long hard fight

As the resistance softens in Iraq it is stiffening up in Afghanistan.  But we knew it would be a long hard one.  Rumors are swirling about a possible surge to bring it back down.  I thought this breakthrough method of intelligence gathering was worth sharing:

The Afghan chieftain looked older than his 60-odd years, and his bearded face bore the creases of a man burdened with duties as tribal patriarch and husband to four younger women. His visitor, a CIA officer, saw an opportunity, and reached into his bag for a small gift.

Four blue pills. Viagra.

"Take one of these. You'll love it," the officer said. Compliments of Uncle Sam.

Yes!  Forget waterboarding.  Turns out this husband of four (the maximum number of wives allowed by the Koran) came back a few days later happily offering up Taliban movements and supply routes.  Oh, and he asked for more little blue pills.

This could catch on.  I'm thinking ExtenZe for Kim Jong-il could be in order.

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How to Bounce Back from Getting Your Butt Handed to You in the Polls

Here's a good article I came across in the Wall Street Journal. It's been striking how similar the GOP's situation is in the aftermath of this election as it was in 1992--young, popular president-elect with questionable credentials following a less-than successful guy named Bush and all that.

Anyway, in 1992 the GOP was able to recover quite handily from what was a crushing blow and the WSJ interviews the architect of that recovery, Governor-turned-RNC Chairman Haley Barbour to see what his recipe for a turnaround is. I find it impressively simple and straightforward for a political strategy.

It's basically a 4 step plan and looks a lot like what the Great Donkey was able to pull off:

1-Focus on the state level parties that often get neglected when a party is in the White House.

2-Rebuild the party's small-donor base, who likewise get neglected.

3-Make the party a leader in whatever technology is the most cutting edge at the time (in 1992 it was talk radio and satellite TV, now it's the Internet and who knows what else).

4-Convince voters that Republicans do in fact have fresh ideas and that the values of conservatism can also provide solutions to social problems.

Anyway, thought it was a good read. Happy Holidays, all.

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Those Poor Yankees

WHAAAAAAAAAAT?

"Poor Yankees?" you say. "What's that supposed to mean? Is that like a, a giant shrimp? or a, a skinny chef? or a happy Seattle sports fan?.....Poor Yankees! What a crock!"

No really, I pity the poor Yankees. They haven't figured it out.

After winning 4 titles in 5 years in the late 90s, they changed strategies and began spending loads of cash to bring in the "best" free agents. They turned their focus from solid drafting and building from within to opening up the (bottomless) pocket book to buy victories.

Consider these names of free agents the Yankees have signed in the last 8+ years:

Jason Giambi
Randy Johnson
Carl Pavano
Johnny WWJD Damon
Bobby Abreu
Kevin Brown
Roger Clemens
Mike Mussina
Andy Pettitte
Kenny Lofton
Tom Gordon
David Wells
Ruben Sierra
Gary Sheffield
Jaret Wright
Octavio Dotel
Kei Igawa

And of course, this year is no different: nearly $500 million for CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, and Mark Tiexierxia (or however you spell it). Clearly, they cannot be satisfied with any perceived ceiling in spending. One can only assume that Manny Ramirez will become a Yankee as well. The Steinbrenna ego wouldn't allow for any other result.

But look at that list! Arguably the most talent ever assembled during the last 8 years and nary a title to show for it. And I'm sure I'm missing a few others.

So I pity the poor Yankees who appeared to be getting back to the basics during the last couple seasons by bringing up Cano, Hughes and Chamberlain as home-grown talent, but who have reverted back to their spending ways...which I gotta believe will only result in more losing. It's a shame to deploy that amount of resources without getting the result you want.

At what point will they realize that free agent signings as the core strategy for building a winning team is a losing strategy? Maybe after they fail to win a World Series again?

Maybe.

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The Great Seattle Sports Depression

And I thought I was a big Seattle sports fan. Wow, look at that room!


Well, I applaud the man. He is the face of our fans in the great Pacific Northwest.


And the last couple years in Seattle sports has been the sports equivalent of the Great Depression. We've gone over this topic before so I won't re-hash it, but I thought I would be remiss if I didn't post a link to this article.


When I read articles like this and really think about the devastation of the last couple years, I feel like I am becoming Eeyore -- a depressed, pessimistic jacka--I mean donkey. Not a fun feeling.







Merry Christmas, everyone. :(

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I Condone This Message

Miss Pakistan gave an interview reminiscent of Miss Teen South Carolina's famous "...and such as" debacle.

She said, among many other things that:

The image of Pakistan has been threatened with these recent attacks and I feel that now as Pakistanis we have to stand up and condone what has happened in the country of India and through these Mumbai attacks.

Perhaps she did not realize the word was 'condemn' because she, like U.S. Americans who cannot identify their own country on a map –-because they do not have a map-- did not have a dictionary?

Later in the interview, in an effort to clarify herself she stated:

as an ambassador to my country Pakistan I feel that we as Pakistanis need to work together and Indians as well need to work and work on this friendship that we have and condone these attacks, thoroughly

I also want to be an ambassador to my country.

But I think people are being overly harsh on the beauty queen. After reading a little bit more about Miss Pakistan, I realized that she is coming from a position of great disadvantage. She has spent much of her life in an environment hostile to western ideals and American influence. A place where people are trained to condemn (or condone?) domestic and foreign government, and where peace is preached despite being embedded in a violent, war torn environment. No, Miss Pakistan cannot be blamed for her linguistic gaffes, she is simply a product of her upbringing:

She is a graduate of UC Berkely.


What, you thought I was talking about Pakistan?


h/t Gateway Pundit

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Bush: Myth and Reality

George W. Bush will no longer be the President of the United States a month from now. People all over the country, and throughout the world are celebrating.

And throwing shoes.

At long last the United States will restore its tarnished image and its corrupted standing in the hierarchy of world beauty pageants, popularity contests and the annual "Who's the Best Country" vote.

So, with that in mind, I found an article by Ed Gillespie at Real Clear Politics very insightful (read the whole thing, I have only quoted excerpts). As we celebrate the departure of the American Buffoon, let's look back at all the unhinged buffoonery he engaged in as President.

This ought to be fun right?

Myth 1: The last eight years were awful for most Americans economically and President Bush's deregulatory policies caused the current financial crisis.

Reality:

President Bush's time in office is ending as it began, with our economy under stress. The recession President Bush inherited as he entered office ran through the attacks of September 11, 2001, but during the recovery that followed, and due in no small part to the tax relief President Bush worked with Congress to provide, this country experienced its longest run of uninterrupted job growth - 52 straight months, with 8.3 million jobs created...

As for the current crisis, the President and his economic team have taken unprecedented actions to stabilize the financial sector and avert a collapse. While there are a number of causes of the housing and credit crises that are at the root of our current economic troubles, deregulation by the Bush Administration is simply not one of them. In fact, one of the circumstances that contributed to the crisis was the failure of the government sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which President Bush long tried to subject to greater regulation.

But Barney Frank said Fannie and Freddy were 'fine' and he is totally trustworthy!

Myth 2: President Bush's tax cuts only benefitted the wealthy and were paid for by sacrificing investments in health care and education.

Reality:

There are not 116 million "wealthy Americans," but that's how many taxpayers benefited from the President's tax relief. The across-the-board tax cuts provided tax relief to every American who pays income taxes, created a new bottom 10 percent bracket rate, doubled the child tax credit to $1,000, and actually increased the share of the Federal income tax burden paid by the top 10 percent of individual earners from 67 percent in 2000 to 70 percent in 2005. Furthermore, this Administration removed 13 million low-income earners from the income tax rolls completely.

