Thursday, May 31, 2012

Blpggerhythms 5/31/2012

I guess things must be going pretty well in New York City, because Mayor Michael Bloomberg apparently has time to worry about stuff like citizen’s weights.

And according to reporter Derricke Dennis of CBS 2, New York on-line, the mayor’s introducing a new public health initiative to battle obesity, aimed at super-sized sugary drinks. They say that means no more Big Gulps, Slurpees or even Venti at Starbucks. In fact, he’s proposed a ban on all sugary drinks over 16 ounces everywhere, all across the city.

I mention it because lately, with situations such as JP Morgan Chase’s Jamie Dimon being called to face Congress regarding the 2 billion dollar hit the bank took in trading losses, and the wide concern over whether Facebook’s public offering was properly handled by NASDAQ, there are government investigations and stopgaps being considered all over the place.

However, as I’ve noted many times in the past, business folks and marketeers are far smarter and adept than any politico’s on the planet. And that’s why when all the smoke clears; they’ll come up with many new ways to sell whatever they dream up next.

And, that’s why in the case of large-size soft drink bans in the city, I think servers will simply ask customers how many small cups they’d like to order, and likely sell at least two eight ounce cups or more to each.  

That’s it for today folks.

 Adios

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

BloggeRhythms 5/30/2012

Found The Washington Free Beacon on Drudge this morning when I clicked on a link to an article headed, “Carney struggles with questions on public equity.”

It seems that yesterday a reporter asked Press Secretary, Jay Carney, how the president’s justification for the government-loan program for energy differs from Mitt Romney’s on private equity. And here’s what Carney said in reply:

“Look, there is the—the difference in that your overall view of what your responsibilities are as president and what your view of the economic future is. The president believes, as he’s made clear, that a president’s responsibility is not just to those who win, but those who, for example in a company where there have been layoffs or a company that has gone bankrupt, we have to make sure those folks have the means to find other employment, that they have the ability to train for other kinds of work, and that’s part of the overall responsibility that the president has.”

Now, I’ve been around for a while now and have heard boatloads of politician’s gibberish, but Carney’s response is so far over the top it may be the all-time winner for absolute BS. However, I mention it because he not only didn’t answer the question; I think he made another point that’s even worse.

Because it sounds to me like the misguided bunch of zealots in the administration believe that it’s the president’s job to clean up after bankruptcies, guarantee that laid off people get new jobs, and see to any personnel retraining required, which is so far beyond ridiculous it’s defies comprehension in our free enterprise system. However, perhaps now we have even more specific evidence of their lack of understanding of how our economy really works.

Because if the president truly did have the responsibility of insuring that people had jobs, then his administration is a complete and utter failure by his very own standards. As evidenced by the fact that he not only can’t help those who are out of work due to business closures, but his strangling of the economy in general has kept 8.5% of the regular workforce unemployed to boot. So, any way you look at it, he’s created a situation where when it comes to the business world, everybody loses regrdless.

That’s it for today folks.

Adios

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

BloggeRhythms 5/29/2012

Yesterday, I caught the last few moments of a college senior being interviewed on Fox News. Unfortunately, I didn’t turn the sound up quickly enough to hear his name or school, but I certainly heard what he said.

The subject was his thoughts about the coming election, and whereas he’s editor of his school’s paper, he’s continually exposed to significant information about student’s perceptions and campus trends.

In summary, he said most he meets think the gloss has rubbed off the presidential incumbent due to unfulfilled promises, especially regarding prospects of employment in the dismal economy and the unbridled increases in tuition, along with student’s inability to repay education loans. Therefore, he thinks student voting support might not be so great for the president this time around. And although I agree with him in general, I think he, and most others, are visualizing the problems from the wrong direction.

Because although the unemployment percentage among recent graduates is around fifty percent, I’m not so sure the whole problem’s in the marketplace. I believe there’s much more to it.

First and foremost, a diploma’s simply a piece of paper confirming that a student’s completed an educational institution’s requirements for graduation. However, it proves nothing at all about what they really know or their capability of job fulfillment. Therefore, to be hired, they must meet the needs of the employer. And there’s the rub.

Because in many institutions of higher learning these days curriculums and subject matter have diminished so greatly that many “graduates”have barely any usable skills at all. And that stems from the continuing decrease in the quality of educators who have job protection regardless of their own limited body of knowledge. And as each semester goes by, the whole system continues to water down some more.

Therefore, considering the fact that most successful employers recognize how competitive most markets have become and that skilled performers increase their probability of success, I doubt that truly competent graduates find that there's no chance of finding work.

So, while it’s certainly true that a college degree should add value to potential hirees, it’s what they really know that counts. And the way things seem to be going in higher education today, unfortunately significant numbers of students nor their teachers appear to know very much.

That’s it for today folks.

Adios

Monday, May 28, 2012

BloggeRhythms 5/28/2012

Slow news day, but I did see an article in, Real Clear Politics on-line, regarding retiring Democrat Representative, Barney Frank, one of several speakers at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth undergraduate commencement Sunday, where he received the Chancellor's Distinguished Service Medal.

 I mention him because he’s always seemed to me as an extremely self-serving politician who’d use any opportunity to advance his own cause, regardless of any other considerations. And I think he did that once again in his award acceptance speech.

Another person at the ceremony was Hubie Jones, a black man who received an honorary doctorate degree, and when Frank spoke he referenced the Trayvon Martin case in Sanford, Florida, saying: "Finally, I do want to acknowledge a man who has played a major role in diminishing inequality in Massachusetts and other spheres, and that's Hubie Jones. One of the great men I've worked with for many years and I'm particularly pleased that Hubie got an honorary degree today. You know, when you get an honorary degree they give you one of these and Hubie, I think you now got a hoodie you can wear and no one will shoot at you. So, I think you'll feel, I hope, pretty protected by that."

Now, here’s what bothers me.

I think that simply by the virtue of the fact that a black man was being honored at a prestigious university, that speaks hugely about how far racial relations have come in the nation. Up to and including its presidency. And to most people today, if an example was to be made of what Jones’ UMass degree ceremony represented, they’d likely feel it was an extremely positive thing. But regardless, when a man’s being publicly honored for his achievements, what’s the point of bringing his race into play? Why not just let him bask in the glow of all he’s accomplished?

And I guess that’s why folks in Congress have an approval rating that’s under twenty percent and falling. Because these self-serving low-life’s have no other interests than their own, regardless of all else.

That’s it for today folks.

Adios

Sunday, May 27, 2012

BloggeRhythms 5/27/2012

Didn’t find much new in the “news,” but Peggy Noonan in the Wall Street Journal on-line on Friday caught my eye, referencing an interview she’d done with Mitt Romney, which I think clearly illustrates the difference between him and the current incumbent.

