In answer to mine own rhetorical question, probably not, but for the purposes of this post - they will!
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Just a brief commentary on the state of the world...
The United States is Insolvent
The Top Ten Stories You Missed in 2006
If those two articles don't make you want to either move out of the US entirely, or at least scream at the federal government, then you must be dead. Well, to be fair, the other possibility is that you don't fully understand some of the finer points of fiscal responsibility and economics. I'm no expert, but I know enough to get by, and this kind of stuff just burns me up.
Essentially, think of it like this: while a few government agencies attempt to crack down on predatory lending practices by banks and credit companies that are fueling the ability of Americans to live above their means by racking up insurmountable debt, the government itself is living so far above it's means that expenditures and debt total up to 400% of the entire country's market value (value of all goods/services produced == theoretical "national income"). Then, to top it all off, while they are burning money like it's going out of style, they gloss over arms races and foreign dealings in order to push other foreign policy agendas. Personally, I don't care what the president might have to say over the next 2 years... the actions of the US government over the past 6 years have not made the American public safer or more secure -- especially fiscally. We have more enemies, and upcoming generations have a very bleak economic future. If future candidates want my vote, they better have more than just words when it comes to environmental, fiscal, political, and foreign policy reform.
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On a more upbeat note --- Merry Christmas! I hope that you have a safe and happy holiday spending time with loved ones. While I recognize that for Christians this time of year represents a celebration of the birth of Jesus, I also would encourage you to look at this time of year as a time to focus on family, friends, and lending a hand to those less fortunate than ourselves. My wife and I decided that if we were going to go broke during Christmas, it was going to be because we poured extra money into local charitable giving efforts.
Unless something jumps up... see you next year! Cheers!
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Work is keeping me busy, but I'll be back blogging with something in a day or two, or three... basically, hang tight!
In the interim, sometimes I wonder if there is something fundamentally wrong with American society and morals. Check out this story about one guy's Black Friday Nintendo Wii story.
Now, I saw all the news about the Playstation 3 and the violence that ensued with its release. Believe me, that made me question some people's sanity. I could never see myself standing in line overnight to purchase electronics, I don't need them that badly; let alone robbing someone at gun point, or beating them up and stealing $600 worth of electronics from them. However, I think the story above is even worse, this woman had the gall to prey upon someone's generous nature in order to cheat someone else out of money! The Nintendo Wii had the fortune of being a video game console that did not suffer from the ills of violence and extortion upon release, until I read this story. I honestly think that place like eBay should start cracking down on this kind of predatory auctioning of newly released, high demand consumer products -- especially leading up to a holiday that should be about generosity, family, and love (yes, I know, and Jesus). However, since I know that eBay will never do such a thing, I would hope that at least people would let go of the greed and violence... it is after all, just a video game.
I debated about jumping on the trend after I saw last year's debacle with the Xbox360, but I didn't; I'm just not that kind of guy. Plus, I don't think it helps the situation... companies get free press from these situations (the old, there's no such thing as bad press), and it promotes instant gratification at any cost. Am I interested in the Nintendo Wii, yes; am I willing to wait until they are actually available from any store on any given day if I buy one, yes.
Enough ranting... more on spiritual stuff later.