The economic growth spurred by tax relief also spurred growth in Federal tax receipts. In fact, the Federal Treasury realized the largest three-year increase of revenue in 26 years, and tax receipts grew more than $542 billion between 2000 and 2007. And yes, much of that money went to investments in health care and education.

Wait a minute, this article seems to be saying all these atrocities Bush committed have been good for the American people. How can that be? This is George W. Bush we are talking about!

Certainly his antics abroad are fodder for the guillotine? Bush did nothing but destroy all the hard earned Clinton capital in the banks of worldwide public opinion. Talk about a federal deficit!

Myth 3: The President's "go it alone" foreign policy ruined America's standing in the world.

Reality:

Rarely can one see revisionist history occurring in the present, but this charge is nothing short of that. The United States acted with a multilateral coalition of partner nations to remove Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq after he failed to comply with the will of the international community, including numerous United Nations Security Council Resolutions. To ignore this fact is not only a distortion of history, but it is also an insult to the service members of our coalition partners who sacrificed their lives to contribute to the success we are now witnessing in Iraq. And in Afghanistan, approximately forty countries are currently deployed with American forces, including every one of our NATO allies...

U.S. ties in Asia have been strengthened over the past eight years, and the Administration has built strong relationships with China, Japan, and South Korea, among others. We have signed an historic civilian nuclear power agreement with India, reflecting a fundamental change in our relationship. Pro-American leaders have been elected in Germany, France, and Italy. Eastern European countries such as Georgia, Ukraine, and Kosovo treasure their relationships with the United States, and no president has done more to improve health and security in the nations of Africa. We have also strengthened cooperation with Latin America, including initiatives with Brazil on biofuels and with Mexico and Central America on fighting organized crime. Finally, when the President took office, America had trade agreements in force with only three countries, versus 14 today - with three additional agreements approved by Congress but not yet in force and agreements with three countries that are awaiting Congressional approval.

But the world hates us...Keith Olberman said so!

Myth 4: The war in Iraq caused us to "take our eye off the ball" in Afghanistan and with al Qaeda.

Reality:

Iraq and Afghanistan are two fronts in the same war, and while the success of the surge in Iraq has been visible, we have also had a quiet surge in Afghanistan. The U.S. has continuously and aggressively fought side-by-side with Afghans and our allies to defeat the Taliban and al Qaeda in Afghanistan. The United States has provided nearly $32 billion for security, political, and economic development assistance and the international community has provided more than $55 billion to Afghanistan since 2001...

We have also deployed Provincial Reconstruction Teams to ensure security gains are followed by real improvements in daily life, and we have helped local communities strengthen their economies and create jobs, deliver basic services, improve governance and fight corruption, and build or repair key infrastructure such as roads, bridges, hospitals, and schools. More than six million children, approximately two million of them girls, are now in Afghan schools, compared to fewer than one million in 2001.

Yeah but...but...the glaciers are melting!

Myth 5: This Administration has been bad for the environment and ignored the problem of global warming.

Reality:

Given the liberal media's failure to acknowledge this Administration's true record on alternative energy, conservation, and climate change, it's not surprising this charge has stuck. But here are some irrefutable data points: From 2001 to 2007, air pollution decreased by 12 percent, and fine particulate matter pollution is down 17 percent since 2001. Ethanol production quadrupled from 1.6 billion gallons in 2000 to 6.5 billion gallons in 2007, wind energy production has increased by more than 400 percent, and solar energy capacity has doubled. In 2007, solar installations increased more than 32 percent and the U.S. produced 96 percent more biodiesel (490 million gallons) than in 2006. The Administration also provided nearly $18 billion to research, develop, and promote alternative and more efficient energy technologies such as biofuels, solar, wind, clean coal, nuclear, and hydrogen.

This Administration has improved and protected the health of more than 27 million acres of Federal forest and grasslands, protected, restored, and improved more than three million acres of wetlands, and established the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, the world's largest fully protected marine conservation area (nearly 140,000 square miles).

Much of the misperception about the President's environmental record is born out of the President's withdrawing the United States from the Kyoto Protocol, which did not include the effective participation of major developing countries such as India and China. Instead, the President worked to address climate change by launching the Major Economies Process, which convened the leaders of the world's major economies, both developed and developing, to work on ways to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy security without harming our economies or giving any nation a free ride. Finally, the President set the country on course to stop the growth of greenhouse gas emissions below projected levels by 2025 and invested more than $44 billion in climate change-related programs.

This is not the article I thought it was going to be.

Some other items that are infrequently mentioned about the real record of the Bush Administration but are worth noting: Teenage drug use has declined 25 percent; in 2007, the violent crime rate was 43 percent lower than the rate in 1998; between 2005 and 2007, the chronically homeless population decreased approximately 30 percent; funding for veterans' medical care has increased more than 115 percent; and as of 2005, the most recent abortion rate is at its lowest since 1974.

And one last fact: Our homeland has not suffered another terrorist attack since September 11, 2001. That, too, is part of the real Bush record.

Well fine, but he still can't say 'nuclear'!

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Friday Night and Neil Diamond

Each member of humanity awaits the day he or she can look in the mirror and say "I can now pass this life having fulfilled all." That day for me came last Friday.

My wife and I witnessed the greatest American singer-songwriter perform live at the Energy Solutions Arena. Yes, folks, we saw Neil Diamond live in person, in all his glory, six rows back.

Words cannot impress upon the mind the energy imbued by this transcendent figure as he took the stage to the tune of Holly Holy. Nor can words express the energy exhibited back by the crowd as we returned our chants of "SING!" during the chorus.

Crowd: SING!
Neil: Sing a song....
Crowd: SING!
Neil: Sing a song of songs...
Crowd: SING!
Neil: Sing it out.....SING IT STRONG!!!
Crowd: SING! SING! SING!
Crowd & Neil: YEAH!!! YEAH!!!
Neil: Call the Sun in the dead of night and sun's gonna rise in the sky. Touch a man who can't walk upright and the lame man he's gonna fly...

The energy was so thick you could cut it with a knife. There were no flashy lights, stage props, smoke machines, LCD screens. Nothing. Just Neil and pure music and song. His delivery of hit after hit was honest, uplifting, and fulfilling.

The crowd's average age was probably 52.5. I've never smelled more musk, nor have I seen so many fine leather jackets. But most impressive: I've never seen more dedicated fans. The concert gathered only Neil's most dedicated, those who've been touched by Neil's music for years. Those willing to cough up ungodly amounts of cash to witness the man. Even the seats behind the stage sold out. Never have I attended a concert where such unity in purpose existed. This wasn't a Def Leppard show at USANA with lawn seating crammed with party animals guzzling beer just happy to be there to have a good time and maybe listen to Pour Some Sugar on Me and Hysteria and then fade back into drunken oblivion. This was mecca for the most pious followers of Neil Diamond. We were there for no other purpose than to be taken by moving song and music. You might be able to draw a comparison to the Democrat National Convention, sans the Greek Temple, but I don't even think that is a good comparison.

It was an experience unprecedented. Thank you Neil Diamond for an incredible Friday Night!

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Tax cuts? Show me the money!

No matter what ails you, or your dog, or your country there is one solution that is always recommended by the economically conservative: tax cuts. Yes, it doesn't matter if its an economic recession, boom, bubble or bailout. Tax cuts should do the trick, so they say.

I've been thinking about the Bush tax cuts and what data we have about the 'trickle down' effect of these tax cuts for the wealthy. Have they helped? Hindered (these are not a rhetorical questions)?

Lets turn back the clock to 2004 when 10 Nobel Prize winning economists endorsed John Kerry for president and stated that, "Bush's fiscal irresponsibility threatens the long-term economic security and prosperity of our nation." They also stated that Bush had "embarked on a reckless and extreme course that endangers the long-term economic health of our nation."

