Goodbye Philips Lighting

On May 29, 2009, Philips Lighting in Fairmont will shut down their final line. The fluorescent lamp manufacturing company started in Fairmont as Westinghouse in the summer of 1941. In 1983, Dutch-based Philips purchased the plant from Westinghouse. At it's peak, the plant employed 2,900 people. There was a serious threat of the plant leaving in 1989 when Philips announced they would either close the Fairmont plant or a plant in Lynn, Mass. Thanks to a lot of hard work, the Fairmont plant remained open.

On that date in 1989, Philip employed around 800 people. When it was announced the Fairmont plant would remain open, Fairmont held a “Philips Appreciation Day." I remember attending "Philips Appreciation Day." Duggar (sic) from the Duggar & Al show MC'd the event. But over the years the appreciation faltered and employees dwindled from over 800 to just 89. The closing of the plant, while sad for those 89, barely caused a ripple in Fairmont considering the economic climate.

I'm sad to see Philips leave. My grandma worked there for many years and I'm sure that if you look back through your family and friends in Fairmont, you'll find someone who was employed at Westinghouse or Philips at some point. For a long time it provided much of the identity of Fairmont. Now, it will be just one more empty lot.

The Great Mistake

On November 4, 2008, Americans went to the polls and elected Barack Obama as President. It doesn't take too much insight to see where the country has gone from that point forward. The stock markets continue to collapse, banks may need to be nationalized, governors are fighting over government money and Americans are fighting as to whether they deserve federal money or not.

Sure, these things were beginning towards the end of the Bush years but there remained confidence in the markets to stabilize. Bush presented an optimistic look towards the future, knowing American ingenuity would win the day. But with Obama, we now have a Coward in Chief. Instead of exuding confidence the American public, Obama presents doubt and worry. He revels in purveying fear and spreading doubt. And he is trying to quash any hopes of recovery.

America looks to the President for confidence in the future. Obama only returns fear. And with a purpose. By worrying the American public and further destroying the American, and world, economy, Obama can further his socialist agenda. By convincing the public that only the government can right the ship, he is able to steal more money from the working public. By forcing businesses to declare bankruptcy, he can justify further government expansion and liberal ideals such as universal health care and unlimited social benefits.

The United States was in a financial disaster when Obama took office but his doom and gloom attitude is threatening to turn this into a full fledged catastrophe. All for the advancement of an agenda that Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have long dreamed of. It's an unbelievable turn of event. Wonder how many people would have believed where we are now back on November 4, 2008? I guess it doesn't matter now...

Begging for Money

The true purpose of Secretary of State Hilary Clinton's recent Asian tour was revealed when she visited China to beg them to continue buying American debt. If the Chinese elected not to buy American debt, there would be no money for the stimulus plan. Of course, the ace in the hole for America is that we provide, by far, the largest market for Chinese exports. So it makes sense for the Chinese to buy more American debt.

This huge trade deficit the United States currently has against China must be solved at some point. China has such a controlling interest in the United States that our very sovereignty could be threatened. China is much like an investor in a business. China is investing it's money into a business called the United States. And it has become the single, largest sharehold in this business. By being the largets shareholder, they can hold large sway over decisions being made by the company. In this case, is the United States.

China has threatened the nuclear option of liquidating American debt in the past. Yes, China would suffer if they chose to make sure a move but not nearly to the extent the United States would suffer. China's huge surplus in exports would help them recover from the collapse of the dollar. And a weaker yuan would only increase their imports. On the other hand, the collapse of the dollar and the staggering amount of debt on each American would debilitate the economy.

Instead of looking to an answer for this threat to national security, we continue to beg the Chinese to buy our debt. Eventually that debt will cost us dearly. It's not a question of if, but when.

The Growing Revolt

Slowly, but surely, there's a growing feeling of uneasiness about the massive amount of dollars being spent on the "stimulus" plan and "bailout" plan. Americans are beginning to look at the total amount of money being spent and are starting to worry about how this money will be paid back. Fiscally responsible citizens are beginning to wonder why they are going to be paying the bills to bailout other individuals who were less frugal.

Only time will tell where this bailout and stimulus lead us. I believe it will be down a path of many, many years of hardship. Hopefully I am wrong but there's too much growth in the government as part of this "stimulus," which will ultimately lead to higher taxes and greater unemployment. And when the ecomonmy does turn, the potential for inflation or, worse, stagflation is great. There's a growing chorus of concerns. Obama has two years to turn this around or his revolution of "change" may be a short one.

