Posts Tagged ‘economy’

A sin offering

Posted: February 6, 2009 by datechguy in catholic, employment, personal
Tags: , ,

I must confess I’m getting kinda antsy being home. December had Christmas and the ice storm to keep me busy. January had the open house and the College search. Now Feburary is here. The boy has picked has almost finalized his choice. (I think Das Full Boat has it) the house is empty and I find my mind turning toward the lack of success in my job hunt.

It’s a depressing situation, my lot is shared by an awful lot of people these days and its perfectly normal to worry. It is not however healthy or normal to let these worries overwhelm you.

I’m sure there are things I can improve and I’ll be taking those measures as I can but that doesn’t lesson the feelings that come up. That has to still be dealt with in some ways.

If you are Catholic then might I suggest a solution. When this is getting you down offer a small prayer set (Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be) and close by offering your feelings as a sacrifice your sins yours and others, and maybe for the souls in Purgatory too.

This turns the source of weakness into a source of spiritual strength and sticks it to the other side that wants you discouraged and depressed and inactive.

Even if you are weak in faith or not Catholic it certainly can’t hurt. If we have to deal with bad times lets use them to humanity’s advantage.

The unions like it

Posted: February 6, 2009 by datechguy in opinion/news
Tags: , ,

My wife’s union got a call from her union urging her to call our senators to support the “stimulus” bill. As our Senator’s are Kennedy and Kerry that would be a waste of time as they would support this president if it was a bill to declare English Muffins a war crime, even if she was inclined to support the bill (she’s not).

That is also why I haven’t called since it would be a waste of time in Massachusetts. I’ll do it with my congressman Olver since it is the least liberal district in the state (which isn’t saying much) and from meeting him a nice guy.

This is in my opinion a really lousy bill. It’s not as bad a first move as Clinton’s don’t ask don’t tell goes but its going to be a bad hit for him. Hopefully it will bring him down to earth. The speed of the bill suggests it. And unlike the Patriot act potentially tens of thousands of life are not in immediate danger. And if you think they are, talk to some depression era people about what hard times actually are.

Morning Joe not very interesting today

Posted: February 6, 2009 by datechguy in opinion/news
Tags: ,

Been watching since 6:30 and just not finding anything worth blogging on it so far.

6:59 a.m. It’s pretty bad when the only thing to talk about is “Drag Queen robs Burger King” But you can’t get a hit every time at bat.

7:01 a.m. Still talking the baby it was cute and she did glow when holding it. It still brings a smile to my face. As my kids are nearing the end of their teen years I’m strongly regretting not having a 3rd.

7:05 a.m. Obama could sign a winner with republicans and democrats. I still maintain that if the democrats thought this would work they would call for the vote and let Republicans take the hit for either filibustering it or voting against it.

7:07 a.m. That was a very acquired laugh by Mika interviewing the Cole’s captain.

7:10 a.m. Joe is going a little loud on it. Commander Lippold shows how calm and cool is. He doesn’t like this.

7:12 a.m. I do think this is a little disingenuous since this guy is not going to be let go.

7:15 a.m. I love that this show isn’t afraid to have a guest who will challenge liberal orthodoxy.

7:26 a.m. Mika: What is the rush if its going to be bad?

7:41 a.m. These guys just love that Obama says I screwed up. Pat does point out that the vetters are responsible, but I say that the fact that stuff like this wouldn’t have been considered a problem says a lot about the way these guys think.

7:54 a.m. Confessions of a Shopaholic. blah blah blah YAWN!

7:56 a.m. All about confidence says Woodward. He’s right about that.

8:08 a.m. Krugman we are nitpicking on this bill. Obama should go on the offensive on the bill.

8:12 a.m. Krugman seems to think that all president Bush did was cut taxes wasn’t there a ton of spending? Re-writes the history of the Reagan years. Has a point about the fed though.

8:15 a.m. The 90’s was gridlock not corporation, hey maybe that means we should do nothing. Krugman thinks doing nothing is horrible, that’s confirms my opinion.