Asking Romney “when was the last time you woke up unhappy?’ he replied that “He doesn't recall.” Then went on that, "Sometimes you're disappointed, but it's mostly disappointment with myself that causes me to be most concerned. This for me is not my life, meaning I don't have to win an election to feel good about myself." He explained that he’s already achieved business success, "beyond my wildest dreams, and is "hoping to make a contribution and go to Washington and go home when it's over. Who I am has long ago been determined by my relationship with the people I love, and with my success in my professional career."

To me, I believe what Romney said is truly how he feels about the presidency and he isn’t running to change the basic political philosophy of the nation, but simply feels that applying what he’s learned from building a very successful business and as governor of a state is exactly what’s needed right now. And I agree with that completely. Because if nothing else, right off the bat he’ll trim government size, reduce intervention, pare down overbearing legislation and get countless agencies off businesses’ backs, which by themselves will bring put economic growth back on track.

Then, in comparison to the preceding, according to Reuters on-line, Vice President Joe Biden spoke at the West Point graduation on Saturday, saying graduates “would have to focus on a new set of threats, with the Iraq war over and Afghanistan's ending.” And that, “Winding down these long wars is enabling us to replace and rebalance our foreign policy, to take on the full range of challenges that will shape the 21st century, challenges different than those of the 20th century.”

In that regard, according to Reuters, “Biden was careful not to suggest there could be conflict looming in Asia, but said the growth of international commerce with the region made it necessary for the United States to give it more attention.” He also said that, “The most critical relationship to get right is the U.S. and China. Every day the affairs of our nations and the livelihoods of our citizens become more connected.”
Noting that the administration also wants stronger ties with other emerging powers like India, Brazil, Russia, Turkey and South Africa, Biden didn’t say what he expects to transpire in Iran and North Korea, where tensions about nuclear programs are running high, nor in Syria where street violence continues despite the government having nominally agreed to a U.N.-backed peace plan.
 
In contrast, Reuters points out that “Mitt Romney has accused the current administration of rushing for the exits in Iraq and Afghanistan and showing weakness in its dealings with China, Russia and Iran.”

So, here we have two completely different viewpoints whereas the administration desires to legislate, police and regulate business and the economy to almost a standstill through intervention, yet seeks to avoid any commitment to international protections or military involvement elsewhere. Consequently, it seems to me that their current plan is not only to have the country go broke, but friendless as well.
That’s it for today folks.

 Adios       

Saturday, May 26, 2012

BloggeRhythms 5/26/2012

Thought I’d mention some thoughts about the recent facebook offering which seems to have upset a significant number of investors. Many have even gone so far as to institute lawsuits whereas management of the offering by NASDAQ and the stock’s performance have both been extremely disappointing. 

In that regard, as many regular readers know, I’ve spent most of my career leasing and financing equipment for all types of businesses across the U.S. And although leasing in particular is known for creative solutions to user’s individual financial situations, every transaction significantly depends on the financial state of the equipment user. Consequently, it’s critical that lessors learn all they can about potential lessees to accurately assess the risks in any transaction.

Therefore, for the sake of illustration, I thought I’d note what lessors would likely do to assess facebook as a new customer having an equipment need. And in that regard, the first question usually asked about any prospective lessee would be; what does the business do?

As I understand facebook’s operation, its only business is providing a website serving as a social network for users to communicate with “friends,” post information and pictures, and for various types of groups to meet on-line and interact with others having similar interests. And as far as revenue goes, their only source of income is derived from selling ad space on their site.

Now, I grant you they’ve done an incredible job building their business, becoming a household name in a relatively short period of time. However, strictly from a lender’s perspective, if their only revenue source is income from ads, and ads depend on continuing viewership of visitors to their site, I think lenders would have concerns as to what would happen if viewership fell off for any reason.

Therefore, as a result of the preceding analysis, I really have to wonder if there’s enough substance to facebook’s business to merit a stock offering of the size and share price as theirs was. Or perhaps, was there a considerable amount of promotion and hype inflating both?

And while I haven’t the answer to the preceding question, in any case, as far as the promoters go and the underwriters as well, they’re involved in extremely risky businesses themselves and certainly should understand there are no guarantees regarding most things they do. Even individual investors with any experience at all know that as well.

Thus, I don’t understand the premise for law suits. Because if there’s some kind of reimbursement awarded here due to a flaw in the stock-sale system at NASDAQ , with that kind of money at stake for investors, I think they should have done their homework in advance, seen the problem and stopped the process til it was fixed .

What’s more is, if this kind of remedy’s allowed where incompetence and laziness are rewarded regardless, that says to me that it’s no longer a free enterprise system, but more like a governmental operation where others are made to pay for incompetent’s mistakes.

That’s it for today folks.

Adios  

Friday, May 25, 2012

BloggeRhythms 5/25/2012

It’s been a while now since I began including the incumbent’s gaffes in my entries, and frankly, I never really expected to find one virtually every day because I think it’s inconceivable that even he could be that incompetent. However, although the hardball campaign for the White House hasn’t even really started, it seems he’s beginning to panic and utter such totally outlandish babble that I have to wonder how badly he’ll unglue when pressure begins to build.  And in that context, here’s what I found this morning.

In a speech POTUS made yesterday, according to Fox News on-line, “Escalating his criticism of Romney's background as a venture capitalist, Obama said it wasn't adequate preparation for the presidency.” Which to me means he’s opened not just one door to having his words come back to bury him, but maybe two or more.

Because, as far as background or preparation for the presidency’s concerned, he himself has less than none at all. And that means that all Mitt Romney need do in retaliation is remind voters that the incumbent was a bottom rung party organizer, minor league lawyer, inconsequential party hack and ineffectual senator with almost no voting record of import before backing into a presidency bought for him by special interest groups .

Romney, on the other hand, indeed successfully ran Bain Capital, which by itself is excellent preparation for the state that the nation’s economy’s in because that business is all about maximizing the value of assets, effectively using personnel, cutting waste and striving to insure profitability. Whereas if the country were a business; it would have no chance at survival whatsoever carrying more than $15 trillion in debt that POTUS thinks is simply fine and dandy.

However, let’s say that POTUS is correct about Bain, despite the fact that he’s not. How about Romney’s term as Massachusetts Governor for four years from 2002 to 2006? During that time he presided over a series of spending cuts and increases in fees that eliminated a projected $1.5 billion state deficit. And although it may not be a great campaign issue for Mitt, he also signed off on the state’s health care law, providing near-universal health insurance access via state-level subsidies and individual mandates which POTUS thinks that doing almost exactly the same thing nationally is his greatest achievement as president.

So, I think what we have here is a president who either thinks his audiences are dumber than dirt, or perhaps has totally incompetent advisors or worse yet, believes that his own “cow pies of distortion” will simply go by untested. But whatever the case, I continue to think panic’s set in at the White House already and POTUS is now in a game that’s many, many miles over his head.

