Recession Trickle Affect

I have found a new favorite guilty pleasure. When Wall Street was hit hard by the recession, so were all those poor bankers' girlfriends, and at this blog they are able to pour their hearts out about their financial woes...the girls are witty:

I couldn’t comprehend why people were so insistent that America’s automobile industry had to be saved. We import safer more fuel efficient cars from Asia. No big deal. Survival of the fittest, that’s my motto, or was, until my FBF broke up with me. He explained my termination as follows:

“Princess, we need to talk. How do I explain this? You are a costly investment. During better economic times, I was happy to spend a little extra to buy American, but now we are all being forced to make tough decisions and, well, bottom line: I can quite literally get more bang for my buck if I invest with a foreign model instead. Do you understand what I’m trying to tell you?”

And that my fellow DABA girls is more or less how my girlfriend services were outsourced to an underage Russian model who was willing to provide services substantially equivalent to my own but at well-below market value and without the regulatory hassle. F*cking mercenary.

I hope the government earmarked some bailout money for ex-DABA girls. Without my FBF subsidizing my lifestyle, I am seriously over leveraged with Saks and I’m not talking about Goldman.

The New Deal sucked

Sarah just linked to THE.BEST.EVER. article explaining why the New Deal wasn't all it was cracked up to be. I mean, this article is so good, I just want to roll around in it, like a cat does catnip...I can't get enough...I want him to write more!

If you don't want to read it all (your loss), this conclusion from it, pretty much hits the nail on the head:

I will finish with a quotation from Roosevelt's secretary of treasury, Henry Morganthau. He admits, the whole thing failed. Again, the quote, you will never see in a textbook, but I have it right here. I went to the Roosevelt Library and dug this one out. Henry Morganthau, Secretary of Treasury, in May, 1939, years after the New Deal, said, "We have tried spending money. We are spending more than we have ever spent before and it does not work. And I have just one interest, and now if I am wrong somebody else can have my job. I want to see this country prosper. I want to see people get a job. I want to see people get enough to eat. We have never made good on our promises. I say after eight years of this administration, we have just as much unemployment as when we started. And enormous debt to boot." That is the secretary of treasury in charge of the money disbursement and statistics collection during the 1930s, making that statement.

Yeah...got to admire his honesty, but for some reason it was ignored and we continue to throw money at problems, villify the wealthy, and turn everyone else into "victims" of the capitalist machine.

Obama and the ice

I have been finding reason to blog again lately...namely Obama's election. Now don't get me wrong, I wasn't entirely unhappy that he was elected. I was completely disappointed with McCain as a candidate, so I am not too sorry that he didn't get elected. I mean, I guess I might be feeling how some Democrats felt after Bush was re-elected over Kerry.

Additionally, Obama doesn't drive me nuts or anything. Sure, he panders, etc. But so does every politician. It's just that he isn't pandering to me. I think Obama is a shrewd politician. The people who drive me nuts are those who act as if on January 20th the clouds parted and the sun came out. And now everything is happy and wonderful. I like it that their attitudes have changed for the positive, but I don't like it that they can't seem to realize that they can do that on their own, and they don't need an outside agent to make this happen.

Anyhoo, seems like every day now, I find reason to post something new here. And today's gem:

"Can I make a comment that is unrelated to the economy very quickly?" the new president told reporters at a gathering with business leaders. "And it has to do with Washington. My children's school was canceled today. Because of, what? Some ice?"

The president said he wasn't the only one who was incredulous.

"As my children pointed out, in Chicago, school is never canceled," Obama said to laughter. "In fact, my 7-year-old pointed out that you'd go outside for recess. You wouldn't even stay indoors. So, I don't know. We're going to have to try to apply some flinty Chicago toughness."

Asked if he meant the people of the national's capital are wimps, Obama said: "I'm saying, when it comes to the weather, folks in Washington don't seem to be able to handle things."

I love this...I agree with him. He is calling the city out for not being able to handle some ice. Now, had Bush made a comment like this, you can be sure that the unions would pounce on him after the media had whipped up a frenzy.

I wonder how often he will say things like this and get away with it...and at what point he will get the cold shoulder...it will be interesting.

I pledge...

In the spirit of that self-absorbed celebrity "I pledge" video (thanks, Sarah for the gag-worthy link), I am making a pledge today. I will never make statements about Obama's presidency being a nightmare. I mean, I am really quite tired with hearing: "the nightmare ended and the dream finally came true". To say the last 8 years were a nightmare seems truly self-absorbed, it totally lacks perspective. I understand that a lot of things happened that people were unhappy with, but for me such a statement would be worthy of something like, oh, I don't know, V-Day in Paris, and then later in Germany. To finally be over with WWII. Or perhaps the end of the Castro era. But to say that the years "under" Bush were a nightmare is insulting to people who have lived under truly oppressive leaders.

Whatever the next 4 to 8 years brings, be it nationalized healthcare (*gag*) or whatever other social program he wants to implement (the New New Deal), it won’t turn my life into a nightmare. Yes, my taxes will go up, but my life will go on pretty much the same way it is now.

I think it is great that Obama has garnered such support, what scares me though is the cult-like support he has. People chanting "O-ba-ma" and "Yes, We Can! Yes, we will!" Seriously, it's slightly reminiscent of a Tony Robbins convention or a church revival.

Bush never had that kind of support. If people starting chanting anything in his presence it was more likely to be "U-S-A!" It's so strange for me that there is this cult of personality. I hope he uses it wisely.

Animal Farm Re-dux

I think I almost need to start a special reoccurring post called Animal Farm Moments.

Just read here that 600 private jets were expected for Obama's inauguration. The previous record was 300 for George W. Bush's 2004 inauguration:

Of course, flying private to a celebration of a populist, pro-environment President is a bit like the Detroit execs jetting to Washington for bailout money. How do you call for social responsibility after touching down in a $40 million, gas-guzzling Gulfstream? (Maybe travelers will buy carbon credits).[...]

The presence of so many wealthy and their jets also underscores a stark reality of Mr. Obama’s election and presidency. As much as some people wish that Mr. Obama–the face that launched millions of grass-roots Internet donors–will eliminate the influence and impact of the wealthy on politics, the wealthy will always have a center table in Washington. And, of course, a prime spot to park their Gulfstreams.

DailyKos' Obama criticism quandary

Lately, I often visit DailyKos. Since Obama has been elected the blog has become slightly more bearable since there is less Bush-bashing to be made, and more looking to the future. I actually really enjoyed their reporting during the whole Blago saga. But today's post from the Kos himself gave me some reason for mirth. DailyKos was able to be relevant, because it was built in opposition to the Bush administration...but what happens when that demand is gone?. Kos writes:

It's been easy to survive the last seven years bashing Bush, and few complained when we took on Pelosi or Reid. But criticizing Obama is pretty darn controversial in our little world.

Yes...this will be interesting...I have also wondered what will happen to the Colbert Report. I think the Daily Show will survive, but I am not so sure about Colbert...we'll see...