Opening Stuff:
The Last Tids of the year...man where does the time go. Frankly, as I get older the time is so fleeting that I've stopped taking vacations because I seem to be coming home before I remember getting there. It was kind of a lost year in the big picture department. A year of economic survival struggles, and incredible political malfeasance. Frankly I had a good year, because I don't measure years the way I did years ago. I woke up, my mind worked, and the gravy was rich and creamy! Life is so easy when you cut away the clutter.
The nations economists have spoken and for them it's Romney over Obama. In a study of 36 leading US economists, 1/2 said O's economic policies were "Fair" and 13 (36%) said they were "Poor". 5 said "Good" and none said "Excellent". The economists tended to classify Romney as a technocrat as opposed to the typical political ideologues running for President. He has done things, accomplished things they opine. As for the economy in general, the group is thinking a higher GDP growth rate for 2012, about 2.5 vs. under 2 for 2011, but...they see little improvement in unemployment numbers. The stagnation nation continues to stumble along under the weight of an decreasingly suffocating government bureaucracy. But the will of the people is always there, hopefully more will see the light.
Jim Brown is still the best NFL runner ever.
The Question:
Friday Bonus: 1. Which two former TV Morning show hosts have their birthday on the same day 12/30? Which one is older? 2. In your mind, what was the biggest event of 2011?The Headlines:
--Last Day Of Trading For Year Could Be Flat.--Spain Warns Budget Deficit Much Greater Than Anticipated.
--Ford Sales Top 2 Million Cars For First Time Since 2007.
--China Factories Slowing Down; Country Expected To Institute Pro-Growth Policies.
--Congress Frees Up $40 Million In Aid For Palestine.
--NK's First Post Death Message to Outside World: "...Confrontational Stance Against South Korea Will Not Change."; Rogue Countries Labels Opponents as "Foolish".
--With Arab League Observers Present, Syria Protestors Emboldened; 10 Shot As 100's Of Thousands Take To Streets.
--Spain Warns Budget Deficit Much Greater Than Anticipated..
--NK's Nuke And Missile Maker Guy Expected To Play Big Role In New Regime.
--Repubs Step Up Rhetoric During Last Days Before Iowa Caucus.
Is Verizon becoming so arrogant and insensitive to customers that it is about ready to pull a Netflix? The big wireless company just instituted a new charge, a small charge, but when it is a charge to a customer "For paying their bills", then it hits consumers in the gut. Yes the world is increasingly whacko, and consumers have had it. Too much spaghetti thrown against the wall is sticking.
There is nothing that bores me more than some TV personality talking about the healthy foods he or she eats. Have you ever noticed that people who eat scrambled egg whites look like the walking dead?
One man's opinion of the Top Ten Movies for 2011 has it this way: The Artist, Midnight in Paris, The Adventures of Tintin, The Help, Sarah's Key, War Horse, Moneyball, The Descendants, 50/50 and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I've seen two of those Sarah's Key (An Ok movie of the type Critics typically score high) and The Descendants (Highly overrated in my mind.). Of the rest, I would go to Midnight..., Moneyball, 50/50 and maybe Girl with... (I've seen the Swedish version and liked it). This same critic also listed some favorite 2011 "almosts" like Harry Potter, Source Code, Drive, Margin Call, J. Edgar, My Week with MM, the really awful Bridesmaids and the really good Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
Did you ever look at the rather bland Matt Lauer and wonder how he got to where he did?
My hope for 2012 is that more and more people learn that it isn't what you get from the government but it's what your contribute to the success of the country that counts. There are just too many people who come from generations where getting is the only thing they know. Not realizing that the greatness of USA past was based on the vast opportunities for self achievement that are always available in a free country. Too many think that "freedom" means they can do anything they want. "Hey buddy, its a free country". "That's great, but get your car off my front yard anyhow."
I wonder if Harry Potter uses the Sorcerer's Code?
The USPS has been given a bad rap, especially by all of these cheap pundits piling on, kicking this past vital part of America when it's down. The fact remains that the USPS package delivery program was cheaper and just as effective as the touted FedEx and UPS services. I guess people just thought anything under the government couldn't be that good, not realizing that the PO was a private, separated entity. The point of all this is that we will always have to live with the smug elite who contribute nothing and are only concerned about tearing down efforts of people of whom they will never understand. The Post Office coulda bin a winner.
A consortium of university researchers have finally concluded that there is only way to stop having hangovers -- "Don't Drink". Yup, after years of research and probably after millions of federal Grants of taxpayer dollars, that's it! Don't drink. Simple.
Yesterday the apps for unemployment bennies went up, but so did the stock market. The Clueless decided disregard the new number to take the news that the four month average was better than it had been. They could have pumped the market either way depending upon which of the glass half full or half empty view of the same news. So someone must have decided it's a day for an uptick. On a daily basis, the market is more about gamesmanship. Unless there is a financial catastrophe, the market ois in the hands of of the manipulators who use news.
Brazil has become the world's leading country in the development of energy resources and can compete with any industrialized nation in the world. China and India are the growth countries of the era. Meanwhile the US, Europe and Japan, the historic leaders in economic growth, are stagnant. Can you say fall of the Roman empire?
Almost Near: Chapter 56. --"It's been years since the deaths of your parents, but since your arrival here I have been going back into the files about the case." Sparrow was looking kindly at this woman in front of him. A woman he couldn't quite figure, but one who intrigued him. It wasn't that she was a pathetic figure, because she certainly wasn't that at all. It was the confusion in her face that tore at his heart. She seems like a woman who wants to love, but has found it difficult throughout her life. But what could he, a simple country detective no about such matters of the heart. Except that detectives feel things, have sense that mere mortals don't. He smiled to himself. "So, I came up with something that looks very interesting." Samantha's head looked up, her eyes brightened.
"It appears that while investigating your dad's disappearance not long after your mom's suicide, we heard from neighbors and couple of main street businesses a similar tale. It was about a man asking questions about your parents. They really didn't rememeber him well enough for a description, but we found it significant that several told the same story."
"They didn't remember him at all. No name. Nothin?"
"Only that he was a decent looking guy, dressed well but casually." He looked at her trying to imagine something in the air. "So this morning I asked one of my guys to ask around some more. To press a little. At the time we didn't, because, frankly the suicide looked like a suicide, and your Dad was grief stricken, from a cops perspective, in a proper way. Maybe we should have looked deeper after your dad went missing. Maybe he heard about a guy nosin' around and was afraid of him.
The Answer:
1. Meridith Viera and Matt Lauer were born on the same day, although Meridith three years earlier than Matt. 2. I think the catastrophic effects from the huge Japan earthquake were the most startling...just above the incomprehensible collapse of the Boston Red Sox.Happy New Year Everybody. May it end with another ex-President writing is memoirs. May it be on of love, excitement and happiness for you all.
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