That’s it for today folks.

Adios  

Thursday, May 24, 2012

BloggeRhythms 5/24/2012

It seems that every day now there’s another confirmation in the news of my belief that the best thing Mitt Romney can do for his campaign is to stay low key and let the POTUS keep burying himself. However, today’s item’s far beyond the scope of anything I imagined.

According to Fox News on-line, House democrat leader Nancy Pelosi -of all people- “just pulled her caucus well to the right of President Obama, as she dramatically broadened the scope of her proposal for extending the Bush-era tax cuts.”

Fox says “The White House, since Obama took office, has called for those tax rates to be extended only for households making less than $250,000 a year. The president wants the rates to expire for everybody else.” However, in a letter to House Speaker John Boehner, Pelosi upped that threshold to $1 million, urging Boehner to schedule a vote "as early as next week" to extend the "middle-income tax cuts" which she apparently is defining as those affecting households that make less than $1 million.

I mention this today because, although I still think Pelosi’s one of the dumbest people on earth, she’s been a politician long enough to learn what needs to be done to survive in office. She’s also one of the most consistent party hacks there is and I doubt there’s much she wouldn’t do to promote her party line -up to and including vehemently touting the abominable health care bill she loved, though never even bothering to read it. Therefore, if she’s bucking her chief, she obviously senses he’s cooked and thus, won’t be around to get even after November. And I don’t think one could find a better predictor than that.

Along the same lines, but much a more subtle indication, Daniel Halper of the weeklystandard.com writes that the president’s campaign announced he’d headline a reception for 700 at the Hyatt Regency Denver at the Colorado Convention Center yesterday. General admission tickets started at $500 apiece, though a selected number of Gen44 and Grassroots tickets were available for $250. However, the campaign now says that only 550 people showed up.

So here we have two more indications of a presidential campaign that seems to be bleeding a little more each day although the election’s still six months away. Because despite that things haven’t even begun to heat up, the White House is already slinging as much mud as they can find. Meanwhile, the opposition hasn’t even really started to get nasty. Consequently, my guess is that by the time things truly count in the future, there isn’t going to be much of the POTUS left for Mitt Romney to go after. And to prove my point, you can go ask Nancy Pelosi, but I suspect we already know what she thinks.

That’s it for today folks.

Adios

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

BloggeRhythms 5/23/2012

Scanning channels yesterday, I came across an interview on Fox News of Mitch Daniels, Republican Governor of Indiana. He was in New York to receive the conservative Manhattan Institute's Alexander Hamilton Award because, according to them, “The institute selected the governor for his achievements in state government, including health-care improvements, landmark education reforms and fiscal responsibility."

Later in the day, Daniels caught my eye again as he was chatting with Stuart Varney of Fox Business News. And although I’d seen him in the past, he was another person I really didn’t know all that much about, so I looked him up on the web and here’s what I found out:
He began his first four-year term as governor on January 10, 2005, and was elected to his second term by an 18-point margin on November 4, 2008. Previously, he was the Director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget under George W. Bush. He was also formerly Senior Vice President of Ely Lilly and Company, Indiana's largest corporation, in charge of the corporation's business strategy and was widely speculated to be a candidate for President of the United States in 2012 before choosing not to run.
However, what interested me most was hearing his philosophy on extremely important subjects such as unemployment whereas his state was the number one job creator last month. And according to him, one of the most important aspects of his economic success was keeping taxes low. In fact, Indiana citizens will soon be getting a rebate because such a good job was done at managing to the budget.
And while talking with Varney, he also said, “The record of economic history is very clear. The countries that have rebounded the most swiftly from a bad situation, debt situation, did it by reducing spending, not by raising taxes. And the so-called stimulus experience we’ve just been through here, (is a) complete and abject failure by any measure, as if we needed any fresh evidence.”
I wanted to mention him today because here’s a highly successful business person who went out and applied his knowledge to trying to help his state. And by employing proven economic techniques and strategies he’s done exactly that. Consequently, his state’s growing rapidly while the federal government’s going backwards and wallowing in continually growing debt.
But, the most glaring example to me of total incompetence is that right after Governor Daniels interview wherein he carefully explained the proven rationale for governmental success; I saw a flash of Joe Biden on another channel. The VP was telling an audience of stooges that Obama’s good and Romney’s bad and he thought that’s all they needed to know which came across to me as so inane it’s far beyond pathetic. But, I guess, it’s just about all a dunce like him can grasp.
That’s it for today folks.
Adios

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

BloggeRhythms 5/22/2012

I went through an odd few days, beginning on last weekend when a friend sent me a YouTube link to a speech made last December by Cory Booker, Democrat Mayor of Newark, New Jersey. In it, Booker was addressing a group of folks about the holidays and I thought came as across as bright, articulate, witty and extremely well-informed. And I must admit, I’d never seen nor heard of him before and was very impressed, especially because I sensed he might indeed be a harbinger of future politicians who actually care about their constituents.

Then, the very next day, I came across Booker again, this time due to his appearance on Meet the Press wherein he chastised the president's reelection team over its ad campaign attacking Mitt Romney's record at Bain Capital. Booker said, “I just have to say from a very personal level, I'm not about to sit here and indict private equity," referring to the ad which spotlighted the story of a Kansas City steel company that went bankrupt after Bain Capital's involvement. "If you look at the totality of Bain Capital's record, they've done a lot to support businesses, to grow businesses. And this, to me, I'm very uncomfortable with."

He went on to state that, "This is not about what happened at Bain Capital. Heck, I've reduced the employees in my city 25 percent because it's the only way my government would survive. Call me a job-cutter, if you want."

In fairness, he also criticized a now-scuttled Republican proposal to run ads once again tying the incumbent to his controversial former pastor, Jeremiah Wright, as well as the Bain ad. And in that regard, Booker stated, "This kind of stuff is nauseating to me on both sides. It's nauseating to the American public. Enough is enough. Stop attacking private equity. Stop attacking Jeremiah Wright. This stuff has got to stop, because what it does is it undermines, to me, what this country should be focused on. It's a distraction from the real issues."

So, here I was reading the words of a guy who came across as a breath of fresh air amidst the lowest life forms on earth, politicians, and was actually looking forward to tracking him in the future to see what kind of career he’d build for himself. And then, that very evening, my whole pipe dream fell apart because someone in the White House must have gotten to him.

 Because later that same evening, Sunday, according to the Associated Press, Booker released a YouTube video in which he said it is "reasonable" for the Obama campaign to examine Romney's business record since Romney himself has made it "a centerpiece of his campaign."