Interesting. If I were writing the record of this nation in retrospect right now I would feel a deep yearning to use the words "And thus we see" to start my next sentence. But I'm no prophet historian, nor an economist so I'll save that for someone smarter than me.

But Paul Krugman wrote a piece earlier this year about the Bush tax cut mythology. If that sort of stuff interests you it is a good read. Oh, and by the way, Krugman won a Nobel in Economics this year. Maybe there is a little more to the rants from the left and middle than mere emotion.

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Positive News

In positive news there is an interesting trend I've been watching recently. By interesting I mean it will probably be boring to most of you but...

Take a look at LQD, that is an ETF that tracks investment grade corporate bonds. It usually stays around 100 and pays around a 6% dividend yield, and it does a good job reflecting demand for bonds. When demand is good the price goes up and the yield down. (If it is paying 5 dollars a year at 100 dollars per share the yield is 5%, if the price goes up to 105 dollars a share then the yield goes down to 4.8%) In September/October the price dropped quite alarmingly down to 81.80. That was a reflection of no one wanting anything to do with investment grade companies. At that price the yield was at 6%. Pretty nice, but also very scary because of what it meant.

Flash forward to now. In the past 2 weeks it has climbed from 90 up to 100. That right there is the single best indicator of the credit market getting unfrozen. That is a nice early Christmas present. For those of you interested in taking on a little more risk, I'd look into JNK, it is lower rated securities (obviously) but will likely follow the path up as peoples' risk appetites get normalized. It also yields 15% in dividends.

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Investing Idea

I have been thinking for awhile about the falling price of oil. We're talking from 147 down to 40 36 dollars a barrel. As an interesting aside, everyone screaming at oil companies last year for sitting on their profits and not investing in more exploration/development/investment have been proven resoundingly foolish and short-sighted.

So hear we have an opportunity to make some money. Is demand for oil really going to crater? That is what a 40 36 dollar a barrel is expecting in the next year. I read this article today which takes issue with this idea and I think brings up some valid points to consider.

The Financial Times article explains that the World Bank has just issued a new study. The World Bank believes that the world is entering into the toughest economic times “since the Great Depression.” Thus overall world oil demand may fall by about half a million barrels per day in 2009. That’s what the World Bank states in its report.

Only half a million barrels? Heck, the total world demand for oil in the past year was about 87 million barrels per day (a fact that the FT article fails to note).

Now for the chance to make money off of this. It is actually quite simple, buy the ETF OIL. Nice naming right? You can purchase it and it mostly tracks the daily average oil price, if oil heads back up to 100 dollars a barrel, so too does the stock. Pretty simple way to make money. Do it now. Then when oil rises back up to 140 you don't have to be one of those whiners complaining about the price of gas, you can rub your hands together gleefully and plan your early retirement (and sell when it gets back up to 140 btw, don't be a fool).

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Understanding the rest of the TTKS authors

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Understanding Sam

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Government Steps in to Save Free Market

Of all of George Bush's gaffes, these may be my new favorites:

"I've abandoned free-market principles to save the free-market system, to make sure the economy doesn't collapse."

Inherent in what he's said here is the notion that a free market is incapable of correcting itself. This is just as stupid as saying the cooling trend we're experiencing is only further evidence of global warming (2nd to last paragraph in this link).

"I feel a sense of obligation to my successor to make sure there is not a, you know, a huge economic crisis. Look, we're in a crisis now. I mean, this is -- we're in a huge recession, but I don't want to make it even worse."

You want to make sure your successor doesn't walk into "A, you know, a huge economic crisis"? You read the paper lately!!!!??? Mr. Bush, what you have done for your successor is dump a pile of money for future big-government programs and set a tremendous precedent for the use of government intervention. From Charles Krauthammer:

"As Obama revealingly said just last week, "This painful crisis also provides us with an opportunity to transform our economy to improve the lives of ordinary people." Transformation is his mission. Crisis provides the opportunity. The election provides him the power.

The deepening recession creates the opportunity for federal intervention and government experimentation on a scale unseen since the New Deal. A Republican administration has already done the ideological groundwork with its unprecedented intervention, culminating in the forced partial nationalization of nine of the largest banks, the kind of stuff that happens in Peronist Argentina with a gun on the table. Additionally, Henry Paulson's invention of the number $700 billion forever altered our perception of imaginable government expenditure. Twenty billion more for Citigroup? Lunch money."

Super.

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More Season's Greeting Silliness

I got this in an email today, thought I'd share.

To All of My Liberal Friends:

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2009, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wisher or wishee.

To All My Many Conservative Friends: Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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Santa's Gmail Account

Make sure you read everything.

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Logic of the Left

So I'm struggling to understand the logic of the left, but as explained by Sam and others I'll take a shot.

1. There was suffering in Iraq under Saddam
2. Saddam broke many international laws and treaties
3. There is suffering and law breaking in other countries
Therefore we should not have stopped the suffering and international law breaking in Iraq


The most interesting line of logic is comparing Bush to Saddam and his rule. Tell me if this sounds like something Bush would do or something Saddam would do. (Warning: not for the feint of heart to read)

A chief executioner to one of Saddam's sons has revealed how he helped drag two victims into a cage to be devoured by lions.

The executioner said that he was ordered to seize two 19-year-old students and take them to a farm of Uday Hussein, Saddam's oldest son who was killed by American forces last week.

As soon as they arrived the students were dragged to a cage containing the lions and forced inside. "I saw the head of the first student literally come off his body with the first bite," he said. He then had to stand and watch the animals devour the two young men: "By the time they were finished there was little left but for the bones and bits and pieces of unwanted flesh."

He was told later that the two young men "had competed with Uday where some young ladies were concerned."

So Sam, let me get this straight. You are arguing that life was good under Saddam. Really?

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الأحذية الإرهابية

For those of you who don't hablo Arabic, the title of this post is Arabic for 'the shoe terrorist.'

Long story short, Bush made one last trip to Iraq to sound the 'mission almost accomplished' trumpet and narrowly escaped a shoe that was thrown at him by a reporter.

"It is the farewell kiss, you dog," shouted Muntazar al-Zaidi as the shoe left his hand. Now, you may be tempted to think that this was an isolated idiot who had it out for Bush. His colleagues admitted that he had planned the 'sole of terror' episode for years.

But the real story is the outcry from Iraq and the Arab world to free this man. The irony here is that when the Saddam statue came down in 2003 the people rushed it, shoes in hand, pelting the image of Saddam repeatedly. It is apparently one of the most serious insults in Arab culture.

So why has the liberator of this people been given the same treatment? Why, after he spent much blood and treasure killing bad guys, rebuilding infrastructure and helping to establish a budding democracy would the leader of the free world be treated this way?

Could it be that our media filter isn't giving us the full story of what it has been like to live in a post-Saddam Iraq? Are you surprised to learn that the majority of Iraqis, as of 2007 believed that life was better under Saddam than US occupation? Could it be that the glitz and glamour of the West just doesn't appeal to everyone? Could it be the democracy, in all its grandeur, cannot be forcefed?

In his usual swagger, Bush remarked about the incident, "I'm not insulted... the guy wanted to get on TV and he did. I don't know what his beef is."

With all due respect, Mr. President, if you don't know by now what his beef is no explanation will suffice.

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Education and Barriers to Entry

First off, it's a pleasure to be joining all of the other authors of this fine institution. Hopefully I can contribute some thoughts that are worthwhile. My take is usually more of a middle ground one, so hopefully I can learn to emit some controversy-stirring bombast in keeping with this blog's budding-but-proud tradition.