Your Tax Money At Work

The Senate is preparing to pass a 1,071 page, $790-BILLION dollar "stimulus" this weekend. That's $790-billion dollars of your money they are getting ready to spend. And some of the Senators are admitting they won't have time to read the entire bill. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) doesn't expect any of his colleguages will actually have time to read the whole bill.

And pushing even more is Nancy Pelosi who wants the bill passed before her scheduled trip to Rome this evening. By rushing the bill through, it breaks a promise that the Dems made to have the bill available to the public for at least 48-hours before any vote is taken.

This is our money. This is our country. This is not soley Nancy Pelosi's country. This is not soley Harry Reid's country. This is not solely Barack Obama's country. This is not their government. This country's government was formed on the idea that it was of the people, by the people and for the people. If we allow Pelosi and Reid and their cohorts to continue to hide legislation from or rush legislation through without the input of citizens, that government, as we know it, will perish from this earth.

State of the State

I give Joe Manchin a pretty bad time usually. Most of the time it's because he seemingly cares a little too much about Mountaineer athletics and seems to be putting his nose where it truly doesn't belong. Perhaps that's simply a bad observation...but's it's probably accurate. But I must admit I was impressed by this State of the State address last night. At least what I saw of it before the electric went out.

When the federal government is trying to steal taxpayer money to expand the bureaucracy, it's nice to hear the governor speak of fiscal responsibility and balanced budgets. His promise not to increase entitlement programs was probably disappointing for the folks who believe government is the only solution to our problems. His promise not to raise taxes in the near term was much welcome. His pledge to stand against the teachers and not promise raises the state can't afford was brave and I'm sure it irked many. But at least the man was strong enough to make a stand.

West Virginia won't be immune to the financial downturn. But as long as Manchin maintains his promise to fiscal responsibility, West Virginia will move through the storm much better than many of these other states. Of course that might not be saying much...

Dangerous Wii Fit

My sister has been looking for a Wii Fit and I tracked one down at Target today. I never pulled the actual game from the box but still managed to get injured. In my attempt to review the information on the box, I turned the box over and gave myself a "cardboard" cut on my little finger. As I tried to move the box to survey the damage, I managed to cut my thumb. So, I gave up, threw the game in the cart and immediately left. Thankfully, the cashier put the game in a bag so I didn't have to touch that sharp, dangerous box again. Be aware of Wii Fit boxes.

Why Increasing Taxes Fails

So, the government is trying to spend its way out of debt. And, while doing so, trying to create additional government entitlements. Guess what...someone has to pay for it. And it's going to be you and me. So, to pay for these bailouts and entitlements, the government is going to raise taxes eventually. Maybe not on you and me but on businesses and "the rich." But, eventually, it will be on you and me. And here's why:

I own a business that provides a service to customers that pay me monthly. We did well last year and turned a profit. This year President Obama is going to increase my tax rate by 2%. Doesn't sound like much but 2% means about $1 million dollars for me. I have to find a way to get that million dollars back. My first step is to lay off 4 employees. That saves me $200,000. Now those employees are on unemployment costing the government more money.

To make up the rest, I pass an increase to my customers. Some customers, already paying more for other goods because of the tax increases on all businesses, decide to drop my business. Less customers means less revenue despite my increase in costs. I struggle by and manage to turn a profit by cutting costs and cutting corners. No Christmas bonus this year. But I digress. Let's see what happened here: I fired 4 employees, lost customers and, by the time the taxes are done, find that I am paying the same amount to the government in taxes as I did 2 years ago because of the decrease in revenue. So, despite the 2% raise in taxes, the actual dollar amount I'm paying the government remains identical and the burden on the government is greater because I fired 4 employees.

Now multiply that thousands of times and you see what tax increases can do to the economy. Let's look at what happens with a tax decrease:

I own a business that provides a service to customers that pay me monthly. We did well last year and turned a profit. This year President Obama is going to decrease my tax rate by 2%. Doesn't sound like much but 2% means about $1 million dollars for me. I now have an additional million dollars I can spend on my business. The first thing I do is begin a marketing campaign for my service. This increases my number of customers. Therefore, I hire 4 new employees which costs me around $200,000.

With additional money saved from taxes, I buy new furniture and build the infrastructure of my business to provide better service to my customers. Because of the increased service and marketing, I continue to add new customers and my business grows. Let's see what happened here: I have an additional million dollars so I hire 4 new employees. These employees can now pay taxes to the government and, if they were on unemployment, can now reject those government checks. My customer base increased because of my improved service which means additional revenue for my business which means I'm paying more in taxes today than I did 2 years ago despite the 2% cut. And, because my employees are making more money, they are paying more in taxes and having more disposable income to spend elsewhere.