Thus we have someone here, Booker, who for a very short span came across as someone I’d vote for in a heartbeat, regardless of party because of his even-handed approach and especially realistic outlook on business. And then in the very same day, he bows to pressure applied from his party leaders and turns himself into just another political hack. So I guess that even for the very best in office, you can take the guy out of the party for a moment, but you can’t ever take the party out of the guy.

That’s it for today folks.

Adios

Monday, May 21, 2012

BloggeRhythms 5/21/2012

It seems to me that the Dem's may have made a critical mistake by attacking Mitt Romney’s career at Bain Capital. And I believe they did it for one of two reasons. Either they’re assuming that most of the public, and especially their own constituents, don’t know what venture capitalists do, or perhaps don’t understand venture capitalism’s function themselves. And that’s why the Dem’s are playing with fire.

Because venture capitalism is all about developing and growing businesses to their maximum potential, thereby increasing productivity and revenue, and most often -creating jobs. All of which are what the nation needs desperately at the moment and the complete reverse of the Dem mantra of regulate, tax and inhibit business success.

Consequently, I believe the best thing the Romney campaign can do for itself is to educate the voting public as to what venture capitalism is, how it works and the boon it is to economic productivity. And that can be done by pointing out in the simplest of terms that venture capitalists invest their funds, support, and skills across a variety of businesses they select for various reasons. And naturally, if and when any of these entities succeed, the capitalists are usually rewarded for their gamble with equity of some sort in the venture. And in that way, significant numbers of new, struggling or undercapitalized entities survive to prosper via this win/win risk-filled approach.

Now certainly, although venture capitalists may be very astute business folks and highly experienced as well, none of them have crystal balls nor can they predict the future with guaranteed accuracy. And that’s why significant numbers of businesses in which they take risks ultimately fail. In fact, as I recall the rate of failure for new businesses in general is somewhere around 80% in their first year of existence. And that’s why many of these aspiring operations indeed do close. However, without the invested capital behind them, they’d have no chance at all.  

And now we come to another point, which may be the most important of all. As mentioned on Fox News Sunday, Paul Ryan, Congressman from Wisconsin pointed out that "What Bain did is they used private capital to try and help struggling businesses. What President Obama's doing is he's gambling with taxpayer money and giving money to corporate contributors like Solyndra, and he's losing taxpayer money." Ryan said this in reference to what he called the "crony capitalism" of taxpayer-backed loans to well-connected firms like Solyndra, the solar panel company that filed for bankruptcy after receiving nearly $530 million in taxpayer loans.

So, as I said at the start today, perhaps the Dem’s should rethink about targeting an opponent who spent his career actually trying to help businesses grow and prosper…because their leader’s done the complete reverse. And if the voting public really does learn the tremendous difference between the ways that these two men think and actually perform, the incumbent hasn’t a chance of reelection.

That’s it for today folks.
 
Adios

Sunday, May 20, 2012

BloggeRhythms 5/20/2012

In keeping with my continuing commentary on the dismal status of education in our nation, and then applying that premise to the tactics of the Democrat party which feeds on the lack of knowledge among its core constituents, there’s another glaring example of both factors in today’s news.

It seems that Austan Goolsbee, a former Obama economic adviser, told Fox News today that “Romney's record at Bain ought to be thrown open for the public to examine, considering he cites his business experience as a chief qualification to be president.”

Then, he went on to state that the incumbent “believes that the main driver of the economy is the middle class," accusing Romney of pushing a tax-cuts-for-the-wealthy view premised on the "George Bush budget." Finally, he asked, "If that was a magic elixir, why did we not have phenomenal growth?"

Well, the answer happens to be quite well known by anyone having the capability to read, along with the most simplistic understanding of how our government works. Because the nation was indeed doing quite well under Bush’s leadership until his last two years, when a newly elected Democrat congress made every effort to undo his successes, and ultimately did exactly that.

And then there was the debacle of the real estate market causing a global financial meltdown, caused to a great extent by the forced lending to unqualified mortgagees which in turn greatly harmed just about all banking institutions nationally. And who were the driving forces behind that financial disaster? Gee whiz! The present incumbent himself -along with Chris Dodd.

So, here we have a Democrat economist, Goolsbee, parroting party rhetoric that relies on the knowledge that its core constituents are basically unaware of what goes on around them, unless it appears on some brain-dead reality show or a production that avoids big words and requires no thinking.  

Nonetheless, as can be seen in many recent polls, folks don’t seem to be buying the factual distortions and pure untruths as readily as they may have done before, which doesn’t bode too well for the incumbent. Because before this campaign’s over, my bet is the real record will be exposed –and in that case I think most Dem’s can start packing now.   

That’s it for today folks.

Adios

Saturday, May 19, 2012

BloggeRhythms 5/19/2012

Another day, another protest. This one’s about the G8 summit meeting the president’s presently holding at Camp David. And the most interesting thing about it all is, nobody seems to know what the protestors really want.

It seems there are people all over the nation, carrying signs, sleeping in tents and cooking food over fires in trash cans, but for what reason? For example, I saw a woman reporter on TV this morning who said she lives in an apartment on Wall Street and that there are still folks encamped there. But, except for the local merchants who are losing business due to the pains in the neck who are pestering those that pass by, nobody else cares a whit about their presence.

As for me, as I’ve written many times in the past, that as long as these sign-toting dregs aren’t anywhere near me, I think they’re great for the nation and hope their numbers keep multiplying. Because with unemployment remaining doggedly high and so many folks unable to find jobs, I believe it’s a very good thing that these protestors have taken themselves out of the work force leaving more room for others who actually need to work.

But then again, since the only thing the protestors seem able to do is walk in a circle and carry misspelled signs, what else are they really qualified to do should they ever actually try to find work? About the only thing I can think of that takes no ability whatsoever is the presidency itself, and at the moment the position’s filled.

That’s it for today folks.

Adios

Friday, May 18, 2012

BloggeRhythms 5/18/2012

As I’ve mentioned quite often lately, I think the wisest approach for Mitt Romney toward winning the presidential election is to sit back, say very little and leave the current administration alone. Because each passing day the incumbent continues to make significant mistakes due to inexperience, naiveté and highly undeserved taking of credit for others accomplishments due to deluded self-importance.

The latest gaffe concerns the focus on JP Morgan caused by its loss of more than 2 billion dollars and the attempts now being made to take the bank, and its leader, Jamie Dimon, to task in congressional hearings where Democrats hope to further clip the institution's wings.

However, although the amount concerned is huge, the funds belonged to the bank itself, not its depositors, and were lost in the normal course of business arising from bad decisions regarding a credit derivative trade. But nonetheless, with urging from the White house, it’s likely that more regulations and governmental oversight regarding banking will be forthcoming soon.