Anyway, as I'm neck deep in finals and my eyes are growing dark and hollow in a Gollum-like manner as I've confined myself to the indoors to study, this topic is particularly near and dear to my heart. As I interact more and more with attorneys, it's become clearer and clearer that law school serves two essential purposes to the profession it supposedly prepares students for: 1) give law firms some sort of cheap and easy way of rating applicants by looking at alma mater and GPA therein, and 2) big, fat, yet-sometimes-porous barrier to entry (I saw porous because I don't think I've heard any breaking news lately about the dearth of attorneys).

Almost every attorney I speak with either can't remember much of what they learned, and certainly can't remember the last time they used something they learned, yet we all must go through it. I've heard similar complaints of the medical profession and others, though I get the impression that it's a bit different for you MBA students and the like who pursue advanced education while working.

Certainly, 3 years and countless thousands of dollars is something of a barrier, but I think the largest barrier to entry in any profession is our country's overall education system. Add to those three years the 4 (or 5 for those like me who took their time) years of undergraduate study and to those the years of secondary education that did very little to prepare or motivate me towards my career choice, and we have a system that, in the name of general education (read "liberal arts"), does little to help young people funnel their way into fulfilling and meaningful careers and mostly just prolongs that moment, that very real and frightening moment, when you have to decide what you're going to do with your life.

If you're lucky, you get to have that moment. For many young people, that moment passes them by as they end up working ten years at a job they took after high school, "just to make some money before they figured out what else to do," with a very low ceiling and very few options. Can't we figure out a way to move the process along some?

I'll be 30 when I enter, as I said, the lowest rung of my professional ladder. Couldn't I have been working in a law office during high school summers, reviewing documents, learning the basics of Internet research and the nitty gritty of filing court papers? Couldn't I have bypassed all of that liberal arts education during my undergraduate years that was really just there to hold me over until law school?

Just a thought. And really, it has nothing to do with how sick of my finals I am. I promise.

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Senator Sylvio (Part 1)

I was alone. In a remote snowy corner of the world doing the good work of murdering human beings in order to save the lives of innocent, helpless caribou when a lone rider approached me. I readied my axe, anticipating a battle.

Instead, as he approached he offered the universal sign of peace in Northrend – he waved.

And without a word dropped a letter at my feet, turned his horse around and vanished into the distance. I picked up the letter, wrapped in a thick envelope, and opened it up.

It bore the seal of Governor Rod Blagojevich.

Dear Sylvio,

Your work against the f______ human filth known as the "Nesingwary Hunters" is well known, and appreciated. In addition, your work to assist the Cenarion Circle in its f______ awesome crusade against global warming has also turned the heads of some pretty f______ important and powerful people. Like myself.

As you undoubtedly know, Barack Obama (f___ him) has been elected President of the United States. This is an enormous relief for me personally, because now he will never run against me for Governor of Illinois. This represents a truly transcendent victory for me. His victory has invoked my sacred duty to capitalize on the opportunity to appoint his replacement. I have received extremely lucrative offers from many possible candidates. Including a young up and comer known only as "Senate Candidate 5" whose father once expressed the desire to cut off the n___ of Obama on national TV. F______ funny I know!

In addition to many offers coming into my office, I have sought out many viable candidates and expressed my desire to f______ monetize this senate seat. You are one of those candidates. However, before you will be fully considered for the senate seat, there are some tasks I need you to perform for me, and money I need you to f______ raise for me personally. I am in a dire financial situation right now, and I cannot afford to only be 'paid' with f______ appreciation. Your cooperation in these tasks will help me to determine your f______ loyalty to me, and to the greater cause.

You will receive another message from me shortly.

Yours,

'Blago'

I stared at the letter for a long time. I re-read it over and over. At long last, my efforts in the war against people who hate animals and the planet was paying dividends. Finally my radical, impractical ideology was causing real, tangible, change. Change I believed in.

I wrapped the letter carefully in the envelope, and put it my bag.

As I started to summon my Deathcharger from the shadowy underworld I spotted another rider on the empty, winter plain. Just as the other rider did, this man approached me at a gallop, waved, and dropped a letter at my feet. I expected it to be the further correspondence from Blago.

But this letter bore the seal of Raum Emanuel.

Sylvio, Word has reached me that you have been contacted by Blago. Whatever he has offered, know this – we can match and exceed it. With the power of the Office of the President-elect we can offer you untold opportunity. In fact, we are prepared to offer you the position of Wildlife Health and Services Chairman-elect. Indeed, we have already appointed you to this position. Did you really think that your actions were part of some innate moral superiority that you possessed? If so, you are f_____ mistaken. You are a product of The One, and a pawn in his smooth hands. And so, a word of warning Mr. Chairman, the life we grant, is also the life we take.

Regards,

'Raumbo'

Chairman? I was skeptical. Did the department of Wildlife Health and Services really exist? It did now. And that is when I decided to play both Blago and Raumbo for fools.

I arrived in Dalaran in the early hours of dawn. The city was still asleep, with the exception of a few mindless vendors selling the evil-begotten animal skins and trinkets made of antler and bone. My blood curdled. I pulled the axe off my back and started to call upon the dead to rise from the ground and assist me in cleansing the filth and corruption I witnessed before me. But six elite Dalaran Fedayeen silently shook their heads. I put the weapon away, remembering the reason I had come to Dalaran in the first place, and cursed under my breath. The vendor was unfazed.

I climbed a long set of marble stairs, down a long, empty corridor, beyond more sets of guards until I finally reached the office of Patrick Fitzgerald.

He offered me a seat in one of his leather chairs. I scoffed. Certainly he knew of my crusade against animal destructionists. Instead, I stood. I told him I had something very valuable, and very important to give him, but that I would need something equally valuable in exchange.

"I'm listening"

"I have proof that Governor Rod Blagojevich is trying to sell the senate seat of the newly elected president Barack Obama. I also have proof that Raum Emanuel knows of Blago's plan."

"Go on."

I placed the letters on the ornate, ivory capped desk, and shuddered at the number of mammoths who perished to make this desk look nice. Fitzgerald examined the letters carefully, noting every detail. When he was finished I picked the letters up and put them back in my pocket.

"We have been following Blago for quite some time. We have an enormous amount of dirt on this man, but I will admit, these letters are impressive. What is it that you want?"

I stared coldly back at Fitzgerald and waited. I did not move. I did not blink. I waited patiently for him to squirm under the lifeless gaze of a Death Knight. And then, I quietly whispered my request.

"I want the senate seat."

Fitzgerald was visibly surprised.

"Isn't that what Blago has offered you?"

"He wants me to buy it, to perform acts of treason for it. He wants me to be his pawn. I am a Death Knight, and I am no man's pawn."

"But what of Raumbo"

"I am giving you the opportunity to take everyone down. Blago will go to jail and Emanuel will resign as Chief of Staff-elect in disgrace. The One won't be implicated. Our world needs a man of his vision, of his caliber. We need a man who understands that climate change and hunting are the greatest threat in our war against the Scourge."

"What makes you think I can get you the senate seat?"

Just get these men out the way, I will take care of the rest.

"And if I don't?"

I held my axe in both hands, its cold steel was stained in the blood of countless enemies.

"Let's hope I never have to answer that question."

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Free Money Update

For those wondering. I've so far earned 40 dollars on my Christmas shopping by using Ebates. Currently you get double rebate money for purchases made this week. That got me 6% back from Nordstrom, 20% back from Proflowers (boss taken care of), and 12% back from Barnes and Noble. Combine that with the 1.5% back I get from my American Express Blue Cash card, and I'm practically getting Christmas for free.

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B-School Interview

Just got back from a whirlwind trip to interview with a business school (I know, I know, it's the worst possible time to be applying) and I couldn't help but enjoy the scene.

Here I am among 30+ prospective students milling around the Admissions Office getting to know Admissions staffers, 2nd year students, along with my fellow interviewees and enjoying the different tactics and styles of my fellow applicants.