8:29 a.m. Chris Matthews needs to be on Morning Joe more often, it seems to bring him back to sanity. Says he needs to explain what the bill does and why.

8:31 a.m. Dump stimulus it sounds like a porn ad. I think that the great talking bit is lessened without a teleprompter.

8:40 a.m. Matthews seems to have crowned Susan Collins as kingmaker. Maine votes like people from Maine, looking for deeper meaning in her victory this year is just wrong.

8:43 a.m. Barnicle must have seen this ad from Reason:

8:51 a.m. More Mika and the baby I expect this judge to get angry.

Morning Joe From the start

Posted: February 5, 2009 by datechguy in opinion/news
Tags: ,

Up early today right from the start.

6:01 a.m. Obama defending the bill. Joe is worried that neither side really doesn’t have a clue.

6:02 a.m. Barnicle All the other stuff is for later do the financial stuff first.

6:03 a.m. Scarborough is quoting the Limbaugh plan favorably on MSNBC. Olberman and Maddow will soon go Kryten.

6:08 a.m. Barnicle should be talking up Dunkin Donuts not Starbucks.

6:09 a.m. Shock Shocked I’m shocked that a Nazi war Criminal might have been hiding in an Arab country for decades. Who would have thought it. (this deserves its own post and will get it.)

6:10 a.m. Hate to say it but I think Joe’s question concerning an abortion connection is not an invalid one. And in case people haven’t figured it out you can’t be doing this stuff while claiming the mantle of Christianity. See Brown, John and the slavery issue.

6:14 a.m. Joe points out the Ponzi scheme nature of Social Security, in fairness to the congress that passed it at the time we weren’t killing our kids and large families were not only the norm but had always been the norm. The idea that this would change would have occurred less to people of the 30’s then gay marriage and the removal of prayer in schools.

6:31 a.m. Dionne is commenting that no president can walk on water, is this a new revelation to the press. Who wants to bet that the press will claim credit if this bill fails and uses it as an example of them “standing up” to the new president?

6:36 a.m. This is a guy who never once had to make payroll, and neither have a lot of these guys.

6:41 a.m. The president’s oped is really getting trashed here, Mika is trying to give him a little slack.

6:42 a.m. These guys think Larry Summers is God, I know of one blogger who would disagree.

6:52. a.m. Isn’t that the same name as the Springfield team on the Simpsons?

6:54 a.m. Madoff stole from Sandy Koufax, that’s where we draw the line.

6:57 a.m. I’ve always hated the baby investor commercials. I suspect he was in charge of it all.

6:59 a.m. Judd v Palin advantage Palin.

7:03 a.m. Barnicle has fun with full exposure.

7:08 a.m. They are talking about the parallels between the pressure for the bill and Going into Iraq. That’s very unfair. “The Rush to War in Iraq” canard is an insult to history and to anyone who actually paid attention at the time.

7:24 a.m. Is executive pay congress’ business? Sen Welch Reed “Tax Payers are now high equity investors” I think he has a very good point. If are shareholders he have a vote. This is why these business’ shouldn’t have been in a rush to take government money.

7:26 a.m. He is focusing on the unemployment extension when asked why the bill should be voted on. Why not just pass that alone says I?

7:27 a.m. Joe: This bill doesn’t follow the gospel of Summers. Welch Reed: “Yes it does” Joe: “No it doesn’t” Welch Reed: “Yes it does.”

7:29 a.m. It’s all the fault of tax cuts that we are in this mess in the first place. It’s all Bush’s fault.

7:31 a.m. A question on Afghanistan and a solid answer remembering Pakistan.

7:35 a.m. Joe’s example is excellent but it inadvertently reveals a truth concerning men. RedSox with Joe or Mickey D’s with Mika? I think Mika wins that one. It is instinct. If it was Joe and Willy then Joe’s point would carry. Men like being with beautiful women even if there is nothing going on.

7:40 a.m. Jack Welsh: “Revenge is a bad [economic] strategy.”