Now, on the surface that may sound like a good idea to many who think the largest banks in the world should be closely monitored, if not totally controlled, by government. But in the long run, that’s a tactic that really doesn’t work because while it may provide some degree of protection against losses, it simultaneously inhibits most types of risks. And as far as risks are concerned, they exist to some degree in every single loan.

Consequently, in attempting to curtail particular banking activities, lawmakers now chance inhibiting business growth because, as usual, they’re unable to understand the particulars of the problems they’re trying to solve. Therefore the end result will be more curtailment of business activity which will, in turn, further reduce the incumbent’s chances of reelection.

Which is why I suggested at the start of this entry that the best thing Mitt Romney can do toward being elected is to leave the incumbent absolutely alone, because as each day goes by he finds new ways to sink himself..

That’s it for today folks.

Adios

Thursday, May 17, 2012

BloggeRhythms 5/17/2012

As regular readers know, one of my hot buttons is the continuing deterioration of educational quality in the U.S. Especially in public schools where teachers unions are primarily responsible for the decline, if not total disappearance, of worthwhile learning. And another proof of the deteriorating value appeared yesterday when, according to MyFoxOrlando, the The Florida Department of Education lowered the performance level standard on a state writing exam after only 27 percent of fourth graders passed.

The test scores range from zero to six and a decision to lower the standard from a four to a three was made in an emergency conference call Tuesday because fourth grade teachers say the test inadequately reflected their pupils' writing abilities. They claim the main reason the students did poorly was the test subject was too hard because it proposed: "Suppose you or someone else had a chance to ride a camel. Imagine what happens on this camel ride. Write a story about what happens on this camel ride."

Many teachers were upset by the test results of course, and naturally blamed the question for the poor showing, rather than their teaching capabilities or curriculum faults. They cited reasons such as camels not being indigenous (my word, not theirs) to Florida, and therefore they doubted that most fourth grade students would know what a camel was. Perhaps they'd have been happier with a flamingo, I don't really know.

However, I got my education in New York City where we were taught about most species inhabiting Earth. We also have a zoo in Central Park, so maybe I had an unfair advantage because I knew what a camel was while still quite young.. There was also a huge billboard sign in Times Square where "Joe the camel" blew smoke rings all day long promoting his cigarette brand.

But all the forgoing about NYC notwithstanding, I think camels are an excellent subject for Florida students. Because camels, whether having one hump or two, are best known for the long lengths of time they can sustain without needing water which is why they're used in arid climates such as vast deserts.

Therefore, if I'd been tasked to write an essay about camels in Florida, I'd point out the fact that due to the poor quality of education there, it's likely the state will eventually become a wasteland and as such will be just like a desert. And when that happens, since there won't be very much access to sustenance, animals that can go days without water or food will have huge value which means that those who know all about them will have a significant advantage too. And my guess is that when that happens, not one of those who prevail will have been a Florida teacher.

That's it for today folks.

Adios

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

BloggeRhythms 5/16/2012

Although I've spent my business life in sales, there's something about advertising I simply don't understand. Because the incumbent's apparently worried now that he won't raise as much money as he expected for ads that he planned to spend substantial millions on during his campaign.

The reason I'm confused is because what I've always seen take place is that regardless of how much money's been spent promoting products, after those products have been in the market for a while, users find out whether they actually work as promised or not. And in the incumbent's case  I doubt there's any voter who's going to buy some hyped promise about his ability to build a rosy future, or accept his attempts at blaming others for his own faults, unpreparedness for office and absence of leadership, when they're confronted with examples of failures each and every day.

In that regard, and in keeping with my listing of administration errors, there's another one today where according to Bloomberg on-line the president's "decision in February 2011 to hold the Democratic National Convention in North Carolina looked like a bold move to reclaim a state he’d won in 2008. Today, it’s more like an awkward fit."

The article goes on to point out that, "the state’s Democratic Party is mired in a sexual harassment scandal. Voters just approved a state constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, which conflicts with Obama’s view on the issue. Convention fundraising has been slow, and labor unions tapped to fill the financial gap are angry the convention will be in a city -Charlotte- with no unionized hotels and in a state where compulsory union membership or the payment of dues is prohibited as an employment condition. "

Additionally, North Carolina’s 9.7 percent unemployment rate is above the national average and one of its top employers, Bank of America, has announced job reductions while the incumbent's scheduled to accept nomination at Bank of America Stadium in September. About which, Don Kettl, dean of the school of public policy at the University of Maryland stated, “It’s inconceivable that they would move the convention. But they may wish that they had placed their chips on another swing state.”

And aside from the preceding issues is the fact that the state's also where the federal trial of it's former Democratic U.S. senator, John Edwards, is taking place. He's accused of using almost $1 million in campaign contributions to help hide an affair with his pregnant mistress while running for president in 2008.

So, when you add up all the negatives in the North Carolina mix I have to wonder what good ads would do to reverse a boatload of actual fact. Because I truly believe that anyone who'd buy the words of an ad while living amidst the actual truth is almost certainly too dumb to find a voting booth.

That's it for today folks.

Adios

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

BloggeRhythms 5/15/2012

Over time, I've cited many examples here of lessons the business world taught me. And I think they're valuable because they not only work, but they're also predominately based on pure common sense,which brings me to today's subject.

I distinctly recall a time quite a few years ago when I was doing poorly at my job as a regional sales manager in which I was measured and compensated primarily based on the production of my sales team, as well as myself. Upon being reviewed by my manager who asked why my results were so dismal, I replied that I honestly had no specific excuse or reason and in fact that each and every one of us was "trying as hard as we could."

Hearing my "excuse," he replied that significant effort alone wasn't always the answer to success and gave me the graphic description of a person striving all day to push down a thick brick wall with his shoulder. However, by quitting time even though the person had "worked" very hard for hours, that wall would be still be there because it was simply not possible to get the job done that way, it required a different method and approach. Consequently, it made no difference how much effort was spent if there weren't positive results, and in the end, folks buying from me was the only proof of hard work that counted.

I thought of that situation today when reading an item by Charlie Spiering in The Washington Examiner on-line stating that in talking to a show host, Chuck Todd on MSNBC, "Obama campaign deputy manager Stephanie Cutter dismissed today's CBS/New York Times poll showing that 67 percent of people believed Obama made his decision on gay marriage for political reasons. Only 24 percent said that Obama did it mostly because he thinks it is right.”

Todd admitted that the methodology of the poll was different, because it was a callback poll, but said "Put those caveats aside that's a lot of people saying that he did this for political reasons," noting that it was a 3-1 margin. Cutler replied that "We can't put the methodology of that poll aside, because the methodology was significantly biased," and that although she didn't want to bore the viewers with talk of methodology, she repeated that she believed the poll was flawed.