Multiply that thousands of times and you have what saved the economy in the early '80s. Tax cuts give more money to people which means businesses can grow and hire more employees which increases the tax base, which actually increases the amount of money the government collects despite lower tax rates. This is the path that needs to be followed.

The government cannot tax itself out of debt. The burden will bury the American public and eventually lead to greater suffering. To see what taxes do, look no further than the tobacco tax. Sure, it made people quit smoking, which was a noble cause. But the increases in taxes funded several state programs. Once people stopped smoking because they could no longer afford to, the amount of taxes collected dropped. That meant those programs were underfunded so they raised the tobacco tax again. More people stopped smoking. Less revenue. And lord forbid the government ever cut a program. Instead, they're looking for other taxes to raise to make the difference. If you raise taxes on other goods, people are going to do their best to stop using those goods. Or they're going to cut their spending elsewhere.

Sure, it seems like tax increases would simply raise the amount of money the government would have. But that isn't the case. The rippling ramifications of even the smallest tax increases can be felt throughout the entire economic system. If taxing us out of our problems is the long-term solution by the Obama administration, we are in deep trouble. No country has ever taxed themselves to prosperity. And no country ever will.

Obama's Cabinet

Tax problems, tax problems, tax problems. Tom Daschle owes $128,000 in taxes. Nancy Killefer, who withdrew her nomination for chief performance officer, had tax issues. And now confirmed Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner failed to pay $26,000 in taxes. And we want these people to determine policy for the country? They can't even take responsibility for one of the most basic principles in this country: pay your taxes.

What's even more concerning about these people is the fact that the government is trying to spend trillions of taxpayer dollars. More than ever, the government is asking American citizens to give away their hard earned money. And Obama is nominating people for government positions who won't even pay their previously obligated duties. What makes this even funnier is the fact that Daschle wants universal healthcare which would raise tax obligations to unprecendented levels. Of course, since he doesn't pay his taxes anyway, I guess he wouldn't be affected. But you will be...

The "Stimulus" Package

If Republicans needed a rallying cry, an issue to bring the conservatives back together, this is it. This "stimulus" bill that President Obama is proposing is anything but stimulating. This is a package that contains pork and not the necessary provisions to really turning the economy around. Obama promised at least 40% of any stimulus package would go to real tax cuts. This bill only dedicates 33% to tax relief.

If Obama really cares about fixing the American economy, he would devote much, much more of the package to real tax relief for citizens. Cut capital gains taxes to encourage investment back into the stock market. Cut business taxes from the highest in the industrialized world to something reasonable that would promote business growth. Cut taxes across the board for all Americans to promote growth instead of just trying to give money back to people who don't even pay taxes. And make them real tax cuts, not one time cash injections. Quit punishing successful Americans and instead promote incentives for more Americans to become successful.

The continued punishment of the successful or "rich" is what is dragging down this economy. Why would anyone want to succeed in this environment that punishes success by allowing the government to literally steal your rewards? This stimulus continues the Democrat position of punishing those who attain the "American dream" while creating a permanent American under-class that relies solely on the government for their means to survive.

The other reason this stimulus should be rejected is the time in which it has taken to create. Why should we accept a bill that spends nearly $1 trillion dollars without adequate time to review and digest? Shouldn't the American people have access to where this money is going before our representatives vote yes or no? I would like to see what type of pork is being supported in this bill. It just doesn't make sense at this point to vote this through considering how poorly the last stimulus bill worked. And rushing this bill through just promotes more lost money and more waste. Why can't we wait a few weeks?

Obviously Obama has lost bipartisan support for a weak bill but that doesn't matter. Campaign rhetoric and real action are completely different things. If the Democrats pass this bill, the Republicans better make sure they are reminded of it non-stop in the next campaign cycle. It is destined to fail. And it may bring Republicans back to power. I would rather see a bill that really works for America but that's too much to ask from the controlling party.

Inadvertent Comedy

I was reading the Times-West Virginian today and the Reader's Write column left me chuckling for the inadvertent comedy...I give you the letter against "rock and roll":

Today I went to shop in a store in Middletown Mall. We passed through one store with attractive music that would encourage cus­tomers to stop by and browse. In another store, I intended to do a lot of looking around for things to buy. I had not been there in a while and hoped to find a number of things to purchase. The music was not very good, and then a repetitious and controlling rock and roll song came over the speakers.

I immediately looked for a worker whom I could ask to turn off the rock and roll. I found a middle-aged worker, who may have been a manager and asked if she could turn off the music while we were in the store. She asked me, “Why?”