You have the token Cuff-Link Guy who is dressed like he just walked out of a Brooks Brothers store at the airport (see above) where he probably said something like, "Yeah, I'd like everything on the dude in the window there." He kept his distance from the fellow applicants. For the record, I didn't get to talk with the guy so for all I know he could be the nicest fellow in the world.

Of course, you have Overnight Amtrak Guy who had to get dressed in the neighboring Starbucks, and we all know how that goes, I mean, it's just hard to feel totally confident when you haven't showered and you changed into your Sunday best in a coffee shop bathroom. I got to know this guy pretty well and I gotta tell ya, I hope he and I are classmates. Dude is cool.

Then there's Wearing Sunglasses Inside Even Though It's 40 Degrees Outside And Ohbytheway You're Inside Guy. Always enjoyable to watch people with sunglasses on indoors. It never gets old.

Don't forget about Crazy Socks Guy, who looks good until he sits down and he's wearing bright orange and blue striped socks to complement his navy blue suit and red tie. I mean give him props for taking a chance I guess. It will be hard for the Admissions peeps to forget that. Maybe it's a gamble worth taking?

Then you got Whoa! Really Needs A Haircut Guy who you can just tell is like 2-3 weeks overdue for a haircut and it's obvious he's tried to awkwardly clean it up to try and hide it but it's just not working. Yeah that guy was me.

Good times.

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Wow

This must really hurt some of our readers, but I had to post it.

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Your Political Compass

Have you ever wondered how your political views align compared to everyone else, or maybe a famous politician, past or present? This is a fun and useful exercise. The Political Compass will take you through a series of questions (it takes 3-5 minutes) and will show you a grid of where you fall on the political grid. The site argues that the political left and right scale is too simple and that economic and social issues must be taken into consideration separately. From the Political Compass Website:

On the standard left-right scale, how do you distinguish leftists like Stalin and Gandhi? It's not sufficient to say that Stalin was simply more left than Gandhi. There are fundamental political differences between them that the old categories on their own can't explain. Similarly, we generally describe social reactionaries as 'right-wingers', yet that leaves left-wing reactionaries like Robert Mugabe and Pol Pot off the hook.

So find out where you stand:

http://www.politicalcompass.org/index

I did this 9 months ago and then again tonight. My scores have shifted, not dramatically, but significantly over the course of this year. If you feel so inclined, tell us if you were surprised, enlightened, vindicated, offended, etc. by your scores.

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Household Inequality and Executive Compensation

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Corruption

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No surprise there

So let me this straight: House of Reps passes the auto bailout. Next, the Senate. A savvier bunch, to be sure. There seems to be just one wrinkle to iron out. The glaring issue that Senators were concerned about were the inflated wages and benefits of the United Auto Workers of America.

So back to Gettelfinger they go. This seems like a no-brainer, right? Sure it will be tough for the union boss to go back to the rank and file and explain the neccessary cut-backs. But the alternatives of working for a bankrupt company that is sure to slash its workforce dramatically make this one easy.

Speak into my good ear, Mr. Gettelfinger? You aren't making any more concessions? Wonderful. I guess it doesn't matter either way to you. You won't be on the soup lines with the employees you claim to represent.

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Quote for today

Yeah I don't do a quote of the day, but I stumbled across this in the letters to the editor. It comes from the book "God and the Astronomers".

For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.

Amazing. I'll be thinking about that all week long.

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Just Make it up!

I've been noticing an interesting phenomenon in corporate America. People just make words up. I'm not sure at which point that became OK, but I'm seeing it more and more. I can remember a grade school lecture about how Harry Truman made up the word normalcy, after he said it the word was subsequently put into dictionaries. My teacher very clearly said that we had to be presidents to make up words, otherwise we were to adhere to the English language as determined by Webster's dictionary.

Skip forward to today. I see things said and written everyday that make me scratch my head and ask why. Why say "learnings" when you can just call them "lessons"? Why make up a word like "operationalize", I'm not even sure what you're trying to say with that. Yesterday I overheard someone actually say "dynamicness"

All this got me thinking about why these things are acceptable in modern, corporate America. My initial reaction was that it was just more simple minded people making up words because they couldn't think of the actual word, so they replaced it with something similar. I'm not sure that is the answer as I see some incredibly smart people falling into this trap. I then thought it was possibly attributable to corporate culture and a way to create and cultivate a culture unique and separate from the outside world. Anyone that actively belongs to a church or community group probably sees that they too have their own words and phrases.

I think we've gotten lazy with our grammar, lazy with our words, and lazy with our metaphors. We moved from "Keep me in the loop" to "loop back to you," and now that has changed to "circle back". I'm not sure why we say, "I'm circling back to you on this." I get a little dizzy in my head thinking about it. How about, "I'm getting back to you?"

A couple other fun words I've been hearing, 'prealign' (why?), 'planful' (thoughtful?) and 'cover the bridges' (did you mean gaps? or maybe you are talking about a war metaphor where you want machine guns and mortars to cover the bridge crossing) Just say what you mean, don't try to sound smarter than you are, you end up only fooling other people that don't know the English language well.

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Get Out of Debt!

This is a twofer: you get a good laugh and timeless financial advice.

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Scam Alert

My apologies to put this in as we have two good posts today. I got this scam alert today, and since I work for a major credit card company (though not one of the ones listed in this scam) I thought it would be good to pass this along. Never give info out over the phone about your credit card. If you happen to have a card from my company and you do get scammed we are very good at getting you reimbursed and dealing with the fraud.

Heads up….'Tis the season!

New Credit Card Scam-reported by both Visa and MasterCard:

Note, the callers do not ask for your card number; they already have it. This information is worth reading. By understanding how the VISA & MasterCard Telephone Credit Card Scam works, you will be better prepared to protect yourself.
This employee was called on Wednesday from 'VISA', and another was called on Thursday from 'Master Card'. The scam works like this: Caller: 'This is (name), and I'm calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My Badge number is 12460. Your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I'm calling to verify. This would be on your VISA card which was issued by (name of bank). Did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for $497.99 from a Marketing company based in ?'
When you say 'No', the caller continues with, 'Then we will be issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching and the charges range from $297 to $497, just under the $500 purchase pattern that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to (gives you your address), is that correct?'
You say 'yes'. The caller continues - 'I will be starting a Fraud investigation. If you have any questions, you should call the 1- 800 number listed on the back of your card (1-800-VI SA) and ask for Security.'
You will need to refer to this Control Number. The caller then gives you a 6 digit number. 'Do you need me to read it again?'

Here's the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works. The caller then says, 'I need to verify you are in possession of your card'. He'll ask you to 'turn your card over and look for some numbers'. There are 7 numbers; the first 4 are part of your card number, the next 3 are the security Numbers that verify you are the possessor of the card. These are the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you have the card. The caller will ask you to read the 3 numbers to him. After you tell the caller the 3 numbers, he'll say, 'That is correct, I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card. Do you have any other questions?' After you say No, the caller then thanks you and states, 'Don't hesitate to call back if you do, and hangs up.

You actually say very little, and they never ask for or tell you the Card number.. But after we were called on Wednesday, we called back within 20 minutes to ask a question. Are we glad we did! The REAL VISA Security Department told us it was a scam and in the last 15 minutes a new purchase of $497.99 was charged to our card.

Long story - short - we made a real fraud report and closed the VISA account. VISA is reissuing us a new number. What the scammers want is the 3-digit PIN number on the back of the card Don't give it to them . Instead, tell them you'll call VISA or Master card directly for verification of their conversation. The real VISA told us that they will never ask for anything on the card as they already know the information since they issued the card! If you give the scammers your 3 Digit PIN Number, you think you're receiving a credit. However, by the time you get your statement you'll see charges for purchases you didn't make, and by then it's almost too late and/or more difficult to actually file a fraud report.