7:42 a.m. Leave the pork in the 3rd bucket, focus on real stimulus. Get a bill that creates jobs. Energy and healthcare is stimulus and the safety net.

7:44 a.m. Explains mark to market. This is very important to understand. Capital has to be put against uncertain assets. They couldn’t loan the money they had to restore the balance sheet.

7:46 a.m. Forcing Fannie & Freddy to loan is a big part of the problem.

7:48 a.m. Don’t give the content away screams Joe, screw the kids. Welsh: They have to monetize the web but we can’t see how.

7:54 a.m. We need to have an informed public for a democracy. This is a joke coming from someone from Time Magazine, the New York Times, Washington post etc. If they actually REPORTED and did their job of reporting instead of advocating what they want and burrying what they don’t want to report then it would be different.

8:07 a.m. Jane Harmon for CIA chief!

8:12 a.m. The difference between S&L is we took over banks as failed banks and sold assets at .20 on the dollar. A lot of us got rich on it. The problem is these banks are too big to do the same.

8:14 a.m. None of the banks in trouble are hiring ANYONE say Jack Welsh.

8:22 a.m. “I don’t need you to tell me you hate fraud.” He wasn’t necessarily wrong.

8:24 a.m. Mika: “I wonder if Bernie Madoff really meant to hurt anyone?” Me: “Ketchup you want ketchup on lobster? BOOM!

8:28 a.m. Jack Welsh: “Is he going to get a better bill?” Todd: “He has to modify it to get the most conservative democrats on board.”

8:29 a.m. Most powerful speaker since Rayburn says Joe? Bull. Tip O’Neil was more powerful because he dealt with the people below him from a position of trust.

8:30 a.m. Chuck Todd: “I think the house republicans don’t matter. I don’t think Joe and Jane in Missouri are counting if he gets house republicans.”

8:32 a.m. Joe gives them a history lesson circa 1994.

8:34 a.m. Is it just me or has everyone forgotten that 11 dems voted against this bill too?

8:35 a.m. Jack is at the web chat, Erin Burnett is giving the job report (it’s bad) and Sen Webb is due to come one for real this time.

8:39 a.m. From the web chat:

[Comment From Jim Thompson]
“Buy America”, how do you feel about this?

Jack Welch: Good morning Jim. I think it’s a disaster, we went through this with Smoot-Haley in the 30s and it reduced global trade by two-thirds in 24 months

8:41 a.m. Mika’s got a baby in hand and like all women I’ve ever seen just glows when she is holding a child, my wife is the same way.

8:43 a.m. The live comments are taking over from the pre-sent questions in the chat.

8:44 a.m. Webb is trying to get a group together for compromise on the bill.

8:52 a.m. The Bale outburst hides the fact that time is money on the set.

8:58 a.m. Courtney has the baby and can’t think of anything else.

9:07 a.m. Stayed for Willie Geist’s chat question asked by me:

Hi Willie: One of the things I notice about the show is that you guys seem to have a lot of fun and not take each other too seriously but aren’t afraid to say what you think. Would you say that is the secret of the show’s success?

full disclosure asked a question under my name, under guest and Under the blogs name.

Willie Geist: Peter, thanks for the question. You’re right that we don’t take ourselves very seriously. We take the news and our guests very seriously, but you won’t ever catch us saying we’re “Keeping Them Honest” or that we’re “On Your Side”. Better to just keep people honest and be on your side without announcing that you’re keeping them honest and being on your side, you know?

9:14 a.m. My cunning plan to sneak in a 2nd question by not using my name has succeeded!

[Comment From Guest]
MSNBC is considered a very liberal network . Yet your show is very appealing to conservatives like me. How do you manage it?

Willie Geist: Good question about MSNBC. I can tell you with a straight face that we really have no agenda on Morning Joe. Joe is as tough on Republicans as he is on Democrats. I have no dog in the fight – I just like calling people out when the act like fools. And, yes, Mika does own a Barack Obama cheerleader outfit, but she can be unbiased sometimes. Being predictable doesn’t strike me as very interesting.