The music was harsh enough that I assumed she would have understood. I explained that it was irritating and she said they had chosen that music for every­one in the store. I let her know that we were leaving because of the bad music. She could have at least turned it down for the short time that we would be shopping in their store.

On the way home, I told my daughter that I still had that bad song in my mind. She said that she did, too.

One would think that a store manager would know that the purpose of the music in a store is to soothe the customer and to encourage them to step into the store and buy something. This store was using their music to run off customers.

I am glad that we could at least give one manager two votes against rock and roll music. I hope that this letter will get the message across to other store and restaurant owners that many of us do not enjoy, or approve of, the words and music of rock and roll songs.

Who would have thought ten years ago that restaurants would be “smoke-free?” Maybe more establishments in the future will become “rock and roll free.”

Maybe it was some harsh thrash metal song or something new (and completely horrible like Nickleback) but I can't help but hope it was Elvis or The Beatles. Those kids and their dag-gone rock and roll music.

The "Nationalization" of Amerca

It starts out innocent enough. Investment in a bank. Investment in a business. Bailing out the car companies. But slowly we're working our way down a path to nationalization of America's biggest businesses. It's already started. Congress is demanding CEO capped salaries and ruffling feathers over the decorating of offices.

Obama has already showed his displeausre in the fact that Merrill Lynch used $1.2 million of TARP money to remodel an executive suite. Obviously, your reaction too would be of disdain if a company used taxpayer money to buy expensive trashcans. But dig a little deeper. What's the difference between Lynch using the money to remodel an office or loaning it to a company? To get out of this recession, are we not supposed to be spending money? What if Lynch decides to not purchase anything at all? Does that help their vendors or does it put more jobs at risk?

The bigger problem is the fact that the government is playing Big Brother to all these corporations. By determining what a company can and cannot do with their money is nataionalism. By freezing salaries or determining the costs of goods, the government is playing a dangerous game of Russian roulette with socialism that may not be able to be turned back.

Even more scary than the government playing this game is the words of Obama attempting to silence his critics. Obama wants no debate over the bailout and no debate on the next steps of the government intervention into this recession. By marginalizing and polarizing his opponents, Obama is attempting to silence free speech. His goal is to demonize anyone with an alternative point of view, thus creating no opposition for Democrats for years to come. This is completely unacceptable and inheritedly un-American.

Healthy debate needs to be had on the upcoming TRILLION dollar debacle. All points of view should be accounted for when talking about this sum of money. And there should be steps in place to relinquish control of the "bailed-out" banks and return to free market principles. Anything less means a poor future for the United States.

The Race to Depression

With the economy racing downward (or so it would appear), the press is playing the depression game. Every media outlet it desperately hoping to be the first to declare the economic situation a second Great Depression but none are brave enough to ventue into that territory unilaterally. Instead, they ask questions like "A New Great Depression?," "What would a depression look like?," and "The Dawn of a New Depression?"

Which network will do it? Which major network will bite the bullet and open the floodgates? My money goes on NBC, especially with the liberal MSNBC out there. They seem to be most likely to declare this the second depression even though there are no factors that could possibly quantify it as such. Unemployment in the Great Depression was at 25% in 1933. Today it is high, at 7.2% Is that the factor? Does the spiraling stock market determine the depression? Between October 29, 1929 and July of 1932, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 89% of its value. To date, the Dow has lost nearly 45% from its high in October of 2007. Still a long way to go to 90%.

I can't say we're not facing some very difficult times ahead. But there's no way to say we're in the next Great Depression until history has had a chance to look back and make that determination. The rush to declare it as such only further fuels the paranoia and fears of the people who rely on the news networks for actual news. Perhaps we are heading into the next Great Depression. But I won't be relying on the news to tell me that. I will rely upon the facts and make the determination myself...

The Obama Inauguration

The Obama Inauguration went about as well as any other inauguration. Other than a stumble in the wording of the oath of office, I thought the ceremony was well planned and executed. The parade started a little later than usual but there were some circumstances beyond anyone's control, like Ted Kennedy's issue. What I thought went poorly was the news coverage of the event. The over-the-top coverage and lavish words heaped upon the incoming president reeked of partisan hackery.

Perhaps the worst offender that I saw was none other than NBC's Tom Brokaw. In describing the jubilation of the crowd, Brokaw likened it to the fall of the communist regime in Czechoslovakia. He quantified his remarks by saying that we weren't overthrowing a communist regime but an unpopular president was leaving office and "there's that same sense of joyfulness and possibility."