What makes this more remarkable is that on Thursday, I got a call from a 'Jason Richardson of Master Card' with a word-for-word repeat of the VISA scam. This time I didn't let him finish. I hung up! We filed a police report, as instructed by VISA. The police said they are taking several of these reports daily! They also urged us to tell everybody we know that this scam is happening.

Please pass this on to all your family and friends. By informing each other, we protect each other

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Day Without a Gay

Receptionist: "Good morning, this is Judy. How may I help you?"

Employee: "Hi this is Robby. I'm not coming in today."

Receptionist: "Oh, may I ask why?"

Employee: "Yes you may. I'm gay."

Receptionist: "Well, um... I... um... can you hold please?"

Employee: "Sure."

Receptionist: "Please refer to your employee handbook, section IV, article III. As it states, we are an equal opportunity employer who do not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. As I'm sure you are aware we offer full benefits to members of the GLBT community and their partners."

Employee: "I know all that! But I'm still calling in gay!"

Receptionist: "But we don't care if you're gay or not."

Employee: "Fine! See you in an hour, Judy. Can I get you a coffee?"

Seriously. This may be the most ill-conceived protest of all-time. Much love to the GLBT community but if you are going to protest at least do it in front of those with whom you take issue. I will say though, that instead of standing around with signs, it is cool that they'll be helping out the community.
http://www.daywithoutagay.org/

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The More Things Stay the Same

Guest Author: Following is a post from our friend and frequent contributor, Chris, who is a law student in Colorado with his wife and daughter. Chris is a witty Southern Californian who loves him some politics and all things Dodgers, Lakers, and, well, Broncos now that he lives in Denver.

Politico put out an article the other day that made me think about what really motivates a President. The article's upshot is that the uber-left of the Democratic party are already beginning to detect the stench of betrayal as President-elect Obama gives hints of a centrist strategy at odds with many of the platform positions on which he campaigned and the socialism of which he was accused.

On the shopping list of decisions from The Office of the President-Elect (that non-title making its way into the news is funnier to me than his faux-Presidential seal he used in his press conferences) that are troubling to the more extreme left are:

1. No tax on the windfall profits of oil companies. 2. Moderating his rhetoric on rolling back tax cuts for the $250K and above clan." 3. Design(ing) a plan for a responsible drawdown" of troops as opposed to ending the war in Iraq on his first day in office. 4. Cabinet appointments including war-supporter Sen. Clinton and current SOD Robert Gates and an absence of pro-labor folk generally. 5. Backing a compromise allowing warrantless wiretapping to continue.

In the days immediately after his election, I predicted that a President Obama would preach patience while he struggled to actualize his ideas for change once he had a chance to study the problems outside the University setting and inside the Oval Office. I'll give a rare kudo to Sam (rare on this blog) for predicting that President Obama would learn from Clinton's mistakes in trying too hard too soon to push a liberal agenda and move towards moderation even at the risk of biting the liberal hands that have so willingly fed him.

Back to my original thought, then, of what really motivates a President. There's a political science theory out there, and I happen to ascribe to it, which basically states that the biggest predictor of Presidential behavior is not party affiliation, personal moral code, or even personality, but the role that he is expected to play as President. In this case, I suspect that the role we want our President to play is not "Leader of the Radical Left," but, "Guy Who Gets Sh** Done." The only way to do that in America, my friends, is center-to-center-right, regardless of what party holds the majority. It's the nature of a two-party system, it's the nature of our American political heritage, and it's what we need.

I'd be very interested to hear what your readers think about what forces act most strongly on a President and what their outlook is on a potentially centrist Obama Presidency. I think it's more likely than not going to be the case.

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New Perspective on The Big Three

Most of us still scoff at the notion that American cars are on par with Foreign cars when it comes to quality, fuel economy, durability, value, etc. Could it be that this is just a problem of perception vs. reality?

At lunch today I stumbled upon this gem from Daniel Snow, a BYU alumnus and current professor at Harvard Business School specialized in operations strategy. I met Professor Snow last fall when I was traveling through Boston and seeing his name instantly sparked my interest.

Snow argues that the perception -- while true for several decades -- is no longer true. American-made cars are just as good as the Toyotas and Hondas.

Am I a believer? Well, I'll let my actions speak: we own two Hondas.

But, I think he makes a valid point that The Big 3 have closed the gap on quality and not just narrowed it, but eliminated it. Now they have to eliminate the perceived gap -- much harder to do.

I think that in order to do this they have to up the ante on the warranty and essentially guarantee the quality of these cars for 10 years or 175k miles. If they did that, they would effectively signal to the market that they know their product matches up with the foreign competitors. So step up to the plate Big 3. Change our perception.

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The Compensation Game

This time of year is always so painful when it comes to raises and bonuses. Even if you are on the top of the totem pole and you're deciding what your compensation is, it is still painful (or so I can imagine) to figure out how much each person merits.

But this just made me laugh.

The CEO of Merrill Lynch has proposed a $10M bonus for himself because he, well, led the firm while they lost $11.67B this year and helped them avert much bigger losses in this time of crisis.

True, the stress and pressure of the life of a CEO is high. Those men and women should be compensated well for that. But at a time like this and in an environment such as the financial meltdown that Merrill is in the middle of, you have to have the guts of a Ocean's 11 to propose a $10M bonus for yourself. I mean, seriously. Here are a couple highlights:

A few months ago, when the board began seriously considering 2008 bonuses,
a proposal was presented to the compensation committee by Merrill that Mr. Thain
should be paid in excess of $30 million, according to people familiar with the
matter. That number has since come down in recent talks with various board
members and Mr. Thain has recently indicated to committee members that $5
million to $10 million is more reasonable.

Wall Street bonuses can include cash and stock, and typically account for a
majority of a person's annual compensation. Top traders and bankers on Wall
Street typically make a base salary of about $250,000, with the rest coming as a
bonus.

A debate has been raging for months over how big these bonuses should be.
At most firms, about half of all revenue is allocated to compensation, and
multimillion-dollar bonuses are routinely paid out to ensure the best talent
stays put. Most of Wall Street's rank and file will get bonuses, compensation
experts say, but overall levels are likely be less than half of those in
2007.

Mr. Thain, 53 years old, gets an annual salary of $750,000.

When Mr. Thain landed at Merrill in late 2007, he received a $15 million
cash signing bonus and a pay package that was valued from about $50 million to
$120 million over a number of years. Merrill shares were trading above $50
when he was hired, and his pay package was structured heavily toward his ability
to increase the price by another $40 or more. Merrill's shares have fallen
steadily this year, closing Friday at $13.04 in 4 p.m. New York Stock Exchange
composite trading.

I understand $10M is a fraction of what Wall Street exec bonuses have been in recent years, but that doesn't really matter in this debate. I'm fine with these guys getting bonuses if their firms can afford it, but $10M doesn't pass the smell test.

Maybe Thain and other execs have just totally lost touch with reality. Or maybe they're just in it to get theirs. You can't fault them for maximizing their compensation, but as a business leader, aren't you accountable to your shareholders to maintain the profitibability and viability of the company?

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Karma's a B!#$@

Remember this moment? Of course you do. For some of us that were younger (I was 14) it was a first awakening to the goings-on outside our worlds of backyard football and baseball cards. Maybe he was guilty. Maybe he wasn't. But OJ's conviction last week for armed robbery and kidnapping got me thinking about Karma.

The theory of Karma is very interesting. Basically, this law of moral causation says that everyone is responsible for their actions and the effects of those actions. When you think about it, as a religious dogma, this is an ingenious tool for controlling human behavior. But I digress...