As for me, in keeping with today's personal example, I don't think a discussion of what political flunkies say about poll samples being flawed matters at all, it's only people's votes that actually count. And at the moment, although the administration's circling the wagons and spouting all kinds of political pap and gibberish, their brick wall's getting thicker by the minute and their shoulder's wearing out.

That's it for today folks.

Adios

Monday, May 14, 2012

BloggeRhythms 5/14/2012

For those who believe in big government and uncontrolled federal spending, a perfect example of why that can't possibly work can be seen in the latest fiscal news from California.

According to The New York Times on-line, Governor Jerry Brown disclosed in a video posted on YouTube that the state's shortfall was now projected to be $16 billion, up from $9.2 billion in January. He said he'd propose a revised budget on Monday to deal with it, stating, "We are now facing a $16 billion hole, not the $9 billion we thought in January. This means we will have to go much further and make cuts far greater than I asked for at the beginning of the year.”

The budget shortfall increased dramatically in the last six months, forcing state officials to assemble a series of new spending cuts that are likely to mean further reductions to schools, health care and other social programs already battered by nearly five years of budget retrenchment, state officials announced on Saturday.       

At the same time, the deficit projections -which have been increasing since Mr. Brown and the Democratic-controlled Legislature approved a budget last summer- suggest that the state may have been overly optimistic in estimating what kind of revenue it would take in. Even though Mr. Brown, in taking office last year, pledged to end what he said were the tricks lawmakers regularly used to paper over budget shortfalls.

The reason I mention California's dilemma is because the state has been a bastion of taxing and spending for decades, and as such clearly demonstrates that by turning economic principles upside they've broken their own fiscal back. The government employs some thirty percent of the workforce, providing extensive benefits which include significant sums to retirees.

Now, while all of these benefits and perks sound extremely good when promised, in reality they disregard one hugely important question: Where will the money come from to pay for it all? And that's the rub. Because due to egregious taxation, environmental restrictions and over-legislation, most real industry, and therefore tax-revenue employers, have left the state to prosper elsewhere.

So, here we have an actual model of what happens when politicians allow social causes and theory to take precedence over real-world considerations, such as revenue production. And in doing so, not only won't those expectant of huge benefits receive them in the future, they also face losing what they've already gained via legislation, because sooner or later if overly gratuitous laws aren't reversed the state will be totally bankrupt and consequently paying no one at all.

Therefore, the lesson to be learned here is that free rides aren't really possible at all, no matter how convincing politicians may try to appear. And when that fictional bubble bursts, things actually become much worse. Which is why others in the nation have now gotten a very clear picture from California of what to expect for the whole nation if the current administration is elected again. 

That's it for today folks.

Adios

Sunday, May 13, 2012

BloggeRhythms 5/13/2012

I think it says a lot about how miserable things are for Democrats that they have to duck discussion of issues critical to the nation, such as the economy, foreign affairs, their health care legislation debacle, and illegal immigration, among others, because of the horrendous damage they've done to each. And their latest diversion attempt is via the Washington Post trying to paint Mitt Romney as some kind of childish prankster.

And although Romney says he doesn't really remember clipping some fellow high school students hair -which the Post is trying to equate with being some kind of capital crime punishable by withdrawal from the presidential campaign- he readily states that yes, he indeed enjoys practical jokes and likes to have fun when he can.

In that regard he related to Fox News that "We have in our family of course, a number of things that we do like pushing people out of a boat, short sheeting their bed, putting corn flakes in their bed, a lot of jokes and tricks that we play among ourselves,"

He also told a story about a state trooper who once short-sheeted his bed and to retaliate Romney said, the next morning at breakfast he wore a big smile because the trooper was going to see how he reacted. So pretending not to notice, Romney instead wrote up an official-looking letter to himself from the hotel, saying they'd fired the maid due to improper bed-making. Then when the "letter" arrived at his office, his secretary showed it to the state trooper.

The trooper was so upset, his boss told him he had to call the hotel and explain to the manager that he was the one that had done it, not the person they'd fired. And then when the manager had absolutely no idea what the trooper was talking about, the trooper realized the joke was on him. "So, we play tricks even with the people I work with," Romney said.

I mention this today because I think it illustrates that Romney seems like a well-rounded person, comfortable with success and unafraid of tarnishing his image by revealing a human side to his persona. And as for me, I'd much rather have a competent, seasoned executive with a sense of humor as POTUS than an uptight, phony failure whose only objective is deflecting blame to others for his mistakes.

On the other hand, though, when you sum it all up this entire administration's been a joke from the get-go. But unfortunately,  it isn't very funny at all.

That's for today folks.

Adios

Saturday, May 12, 2012

BloggeRhythms 5/12/2012

I had to smile this morning while scanning Bloomberg on-line because of an article that says Eduardo Saverin, billionaire co-founder of  Facebook, Inc. "renounced his U.S. citizenship before an initial public offering that values the social network at as much as $96 billion, a move that may reduce his tax bill."

They say as much as $11.8 billion might be raised through the IPO, biggest in history for an Internet company and Saverin’s stake is about 4 percent, which at the high end of the proposed IPO market capitalization. That would be worth about $3.84 billion, although his holdings aren’t listed in Facebook’s regulatory filings.

I thought it amusing because, to me, it's another glaring example of  how successful and productive people are always targets for the current administration. However, these purely socialist believers never seem able to really catch them. And that's because parasites simply seek out likely sources of sustenance but aren't generally very smart. Because if they were, they'd be able to figure out how to support themselves instead of seeking the blood of others.

Now I grant you that disavowing citizenship is certainly a bit extreme, but it also highlights the fact that the "system" is continually beaten by clever, entrepreneurial types because of their very nature. Therefore, even thousands of government bureaucrats with their basically dim minds, can't devise ways to catch them.

What's more, in another example, which unfortunately is a tragic tale, JP Morgan managed to lose $2 billion at a London trading unit yesterday from derivative trades. And I sense that the reaction to that one will be governmental cries for more laws, more oversight, and more encroachment of every type they can think of.

However, whatever remedies the bureaucrats dream up won't really matter much, if at all. Because while these governmental slugs are organizing committees, and beating this latest event to death in hearings and investigations, other entrepreneurs are out there devising other plans and ideas to hopefully make some money and keep as much as they can before the DC leeches can figure out ways to steal it.

That's it for today folks.

Adios

Friday, May 11, 2012

BloggeRhythms 5/11/2012

As I've been mentioning for the past few weeks, there are no significant issues that the Democrats can mention while campaigning because all the things they've done, legislation-wise, to date have been disastrous mistakes.  And in that regard, it's gotten so bad for their ardent supporters in the media, such as the Washington Post, no less,  that they had to go all the way back to Mitt Romney's high school days to dig up a story about how he led some classmates to help cut an oddball's frilly locks.