I took offense at Brokaw's comments. Sure, most would agree (including myself) that it is time for a new leader. And there should be jubilation at the change of power. But not because we are overthrowing some dictorial regime. Instead that jubilation should come from the fact that in the United State, the transfer of power is peaceful and respectful. Whether it is Obama or McCain or Bush or Clinton taking office, all Americans should celebrate the fact such changes in power can occur without bloodshed. I hardly believe that Brokaw would make such a comment if it were McCain taking office yesterday. Instead, he would be sure to point out an decisiveness that remained in the country.

All media coverage that I saw yesterday acted as though Obama is the candidate the entire nation wanted and everyone in America is happy to see him take the oath. Obviously, that is not true. There are nearly 50% of Americans who did not vote for Obama and believe that the direction in which he wants to lead is the wrong direction. But, once again, we do celebrate the fact that power changes hands in a democratic fashion. And I, who was not an Obama supporter, do hold hope that perhaps his plans will change the economic fortunes of this country in a positive manner. But to act as though Obama is the only voice for this country is deceiving and downright false. But I digress...

I did want to watch the full Inaugural Parade last evening but I couldn't stand watching because the commentators would not shutup for one minute. You couldn't hear the bands over the on-air personalities who believed they must fill every second of the broadcast with their mundane observations and perspectives on the events. They wanted to remind the viewers non-stop that they were witnessing history and then they wanted to put their perspective on history. If there were only one channel that would have broadcast the parade without commentary, that is certainly where my remote would have landed me. Instead, I watched the typical Seinfeld episodes that I would watch any other evening, apparenly missing history in the making.

And, now, just a few other observations:

• BBC America may have had the best coverage. It was fair and interesting. I enjoyed the comparisons they made to our counterparts in Great Britain and the multiple traditions we inherited from our former Mother Country.
• Al Roker attempting to get an interview with Obama was amusing.
• The Carters and the Clinton snubbing one another may have been the highlight of all inaugural events. That, of course, followed the love-fest between Bill and George I in the hall.
• I thought Rick Warren's invocation was very well written and delivered. All that outcry for nothing.
• I'm about sick of the Lincoln / Obama comparisons. Those comparisons should only be made after Obama has actually performed some duty. To this point, he has made no official act as president and anyone proclaiming Obama a great president solely on his race is doing a disservice to everyone.

I think that's all I can think of at the moment. Basically, I was just highly disappointed with the coverage. Maybe Fox's coverage was better but I can't get Fox in high-definition. CBS and ABC seemed lost. I don't get CNN in high-def but I can't stand CNN anyway so it didn't matter. We'll see how things look a week, month and year from now. Hopefully all the celebrations are still going on...but I somehow doubt it.

Super Bowl

Well, it's Arizona vs. Pittsburgh. So, I was wr-wr-wr -- I was mistaken when I said it would be Philadelphia and Baltimore. Those things happen. I would much rather see a Pittsburgh / Philadelphia matchup because I think Arizona is playing really good football. The key to the Super Bowl will be pressure that Pittsburgh can get on Kurt Warner, or the lack thereof. More information on that as the game approaches.

For now, I'm going to watch news coverage of the coming of the Messiah. Oh wait, again I'm mistaken...it's actually the swearing in of President Barack Obama. Given the way the media is gushing and acting, I would have thought it would be much more. I could go on and on about the over-the-top coverage but I'm sure there will be plenty of other people parsing the extremely partisan coverage. Listening to Tom Brokaw compare the new regime to a changing of the regime in a communist Checkoslvakia nearly made me turn off the coverage completely but then I remembered it's Tom Brokaw and NBC...what should I really expect?

I'm sure I'll have more to say about the Inaugural coverage soon. And I have some comments regarding Joe Manchin's Inaugural Address. All that and more (or less) soon.

It's So Cold...

It's so cold that I went out and looked for jokes about how cold it was...and, here goes (some are funnier than others...none are really funny):

• It was so cold today that I saw a dog stuck to a telephone pole.
• It was so cold that O.J. led an armed raid to retrieve his stolen space heater.
• It was so cold that I saw a politician with his hand in his own pocket.
• It was so cold that Britney Spears made sure she had underwear on before she went out.
• It was so cold that down at the city morgue, you couldn't tell the stiffs from the guys who worked there.
• It was so cold that Richard Simmons started wearing pants.
• It's so cold, even the Good Humour Man is in a bad mood.
• It's so cold that instead of the finger, New Yorkers are giving each other the mitten.
• It was so cold, I saw an Amish guy buying an electric blanket.

Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week. Be sure to tip your waiter.