Karma is for real. There is no getting around it. We will all get what is coming to us. So back to poor OJ. Dude is 61 years old and should be enjoying a life a luxury from his glory years in the NFL. Instead, he'll spend the next 9 to 33 years behind bars. Looks like he'll have to learn to play a little defense this time around. Here is the clincher: his verdict came a lucky 13 years to the date of his not-guilty verdict for murder (I wish I knew how to embed really spooky music right about now).

A great reminder to be nice, play fair and let the car trying to merge into your lane, merge into your lane. In the words of one of my all-time favorite artists, Justin Timberlake, "what goes around comes around."

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Have a Merry Christmas...by mandate?

Don't ask me how it happened, but I found myself watching about 2 minutes worth of the home shopping channel today. Yeah, I don't know what happened. Don't judge me. Anyway, what caught my attention was the phrase "Holiday Gifts". What? It just sounded screwy. That's because to me, they are "Christmas Gifts". But the word "Christmas" wasn't used at all during the 2 minutes I was watching. I heard "Holiday Card", "Holiday Gifts", "Holiday Shopping", etc.

Now, I'm not the type to get my underwear all in a wad over the "Culture War on Christmas". I tend to think that if you want to say "Merry Christmas", then by all means just say it. It irks me that we want to "neutralize" the religiosity of this holiday we celebrate. I had to make a business call to a guy down in Arizona on Friday. Here's how the conversation started:

Josh: "Hey John, this is Josh Garner at Sorenson Capital, how are you?"

John: "Josh! How the hell are you! Hey, Merry Christmas!"

Josh: "Thank you! Merry Christmas to you."

The phrase hit me. "Hey, Merry Christmas". John doesn't strike me as an overly religious guy, but he made it a point to wish me a Merry Christmas and I very much appreciated it. I also love being asked "how the hell" I am. Seriously, I love it. He asks me that every time I call him. Cracks me up.

The reason I bring all this up is Utah Senator Chris Buttars would like to run a bill through the state legislature to mandate businesses use the term "Christmas" in their advertising. His argument is that our nation is a Christian nation and that we ought to use the term. I'm going to have to disagree with his solution here. This is a great example of someone trying to do the right thing the wrong way. The government needs to stay out of this. I certainly don't want my right to say "Merry Christmas" taken from me, but forcing someone to use the term isn't the answer either. If you want to read more on it, here are a couple links: here and here.

Come on Buttars, this is the wrong way to fight back. To quote my man Chuck Barkley, "You a knucklehead."

So with that, I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

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Looking Ugly

This is just depressing what is going on in DC. New article details why I'm so upset about all this. Just some highlights:

All three restructuring plans are heavy on promises to build the "green" cars that a Democratic Congress wants built. GM promises 15 hybrid models by 2012 and 37 miles per gallon on average for its cars. Chrysler commits to putting flex-fuel engines, which can run on ethanol or gasoline, in half of its cars. Ford promises to save 16 billion gallons of gas by using "advanced technology" and to invest $14 billion to improve fuel efficiency.

All three CEOs also drove to Washington in hybrid vehicles as penance for their private-jet flights back in November. This bit of political obeisance was supposed to show that they'd gotten religion both on their perks and their carbon footprint. But it may not have been enough. One Congresswoman wanted to know why they couldn't hit a 50-mpg fuel-economy target by 2015. Another asked whether, maybe, they weren't selling enough cars because everyone in America was waiting with baited breath for the coming revolution in fuel economy.

This wasn't about providing a viable business plan to congress. Would congress even recognize a viable business plan if they saw one? No, this was about bowing and kissing the rings of the Democrats in control. Sam, this one is bad news, and it is on your party. You guys own this one.

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A fraction of sweetness in a pool of bitterness

I was hoping to never discuss this situation again, but it's not possible. It's like the elephant in the room...or at least the Seattle sports equivalent...except in this case the elephant left town and went to Oklahoma City of all places. Ok I'm not really making sense.

This summer I said good-bye (bitterly) to my childhood team, my Seattle Supersonics. The Supes changed ownership and the new owners hailed from the great city of Oklahoma City, you know, the thriving metropolis. So they moved the team to their lovely hometown. Great. Thank you very much.

Well, surprise! I have struggled following the NBA this season. I still tune in now and then because I am a true sports fan and I love Barkley and co. on TNT, but I have avoided paying any attention at all to the team in OKC. Until this column appeared on the front page of espn.com. They are the worst team in the league thus far and potentially the losingest team of all-time. I still love the players on that team, but that organization is dead to me. I hope they rot in the cellar of their division for the next 20 years.

Durant, it ain't personal brother, I just have no love for your team or your new city...at all. It helps me cope to know that your team is abysmal.

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More Big Three

Well it is in the news, so we might as well continue discussing.
This is from an article today, very good read.

At least this week the Detroit Three executives hit the politically correct symbolic cues: driving to Washington in hybrid cars, promising to focus on fuel-efficient vehicles, cutting CEO salaries to $1 a year and offering to sell the corporate jets.

Even that last concession, though, came with some corporate petulance. General Motors declared Tuesday that the result of grounding its corporate air fleet will be "unfortunately impacting approximately 50 hourly and salaried employees." Which might be likened to a teenage boy saying: "OK, dad, I'll have the car home by 11 if you insist, but that means my friends will have to walk." Even worse, the company is telling Congress that it needs $4 billion immediately to stave off bankruptcy, and that it hasn't made any contingency plans if the cash isn't forthcoming. That's recklessly irresponsible, and if our elected representatives can't see that, shame on them.

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Explaining Mormonism

Thanks to Dave for forwarding this along. This is a fantastic panel discussion on the Harvard campus about religion. This is a 20-minute segment with an undergraduate student discussing Mormonism. There are some really tough questions and tremendously eloquent answers. If only religious discussions could always have this much substance and fairness. Very inspiring.


Day of Faith: Personal Quests for a Purpose - 3. Rachel Esplin from Harvard Hillel on Vimeo.

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To Sam: My Thoughts on the Big 3

Today most major websites are trumpeting that the UAW has agreed to make a few compromises to help the Big 3 weather the current mess they're in. The two major concessions are:

1) To suspend the job-bank program, which pays some 12,000 laid-off employees their full salary and benefits (sounds like welfare to me).
2) To allow the Big 3 to suspend making billions of dollars of payments into health-care funds which benefit retired workers.

My opinion is that the Big 3 are going to get a lifeline of some kind. Whether its a loan or Uncle Sam decides to take an equity stake, I think something's going to happen. This issue frustrates me to no end because none of these measures are going to change the Big 3's ability to make themselves a profitable companies in the long-term. As long as they continue to pay billions to cover pensions, pay twice as much for labor as foreign auto makers, and are at the mercy of the UAW, this problem will come up again. GM and Chrysler have both said they will be belly up by the end of the year if they don't get funding from Treasury. Ford believes they are liquid enough to possibly weather the storm, but still asked for $9B in funds as a safety net.

Look, this bailout money will be churned and burned in no time and we will see this same scenario again sometime in 2009--especially by GM and Chrysler, you may be able to argue that Ford is well suited to survive the the next several months on their own with $9B as a safety net. But that misses the point: This bailout money and UAW concession do nothing to ease the burden of their labor costs or strategy constraints. I posted a great article by Mitt Romney a few weeks ago that advocated Chapter 11 for the auto makers. I stand by the idea that this is the only way for long term sustainability and profitability and is the only way for these companies to restructure, re-strategize, and renegotiate with unions. The Unions are crippling this industry, on top of the ridiculous government mandates placed on the Big 3 to build cars that no one wants to buy.

This essay written by two U of Chicago economists is another great read and a great treatise on the necessity of a Chapter 11 for Detroit.

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The Obama-Cure is Working!

Jobless claims fall last week. Change I can believe in!