According to writer Jason Horowitz, "John Lauber, a soft-spoken new student one year behind Romney at the prestigious Cranbrook School, was perpetually teased for his nonconformity and presumed homosexuality. Now he was walking around the all-boys school with bleached-blond hair that draped over one eye, and Romney wasn’t having it." So he came upon Lauber, tackled him and pinned him to the ground. "As Lauber, his eyes filling with tears, screamed for help, Romney repeatedly clipped his hair with a pair of scissors."

Now, as for myself, I grew up in Manhattan and frankly, attended some pretty prestigious schools myself. I also walked the streets, knew lots of other kids and also played lots of sports on my block, or in gyms and often in Central Park. And although I spent most of my time in pretty nice neighborhoods, kids are kids wherever and whoever they are. And compared to some of the fights, brawls and situations I was in where real hell broke loose over some pretty petty stuff, I'd say that simply clipping some guy's hair isn't worth a whole lot of discussion.

However, the reason I mention the Romney incident today is that when it allegedly took place he was probably sixteen or seventeen years old and obviously has matured quite a bit since then. But if what he did is truly an indication of how he thinks today, I'd much prefer someone who takes a stand and has principles, even if they're perceived as somewhat over the top, than another who panders, whines and weasels rather than stands up. And maybe that's why our nation's running, hiding and quitting all over the globe right now, because the other way takes some guts.

That's for today folks.

Adios

PS. Something didn't occur to me until a few minutes after I finished today's entry. But considering the incumbent's statement yesterday, maybe if he was in Romney's place at school, he'd have proposed marrying the other kid and left his hair alone.

MB

Thursday, May 10, 2012

BloggeRhythms 5/10/2012

I guess the newly elected President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, has reached the same conclusions about America's president as I have. Because Mr. Putin canceled a planned trip to Camp David in the U.S. where he was to have had a private meeting with him.

I suppose Mr. Putin's been reading U.S. polls, paying attention to the miserable presidential decision-making, and likely getting inside information that suggests to him that the incumbent's on his way out after November's election. So why waste the trip?

Mr. Putin must think he can always schedule a visit early next year to meet with Mitt Romney, the likely next president, and I believe he's probably right.

That's it for today folks.

Adios

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

BloggeRhythms 5/9/2012

I never thought much of Democrat strategist, James Carville, because frankly, it seemed to me he always came on as some marginally coherent, yahoo kind of boob. However, I guess he's still revered by his audience and consequently was interviewed on CNN.

In a recap of the interview I found on Drudge, apparently Carville said, "As I go around the country and see various Democrats and talk to them on the phone, honestly I'm beginning to think that we have become the party of Jimmie Davis." He then went on to explain that "A long time ago a great three-time governor of Louisiana, Earl Long, said about Jimmie Davis, the two-time not very good governor of Louisiana, "You couldn't wake up Jimmie Davis with an earthquake."

Carville's concern is that "Democratic fundraisers, activists, supporters, and even politicians alike have somehow collectively lapsed into the sentiment that the president is going to be reelected and that we have a good shot to take the House back while holding the Senate." And to that Carville asks, "What are you smoking? What are you drinking? What are you snorting or just what in the hell are you thinking?" Because he thinks the coming election is far from a cinch for the president to win.

On that score, I agree with him completely, because I certainly don't think the contest will be a slam dunk re-election, and my guess is that incumbent hasn't a prayer of repeating. But I'm mentioning Carville because his take is 180 degrees polar to mine as to why the incumbent will lose.

Because Carville goes on to say that, "You can shoot five Bin Ladens, you can save 10,000 banks and 20 car companies, even pass the most sweeping legislation in modern American history; if people don't think that you are connected to their lives and are fighting for their interests they will vote your tush out of office in a nano-second. For historical reference see Winston Churchill election of 1945 and President George H.W. Bush in 1992."

Now, the way I interpret Carville's meaning, it seems he actually believes the preceding actions of the administration are good things and ought be campaigned upon. However, I think he's totally missed the boat. Because it's expressly those doings that are sinking the administration, and they should.

The shooting of Bin Laden, for example, was the result of efforts begun by "W" Bush and then enacted by hundreds if not thousands of dedicated people. However, the incumbent chose to ignore them and tried to take all the credit for himself. And that ticked off a huge number of voters.

As far as the bailouts go, there are millions more folks who think it was absolutely wrong to save failing businesses with taxpayers money. They believe that those entities should have simply reorganized and fixed their problems themselves without government intervention getting them ff the hook. And there's the more subtle issue, as far as the auto business goes, whereas the Dem supported unions and their pensions contributed greatly to the car-makers demise in the first place.

And in regard to the banking problems, it was the lending to non-creditworthy mortgagees that ultimately took them under which is something forced on them by Democrats like Chris Dodd and the incumbent himself through Project Acorn.

So, as you go down the list of who's responsible for what, I think Mr. Carville ought to back off a bit in his approach and do some homework. Because if the incumbent actually runs on his record, which is even worse that Jimmy Carter's, he's going to lose in the biggest landslide ever seen in a presidential election.

That's it for today folks.

Adios

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

BloggeRhythms 5/8/2012

Apparently, Warren Buffett took some heat at the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting last week. Although not the majority, but several key stockholders questioned the so-called "Buffett Rule" under which the wealthiest Americans would be required to pay higher taxes than at present. Those upset by the rule suggested Buffett keep such thoughts to himself.

Buffett, however, reinforced his belief and said that each year "he compares his tax rate to others in his office, and he routinely pays the lowest rate. They all are in the 30s, and I am in the range of 17%. It's time we look at that."  

The item that caught my eye though, was a comment made by Charlie Munger, Buffett's long-time partner in running Berkshire Hathaway. According to Stephen Gandel, Senior Editor of CNN Money, Munger seemed to somewhat disagree with Buffett on taxes. Because, even though Munger says he is "100% behind the Buffett Rule," he thinks the focus should not just be on taxes, but how government spends its money as well. "We need more sacrifice and we need more sensible ways of spending money."

And there we have it. Because if the irresponsible parasites in DC, especially in the Democrat party, stopped freely spending taxpayer's money without care or thought, the deficit would take care of itself. Therefore, although Warren Buffett, the world's third wealthiest individual, may have no compunction about politicians redistributing portions of his wealth, I think he's completely missing the point. And perhaps he ought to walk next door, or to wherever Mr. Munger's office is, and have his partner explain Democrat economics to him. 

That's it for today folks.

Adios

Monday, May 7, 2012

BloggeRhythms 5/7/2012

Flipping channels last night, I noticed pop singer Pat Boone, who's now a senior citizen, being interviewed on the Huckabee show. The crawler said the subject was health care, so I turned the volume on and found that they were discussing what Boone calls "death panels."