Down to Four

Only 4 teams remain in the hunt for Lombardi Trophy. I still stand by my prediction of a Baltimore/Philadelphia matchup...but there could be a developing chink in that matchup. Namely, the emergence of a Steelers offense.

Biggest surprise of the playoffs has to be the Arizona Cardinals. I never really believed Carolina was a Super Bowl caliber team but the meltdown of Jake Delhomme was nothing short of amazing. Five interceptions and a fumble put the Panthers in a hole that no team can easily escape. If Arizona gets Anquan Boldin back before Sunday, they could give the Eagles a real fit. The Eagles defense remained stout against the Giants but it would be very difficult to cover both Fitzgerald and Boldin with Warner throwing the ball. I will still give the edge to Philly, though. In a close one.

On the AFC side, well, it should be interesting. I have given the Baltimore defense a lot of credit but I can't say I was overly impressed with their effort against the Titans. Tennessee moved the ball but they couldn't finish a drive. The Baltimore offense wasn't that great because Tennessee lined up against the run. I would expect more Flacco passes this week. On the other side, Pittsburgh annihilated San Diego. The defense played well but the amazing part was the newly discovered offense. Parker ran the ball like you would expect, the offensive line played well and Roethlisberger didn't make any dumb mistakes. His passes were crisp and on target.

This game could be a battle for the ages. The two best defenses in the league should make this very interesting. If Roethlisberger and the offensive line play as well as they did against the Chargers, Pittsburgh can score on the Raven defense. The key is minimizing mistakes. Beating a team three times in a season is a tough order and Pittsburgh is going to have to do just that to make it to another Super Bowl. I hope Pittsburgh wins but I've already made my Super Bowl pick and the Steelers weren't there. So, I go with Baltimore...in an amazing game.

Decline of Civilization

It's tough to say that there is a decline of civilization based solely upon what is on television but I believe there may be some correlation. Today, simply looking for something to wither away a few hours, I ran across a show entitled "Bulging Brides." As the title might suggest, this is a show about women hoping to slim down before their big day. Really? This is the type of show that passes now?


To continue on the same lines, there's a show called "Parking Wars" about meter maids and people who tow vehicles. There was the show about airport workers. There's a mulititude of shows about people purchasing, selling or remodeling homes. And don't get me started on the VH1 shows trying to hookup has-been stars with girlfriends/boyfriends or both.

Reality television has gone overboard. Survivor and Amazing Race at least had a purpose. Shows like The Bachelor started a downward trend that now ends with showing overweight brides trying to squeeze into a too-small wedding dress.

It appears this new genre of odd reality shows are here to stay. The budgets for a reality show are a fraction of a fully developed show and there's hardly the same overhead should the show fail. A production staff exists but not the myriad of actors, writers and editors that would exist in your normal prime-time show like Law & Order. It'll be interesting what they do next. I imagine Dog Lives - The secrets of what your dog does while you're at work can't be too far off. Shoot, they probably already make it...just tune into Animal Planet.

Dick Vitale Announces an NBA Game!

Have we really sunk so low in marketing that ESPN was actually hyping that Dick Vitale was leaving the college ranks to announce one NBA game? Have we reached a point where ESPN personalities become more important to the game than the actual contest itself? Instead of hyping a contest between Denver and Miami or between Carmello Anthony and Dwayne Wade, ESPN hyped the announcing of Vitale. What a said state of affairs!


Needless to say, I did not watch the game as Vitale's schtick doesn't cut it for me. He shows a great passion for the college game but ESPN has turned him into a caricature. He has become a mere vessel for catchphrases like "awesome, baby" and "PTP-er." And every game he looks for ways to throw in the phrases for which he can accredit his fame.

ESPN has created a cast of characters to broadcast games. From Berman's "back, back, back" to Corso's "not so fast, my friend," ESPN has dumbed down their sporting news to the point that it is nearly intolerable. Unfortunately, decent reporters get lost in the mix at ESPN because they don't "draw a crowd."

Regardless, you know there's some amiss with the entire venture when a broadcasting personality is expected to draw a bigger crowd than the actual game itself. It's hard to tell whether it is truly an issue with the NBA or with ESPN. Either way, I would be quite offended if I were a Denver or Miami fan.

My Investments

For some reason I decided to watch Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel last evening and was subjected to Gumbel bloviating about his journalistic conquests. In the course of his self-aggrandizing, he showed an interview with Bill Parcells. Parcells was at the track and I was wondering whether Parcells owned a portion of the track. Which naturally led me to think about the investments people make and about my own investments to this point in my life.