In an interesting other story, the US savings rate is expected to go from negative to a positive 5% this year. That is an unheard of swing. It also accounts for the screeching halt to consumer spending as more people shifted to save mode. For those looking to blame this on the media, this is a good sign to point to. The relentless drum beat since 2007 about how horrible things are and will get has led people to stop spending, pull money from the market, and put money in their bank accounts (though withdrawing money from any bank rumored to be in trouble).

This crisis is largely based upon lack of confidence and trust. Thank you reporters for beating the drums to fuel the drive down.

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Kids and Giving

What started as typical political bickering (as we like to engage in every so often here at TTKS) on Ryan's post, "Definitions", turned into some pretty good dialogue around charitable giving. Who does, who doesn't, who should and shouldn't. Well, no matter what flag you fly, 'tis the season. Especially this year. I know many of our readers have children so thought I'd throw this up: 5 Great Ways to Teach Your Child About Philanthropy

• Spend time with your child by going through their winter clothes from last year. Any item that was lightly used and no longer fits should be placed in a pile to donate to a reputable local clothing drive. You can teach your child that another child will be able to use this clothing to keep themselves warm this winter.
  
  
• Go through the cabinets with your child and collect canned fruits and vegetables or other non-perishable items that can be donated to a local food bank or pantry. You could also go to the store and have your child pick out food items for your donation. Explain to your child that your donation will prevent other people from going hungry.
  
  
• Take your child to the local toy store and have them pick out an item for a less fortunate child. Many programs that work with children, including shelters and mental health centers, accept new toys year-round.
  
  
• Teach your child about charities and the services that they provide. Help him find a cause that is meaningful to him/her and make a donation in his/her name. If your child receives an allowance, encourage her to donate a portion of her allowance to the charity of her choice. Many children are eager to help other children in need, but don't understand how to help.
  

• Volunteering is a fantastic way to get your child involved in philanthropy. The opportunities available expand as your children get older, but there are plenty of chances for children of all ages to help.
  

These tips are taken from Charitable Navigator - Your Guide to Intelligent Giving. They do a great job evaluating 1000s of charities so you can be confident your donations end up in the hands of those who need it and not eaten up in overhead costs.

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Holiday Party Downer

One of my all-time favorite SNL sketches is Debbie Downer. No party pooper rivals Debbie Downer.

The holidays bring out a special kind of party pooper, however. The Calorie Counter. I hate it when people shout out how many grams of fat are in the cookie I am eyeing. It's like the ultimate downer.

"Oh my gosh, you're eating that? It has 24 GRAMS OF FAT, DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU'RE EATING?"

or

"WOW, this little cookie is split up into FOUR SERVINGS.....and there are 120 CALORIES PER SERVING."

And the wind in the party's sails quickly subsides as people look around glumly with half the cookie in their cheek as they hesitate swallowing in front of other people.

So in honor of Holiday Party Downer, here is the original Debbie Downer. Don't be the Holiday Party Downer at your parties this year.

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Irondreams

I love triathlon. I love the atmosphere on race day. I love the carbo-loading the night before. I love drooling over bikes that cost more than my car. I love being inspired in the transition area with signs that read, "run daddy, run."

My goal is to be an ironman. I only have to do it once. It will take me a few years but I am going to do it. But here's the deal. I got no business swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles and running 26.2 miles. I have never been accused of being a great athlete and my BMI is well into the 'overweight' category.

In fact, last year I finished my first 1/2 ironman and my first thought crossing the finish line was, "I could never do the whole thing." I sat under the medical tent for the next couple hours steadily inhaling Oreos and Mountain Dew in a daze. But much like a woman that forgets the toils of child labor, the pain has blurred and I am again poised to go the distance.

It has even become a family affair. My wife and I celebrated our 5th anniversary this year in West Virginia racing together for the first time. Romantic, eh? And thanks to a slick biking stroller our girls can go on rides with us too.

This is a beautiful sport that has been rapidly gaining in popularity for the last several years. It even has its own social networking site! If you've never done one, go to this website and find a local sprint distance race in your area. I am confident you'll love it.

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Interesting Reads on Mumbai

Here is an account detailing what exactly went down. I recommend reading. The interesting thing about the article is how often it is mentioned that the police and security guards were unable to respond because of how difficult it is to get firearms in India. The police and security guards were not armed. Awesome strategy.

Then this article talks about the relationship between the terror attacks and what Sam has complained about as the infringements upon privacy/freedom.

In spite of this, India’s record on counterterrorism is abysmal, almost deliberately so. The government in New Delhi steadfastly maintains a wall of separation between law-enforcement agencies like the one that used to separate the FBI and CIA before the Patriot Act, and keeps counterterrorist units underfunded and undermanned. It has repeatedly given way to the demands of Islamic radical groups and fundamentalist lobbyists in the name of “cultural sensitivity.” India was the first non-Islamic country to ban Salman Rushdie’s Satanic Verses back in 1988.

India has no preventive detention laws; no laws to protect the identity of anti-terrorist witnesses; and no laws to allow domestic wiretapping without court order. In 2004, the new Congress Party government revoked India’s version of the Patriot Act, even as the Indian media was loudly condemning the U.S. for “torture” at Gitmo and Abu Ghraib.

In short, the Indian government has waged the war on terror in much the same way that liberals and many Democrats have been urging the U.S. to carry it out. The result is that more than 4,000 Indians have died in attacks since 2004 — more than any other nation in the war on terror besides Iraq.

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Definitions

Sam makes an interesting point in his post that I think should be responded to on the front page.

If you adjust the definition of what "recession" means (a certain president had to adjust the definition of the word "is" so it isn't without precedent), then yes you make a great point. However, let us look at what recession typically means after reviewing the relevant data.

Here is the relevant article (sorry it isn't in a snappy 'gotcha' piece on a leftwing blog site)

What that is saying in there is that GDP rose in the 2nd quarter 2008. It also rose in the 1st quarter of 2008.

According to the Bloomberg definition of a recession: "A temporary downturn in economic activity, usually indicated by two consecutive quarters of a falling GDP. "

That is a commonly accepted definition and you can't fault the Bush administration for adhering to that. Yelling "recession" at the first hint of slowing growth is akin to yelling "fire" in a crowded theater or even "surrender/withdraw" in a challenging war. I guess one side is more comfortable with that approach...

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Recession Since December 2007

I don't know whether to breathe easy or start panicking now that we are admitting we are in a recession. But I think it is worth remembering what our leaders have told us about the shape of the economy over the past 12 months that we've been in this here recession:

– “First of all, we’re not in a recession.” [President Bush, 4/22/08]

- “We don’t believe we’re going to have a recession though.” [Vice President Dick Cheney, 1/30/08]

- “I think the experts will tell you we’re not in a recession.” [President Bush, 2/10/08]

- “The answer is, I don’t think we are in a recession right now.” [Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Edward Lazear, 2/11/08]

– “The data are pretty clear that we are not in a recession.” [Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Edward Lazear, 5/7/08]

- “I don’t think we are” in a recession. [Director of the National Economic Council Keith Hennesy, 6/3/08]

– “I think we have avoided a recession.” [White House Budget Director Jim Nussle, 7/31/08]

– “I don’t think anybody could tell you right now if we’re in a recession or not” [Dana Perino, 10/7/08]

Quotes taken from thinkprogress.org

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The DVR...saving you time AND money

The DVR is an incredible invention. Not only does it allow me to easily record my favorite TV shows in a digital format, I get to quickly skip through commercials. Watching sports is a breeze as well. Time Outs? Fast Forward. Huddles? No problem. Half Time? 30 seconds down from 30 minutes.

Its a great thing! Do we realize how much time and money this incredible device saves us? Justin Wolfers over at Freakonomics quantified it nicely in this article.

Here's a great excerpt:

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