October 2008 Archives

I've obviously been spending a lot of time learning about what's going on with the financial markets, the economy, etc. I am certainly no expert, but far more informed then I was a few months ago. I have yet to take the same strong interest in politics...

Flashback to 2002, when I quit my job at InsynQ as a beautiful love interest (Eriko) forced me to realize that it was going nowhere. In doing so, I spent several months unemployed and it has completely impacted and changed my spending habits. Before the unemployment, I spent money like I would always have money - not necessarily in debt, but very little savings.

Since then, I strive to (as my father would say) "save where I can, so I can spend where I want." Eriko prepares my lunch on a daily basis, she cuts my hair, we rarely go out to eat, we drive old cars, and live far from a consumption lifestyle - but we do splurge on things like memberships to the Children's Museum and Zoo for Jerry, trips to Japan and Pennsylvania, and of course - toys for Jerry.

I see the current financial crisis (and the pathetic political situation that has done nothing to abate it) as the trigger for me to be more involved, more engaged, and more educated. Ideally, I'll make better decisions regarding my longer-term financial goals.

In crisis, there is opportunity.

Certainly isn't good for my prospects of purchasing a home.

National Debt Clock Runs Out of Digits

We should all be dissapointed that we've allowed our government to run up a 10 trillion dollar debt. That's roughly $33k for each US citizen.

Boy, Jerry can't afford that. On closer thought, neither can I...

I'll just say "I told you so" in advance. Here's another opinion.

That said, maybe I can move onto something else less controversial... like politics!

I'm slowing coming to accept that politics is really a popularity contest. Democracy (at least in the US) is an extension of playground rules - say whatever you want, make as many promises as you can, because when the popularity vote happens the winner will get his/her day in the sun. It doesn't matter how far you stretch the truth, or how much you sell your soul to get those votes - the only potential accountability is that you won't win the contest again.

But who cares - you won it once, and that's more than almost everyone else. Plus, you'll have plenty of opportunities to punish the doubters and reward your fans.

Unfortunately, this is not a contest for who goes to the prom - this is a contest for who holds the keys to the United States's 10,000 nuclear warheads. Weapons of Mass Destruction? How about checking the backyard.

Of course, my disgust in the sensibility of the American voter doesn't have far to go. I only have to look at myself. Stay tuned as I put together my priority list for America.

Today, I faxed the House Republicans who originally voted NO, urging them to stand their ground. Sadly, the
Senate bill includes pathetic amounts of pork targeted specifically at those representatives....

I've also begun faxing the Blue Dog Coalition. Mish lined up the fax numbers in a nice easy format for my faxing program, but coincidentally I discovered the Blue Dogs yesterday before his post (how about them apples?)