I have a few safe investments made: a retirement fund, a money market. Not a whole lot but something thatI can collect a little interest on and hope that it leads to the path of retirement. But upon further contemplation, I realized that my primary investment is actually in people. That may sound a bit odd but when looking at the true financial investments I have made, it pales in comparision to the financial and emotional investments I have made in the people who are friends and family.

An investment in individuals can pay great dividends. There's not any true financial gain but the return on investment can be many times that of money. When a person you're invested in succeeds or accomplishes goals, you feel good too. Not necesarily a windfall profit but something that goes deeper. But the losses you can sustain are greater than any stock market crash. When an investment in a friend goes bust, the cost cannot be measured on any ledger book. And the writeoff isn't nearly as easy as selling a simple stock.

I've seen my investments gain and lose value over the years. I've seen some investments rise beyond the level of Exxon only to fall below GM. But most seem to gain value over the course of time, even when amount of trading falls. And there are some which I can't forecast what rate they may be trading a month from now. But, all in all, the investments I choose to make remain sound and I hope that they are not misplaced. Only time can tell whether my investments are wise or not. I know the risks...and yet I'll continue to stay in the market.

Obama Coins

I'm sure you've seen the commercials. Heck, I'm sure you've even bought a few. I give you the official Obama coins:

Yes, this coin can be yours for only $9.95 or $19.95 or whatever you want to pay. What a deal! Just visit obamacoinonline.com or obamacoincollection.com (which has more awesome coins) to get your exclusive deal. Just look at that coin and tell me you don't feel inspired. Recession, depression, whatever comes, I can look at my coin and feel the audacity of hope. Order now as supplies are limited.

Technical Documents

I hate technical documents. There cannot be anything more boring in this world than to read white papers or best practices papers. They are dry. They are overly wordy. And they are boring. I literally read 2 sentences of Microsoft's "Using Microsoft Technologies to Empower Law Firms" before trying desparately to find something else to do. I would much rather do actual work than read this drivvel.

Anyway, I was rather disappointed in the Texas/Ohio State outcome last evening. I believed Ohio State would finally fling the monkey from their back and win a big football game. I was incorrect. But Texas hardly was the offensive juggernaut that many had claimed. So the question begs: Are Big 12 offenses that good or Big 12 defenses just not that good? Ohio State is hardly an offensive power and Texas Tech losing to Ole Miss proved more to me than the OSU game. It's up to Florida to expose the Big 12 for the conference I believe they are this year. And I believe they will. Tebow is a better field general than Sam Bradford. No doubt.

Lastly, as for the NFL, I still stand by my Baltimore/Philadephia pick. Baltimore may truly be the best team in the AFC. Philly is probably not the best in the NFC but they just need a couple decent games from McNabb to end up in the Super Bowl. If the Ravens can score, they can't be beat. And it looks like they've finally found a way to score. A boring Super Bowl? Yes. But that's probably what it's going to be.

Top 10 to Disappear for 2009

Goodbye 2008. And hopefully goodbye to these people who made headlines in 2008. I could do without them in 2009...at least most of it:



1. Brett Favre - Princess/Queen Favre needs to just finally retire. Now. Leading the league in interceptions year after year is definitely impressive but enough is enough. Retire Brett Favre. Please.

2. Joe the Plumber - Maybe he had a good point and asked Obama a good question but the media blitz that followed was nothing short of insane. After McCain took him on the campaign trail and lost, Joe told the press that he didn't really like McCain either. Goodbe Joe the Plumber.

3. Rod Blagojevich - Unfortunately the guy won't just resign and disappear. No, he has to appoint a replacement senator and make things even more complicated. As nice as it would be for Blagojevich to disappear, he probably won't. Too bad.

4. The Clintons - I've been wanting them to disappear for about 10 years but they just won't go away. Hillary as Secretary of State? How sad. And now Michael Bloomberg chose the pair to drop the ball on NYC on New Year's Eve. Why? Go away already.

5. Caroline Kennedy - She wants to be a Senator now? Having the last name Kennedy doesn't make you qualified to be a senator. We don't live in pre-revolution France. Get some experience and come back...or don't come back.

6. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - He's been somewhat quiet lately but that's unlikely to continue. He's insane. While we're at it, Hugo Chavez can go away too. And Fidel Castro. Maybe Castro already did? And Vladmir Putin. These people can all go away.

7. The following should stop making music in 2009: Brittney Spears. Heidi Montag. Pink. Nickleback. Daughtry. David Cook. Metallica. I'm sure there are bunch more but those are the firs that come to mind.

8. The Dallas Cowboys. The Boston Red Sox. The Pittsburgh Panthers. The ACC (in football). Did I say Brett Favre earlier? Duke.

