervous.  It has been YEARS since my last real honest to god interview, and i don’t want to flub this thing.  I’ll have to tell about getting fired and hope they don’t hold it against me.  I’m trying to think of a way to talk about it, but I’m drawing a blank at this point. 

    I don’t want to bash the old place, but on the other hand I don’t want to make it look like I was the bad guy. There’s got to be a way to balance the two. 

   I’ll figure it out.  No Worries.  Even though I have been a horrible pain in her ass tonight, my wife has been nothing but helpful.  That’s my girl.  Thanks Hon! And,Hey! I’ve got the suit ready, and I’ll be ready just as soon as I get up in the morning!

    I hope My Interview tomorrow goes better than the one in this video does.  AhhGoood AhhNight, a dingadingadingadingadingading!!! with Italian subtitles, no less!

     

    That’s it for me. Later!

Today’s Nuggets, Via wikiquote:  Because your own strength is unequal to the task, do not assume that it is beyond the powers of man; but if anything is within the powers and province of man, believe that it is within your own compass also.  Marcus Aurelius

The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.  Vince Lombardi