As highlighted prior to the vote on Obamacare last year by Sarah Palin, among others, the panel is actually a 15-member Independent Payments Advisory Board, also known as IPAB, which by itself, without congressional approval, is empowered to dictate what constitutes "necessary care" for those who participate in Medicare.

Boone was irate in presenting his opinion which for him boiled down to 15 people rationing health care for seniors and deciding who was to live or die, which he naturally thinks is outrageous and beyond belief. He went on to say that he's a spokesman for a group called 60 Plus which has 7.1 million members nationwide.

So, in keeping with my recent theme about population segments and groups that have been alienated by the current administration, here's another 7 million folks or so, who likely won't vote for the incumbent again. Because, it seems to me, that would be like like buying a gun and then deciding to shoot yourself with it. And I just can't see senior citizens, of all people, doing something so abjectly stupid to themselves.

That's it for today folks.

Adios

Sunday, May 6, 2012

BloggeRhythms 5/6/2012

A major national news story this week concerned a dying Vietnam veteran, Jerry Meekins, who had to cancel a trip on Spirit Airlines due to his illness. He's getting his money back from the owner personally, despite the company's strict policy of no returned fares whatsoever.

I mention it not so much about the details, but rather for the reason the money's being reimbursed. Because according to Fox News on-line, there was a week of criticism of the airline from veterans around the nation complaining that Mr. Meekins would not receive a refund of his fare. And that's why Spirit's CEO said on Friday afternoon, he'd not only refund Meekins' $197 himself, but the discount carrier would make a $5,000 donation to the Wounded Warrior Project.

Now, I don't know whether or not the airline will now suffer for their original refusal to reimburse the fare due to something like a boycott by veterans, or from other flyer's simply avoiding them as well, but I do believe there's another, much stronger, message demonstrated here. Because I think that if took only a week for a story to become to a big enough black eye for its CEO to acquiesce to media pressure about a $197 ticket, how big will the backlash be for someone who tanked the whole economy of the most successful nation on Earth?

So, what we have here is hard information flashing across the nation in seconds, alerting concerned folks to a poor decision made by an airline, forcing them to reverse their position as gracefully as they're able due to fear of retribution. And if that's as strong an indicator as I think it is that things have changed to the extent that a CEO fears that greatly for business losses, it bodes far more ominously for politicians who rely solely on hot air to get by. Because today, folks want real results and piles of BS simply will no longer cut it at all.

That's it for folks.

Adios

Saturday, May 5, 2012

BloggeRhythms 5/5/2012

Every time I read an article like the one I found this morning, I shake my head in confusion as I wonder what's happened to our nation. Because I never in my life would have dreamt that a president would willfully and purposely disregard the vital needs of huge segments the American population.

However, in an update on the Canadian oil pipeline today from Reuters, the first paragraph says it all: "TransCanada Corp is taking its second shot at asking Washington to approve the contentious Keystone XL oil pipeline, betting that a new route through Nebraska and post-U.S. election time frame for a decision will push the project forward."

So what the pipeline's builders clearly realize is that reason for delaying the project had very little to do with its practical merits, which are extremely beneficial in all, but is purely political pandering to a highly vocal group of environmental extremists. And what's even more outlandish is that as time goes by substantial information from well-credentialed experts disavows the premises raised by these lobbying fanatics.

However, looking at the practical side and how the imported oil would help the nation, and especially it's economics, here are some statistics. Overall 830,000 barrels of crude a day derived from the Alberta oil sands would move to refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast, which are facing declining volumes of oil from traditional suppliers, including Mexico and Venezuela. It would also transport growing supplies from North Dakota's booming Bakken shale oil fields."

Now, without even going into the specific arithmetic involved, but simply speculating about what would likely happen to the market, what would prices likely do if almost a million barrels of additional oil showed up every day? My guess is they'd reverse in a heartbeat and gas would cost about a buck and a half a gallon like it should.

Consequently, in view of the gigantic boost our economy would gain, I truly have to wonder exactly what kind of person would place roadblocks at every junction because his own survival in office outweighs the needs of a population wherein about 15 percent can't even find jobs.

And that brings me to another item in the article I read. The oil company pointed out that 10,000 pages of study from the first review concluded Keystone XL would have minimal impact on the environment, so the application need not be bogged down again. However, the State Department, which will review the situation, because it crosses the international border, noted that the earliest it could make a decision is early 2013.

So I guess what we're seeing here is another proof that there aren't nearly as many unsolvable issues bogging our economy down as touted, but instead an administration whose major intent is to insure as best they can that recovery doesn't quickly happen, if at all. Because it knows that it's major constituents, the hopeless and dependent, might not show as much support if the economy turned around and they were forced to go to work.

That's it for today folks.

Adios

Friday, May 4, 2012

BloggeRhythms 5/4/2012

Since so much of the news each day concerns the coming presidential election, I've been devoting considerable blog-space to the subject, especially because the bulk of what I read doesn't seem to make very much sense. And that's certainly true today.

For example, many articles now highlight the massive effort by the president's campaign to personally malign and defame Mitt Romney. However, most of what's said seems quite childish to me and certainly beneath the standards of someone who's supposed to conduct himself as the world's most important leader. Nonetheless, the "Commander in Chief" seems content reacting like a street thug with no real substance to his cheap shots and jibes whatsoever. And I guess that's actually an attempt to take voter's eyes off the realities of how badly the nation's conditions become under his watch.

Just this morning, according to Bloomberg on-line, "American employers added fewer workers than forecast in April and the jobless rate unexpectedly fell as people left the labor force, adding to concern the economic expansion is cooling. Payrolls climbed 115,000, the smallest gain in six months. The median estimate of 85 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News called for a 160,000 advance."

But the most interesting to me continues to be the blatant politicizing of the nation's economic problems. Because as I keep repeating in my entry's, the woes aren't even hard to fix. However, the incumbent prefers letting the economy continue to sink than adopting any policy seeming  to even remotely resemble any ideas from his rivals. And that's his major dilemma, because economy-wise his party's hopeless, and as history shows, always has been.

Then again, what's even more perplexing is that the one's being hurt most by the incumbent's insistence on staying a failed economic course are those who make up the base of his party. Because while businesses that provide the nation's lifeblood are quickly adapting to the dismal conditions and cutting their costs, including hiring less people, the administration's covering the shortfall with debt.

However, so much leverage's been added by the continual borrowing, there will soon come a time when the nation will either exhaust its avenues of credit, or worse, be forced to default. And that means that not only have the policies failed, but every citizen will individually help pay the price.

And, here again, the folks running successful businesses will survive as always, but conditions for the jobless, the under-educated and illegals will grow far worse. And since these groups make up the core of the incumbent's constituency, he's economically killing off those he loves most. And I guess, you really cant do anything dumber politically than that.

That's it for today folks.

Adios