9. Middle East. The whole area could probably disappear really...just leave the oil. What a mess. Do we really have to continue to deal with this in 2009?

10. Myself? Sure, why not? If these people are going to be in 2009, maybe I'll just skip to 2010. Ah, if it were only that simple. Nah, instead I'll continue to complain that these people and things exist. We'll see how that goes...Happy New Year.

Let the Crying Begin

The NFL playoffs are set and New England hasn't been invited. Let the crying in Boston commence at once. It's already started -- for those of you that want to cry with New England fans, here are the talking points (and you have to make these points in as whiny of a voice as possible):

• It's not fair. San Diego went 8-8 and made the playoff and the Patriots won 11 games and don't. WAHHHH!
• Look at all the obstacles New England overcame this year to win 11 games. WAHHHH!
• Tom Brady didn't even play and New England won 11 games. WAHHHHH!

Maybe it's not fair that an 8-8 team makes it in over an 11-win team but that's the way the league is setup. Same with baseball. Is it fair that a team with a losing record could technically make it in to the playoffs over a team with over 1oo wins? Probably not but that's what the divisional races are all about. If New England wanted to make the playoffs, they should have beaten Miami in Week 3. Their only win over playoffs teams were Week 12 over the Dolphins and Week 16 over Arizona, who had already wrapped up the NFC West. Pardon me if I don't feel overly sympathetic for the Patriots. But I don't need to...they have ESPN for that.

Okay, other NFL stuff:

• Watched every second of the Eagles/Cowboys game. Oh, that was just amazing. The only thing that could have made it better would have been a full T.O. meltdown where he rips off his Cowboys jersey, steals an Eagles jersey from a fan in the crowd and tried to rejoin the Eagles team. And then McNabb beats him down and Andy Reid gives him a belly splash. Yeah, that would be better.
• Does anyone else thing Ben Roethlisberger is a drama queen? He's injured pretty much every game. I really thought Mike Tomlin was going to go out on the field and just laugh at him.
• Detroit went 0-16. Ha.
• Philip Rivers v. Jay Cutler. What a rivalry...I guess. I was happy to see San Diego make the playoffs...especially after everyone said they were dead 5 weeks ago.
• New England. Haahahahahahaha.
• Goodbye Romeo Crennel....or Art Shell. They are the same person!
• Goodbye Eric Mangini. That makes me sad. I wanted him to beat Belichick so badly.
• Goodbye Rod Marinelli. Didn't win many games but you'll go down in history.
• Goodbye Brett Favre? Maybe? Maybe not? Hey, it's Brett Favre...you'll know what he's doing when he knows what he's doing.
• Lastly, some really early picks for your 2009 Super Bowl. This isn't who I want but I think is most likely to be there: NFC - Philadelphia. (McNabb will find a way to blow it but the door is definitely open for them.) AFC - Baltimore. (I hate to say that but if the Ravens can find any offense, they might be unbeatable. Pittsburgh has too much QB drama.)

That's enough for the NFL. I'll comment on the bowl games later or tomorrow or sometime before next season. Bill Stewart...coming later.

Christmas Movies

I don't really watch Christmas movies so I'm hardly in a position to rank the worst Christmas movies of all time. I've never watched all of Miracle on 34th Street or It's a Wonderful Life. I've probably seen enough bits and pieces to know the whole movie...but never have watched the whole thing non-stop. Jingle All The Way, Christmas With The Kranks, Fred Claus? Nah, I'll pass on all those too. The one Christmas movie I do watch every year, and how could I possibly miss it, is A Christmas Story.

For a consecutive 24-hours you can watch Ralphie Parker try to convince everyone that he needs an official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model BB rifle with a compass in the stock. Watch Randy get bundled up for winter and unable to get up when he falls (Med-Alert, anyone?) A department store Santa, a bully named Scott Farkus and fudge all make appearance in this class. And, of course, the Bumpus hounds destroy a Christmas turkey, leading to the final climax at the Chinese restaurant, a Christmas not to forget, indeed.

This is about the only Christmas movie I know I'll see this year. As every year. I've recited the lines here at work ad naseum. I even received a "Triple Dog Dare You" t-shirt for a Christmas gift, which highlights the amazing scene in which Scott Schwartz valiently sticks his tongue to that flagpole and gets stuck. Truly amazing stuff. If you're one of those people who have refused to watch "A Christmas Story" because it looks dumb or because of the hype, you don't know what you're missing. Check it out.

And, if you're bored, go here: http://www.uglychristmaslights.com/ and check out some ugly Christmas light.