My new title

I will now require everyone to call me professor.  Only some people will understand this.  Those of you who don’t send me some money or a job and I will tell you why.  Also, I am testing out Windows Live Writer with IE8.  Microsoft is clearly learning how to do things from Google.

I return...Triumphant!

It has been a really busy couple of weeks (thus the lack of posts!), but things are settling down now.
Catch up Summary: Christmas was great. New Year's was great (in bed by 10:00. PERFECT.). Returning to work wasn't so great. Isaac is working lots, but doesn't have to go to school for another couple of weeks. So jealous!
That's it. Nothing exciting. Nothing special. Maybe the return wasn't so triumphant after all...

Wait A Minute . . .

I would just like to say that I post stuff that is meant to spark conversion and insight into peoples lives and there are no comments. I may not be as grammatically correct has Erin but I try to get my point across. Erin posts about her lack of self image and the whole world comes out of the wood work and posts comments. What is up with that?

Why There Is No Hope For the "Bailout" Package

My explanation for the failure of the "bailout" law/package is simple, welfare doesn't work. Have we not realized that just giving money to irresponsible people hasn't and won't work. Just look at the bailout/welfare program that the government refuse to change. We have been giving money to people with basically no strings attached for years and not helping them to make better life choices so that they don't need welfare money anymore for their paycheck. Welfare recipients are now dependent on that money. There is no incentive for them to actually go out and get a job or to stop having kids so that they can get more money each month. The same thing is now happening with the various financial institutions throughout the country. They are all now making claims for why they deserve the free money. There are no restrictions on the money that is being handed out. There is no incentive or reason for these companies to change there ways and do what needs to be done to get themselves out of the hole they put themselves into. AIG is having another retreat here in Arizona for there people. The resort is saying that the room bill will be something like $200,000 or more. I am sorry but this is the 21st century use a new invention called a telephone or even a little fancier, video conferencing, to "train" your employees to lose more money. Just look at GM they were bailed out once and now they want to be bailed out again. They haven't changed their business practice at all to make sure they don't need any assistance, they have become reliant on the government to come in every time they are stupid and give them money. Instead of being like Toyota and making cars that are good and what people want they just sat back and relied on old people to buy the newest model of what they have been driving for years.
On a similar venting topic, why spreading the wealth is also a bad idea. Don't get me wrong I think everyone should have the basics of life but not if it means I have to work harder so that others don't. My favorite bumper sticker that I saw in Kansas was "Work harder, welfare people depend on it". We need to start changing our mentality from handout society to one that has a proven track record of success, helping hand. Think of it this way if we are spreading the wealth and just giving away services then the law of gravity takes affect and people can climb out of there current problems. Instead if we gave people a hand by educating and training them to be self sustaining then we can bring them up out of their situation instead of them dragging the ones that have had success down. We are always talking now about building more sustainable buildings, well not help make people more sustainable as well. Lifting people up the ladder to were you are is safer than climbing down.

Questions I Would Liked Answered

For a long time I have had a list of questions I have wanted to ask, so to speed up the process of getting answers to these questions, I thought I would have the world take a shot at answering them.
My first question that is Why do we need hate crime task forces, hate crime laws, or other such things? Has anyone had a crime committed against them by someone who actually liked them. By definition, isnt' all crime a 'hate' crime? Isn't it a little unjust to say some crimes are worse than others? I could be crazy, but to me the phrase hate crime is more of a political catch phrase than anything. Politicians push these type of initiatives to make it look like they are doing something really important for the people when in reality it is redundant work.
This is my first of many questions that I would like answered. More to come in the coming days and weeks.

Why Is the American Media So Dumb?

I am grateful that I have classes at night so that I don't have to listen or watch the news or the pointless debates. Don't get me wrong; the political process is important, but here is my point: I am tired of hearing about what either candidate for president will "do" and how they each will magically solve the "economic crisis". Last I checked neither of them, regardless of who wins the election, can make any laws. I believe it was in fourth grade that I learned that there are three branches of government and the president belongs to the one that carries out or executes the laws that Congress legislates. I am sorry people, but neither of the candidates can actually do anything they say they will do. Congress decides what the tax laws are; they decide how much banks can be regulated, and so forth. And, we have all seen how well that has worked out. Thank you, Nancy Pelosi for doing all the great things you promised to do with the Democratic Congress. In reality, last I checked, she has done nothing but investigate baseball steroids. So, I have decided, I will vote for the first person who says, "If Congress passes such and such type legislation this is why I would or would not sign the bill." That would be an intelligent candidate and I wouldn't care what party they belong to because they would be smarter than anyone we have running now.
And, to place blame where it is due; the media are supposed to report on this stuff and, unfortunately, they are the ones "educating" people and doing a very poor job at it. The news can report about each candidate's economic packages all they want but the president doesn't decide that stuff Congress does! And, well, we all know how well Congress works; they've even created loop holes in the "bail out" package to CEO's for being greedy! Congress has allowed CEO's to run their companies and banks into the ground and come out with multiple millions of dollars. Why doesn't anyone report that?

What Credit Crisis?

I don't know why everyone thinks there is a credit crisis and the economy is in trouble. You might think I have been in a cave without my wireless internet but I haven't. Citi Bank thinks that we are worthy enough for a $50,000 credit limit. Maybe I am crazy, but if the banks don't have any money why are they wanting to give me $50,000 dollars? So, while everyone is crying and complaining this weekend about how the economy is in ruin, I just might help it out and buy myself a new car with my $50,000 credit limit from Citi Bank. Oh, and did I mention USAA will give us $50,000 as well. They will even deliver the car to us I don't even have to leave my house to buy a car. I think maybe this is why the banks are failing. They are willing to give money to people and not worry about us being able to pay it back.

Thank You to All the Greedy People

I would like to just give a shout out and say thank you to all the wonderful, kind hearted and GREEDY people out there. Why, you ask? For one thing they have helped to bring down the cost of homes so that the prices reflect their actual value, instead of the inflated prices everyone bought them for. I might take that job I always wanted in California, although, probably not. I would just like to ask, who thinks to themselves, "Well, I don't need the bigger house that the real estate person says I should get and, well, that does sound expensive but, what the heck! I will buy the $400,000 house anyway."?! Those are the people who got us into this mess!
I get, at least once a month, a note from banks saying they will give me a credit card with a $20,000 credit limit. But hello,people, that DOESN'T mean I should go out and buy $20,000 worth of stuff on credit, that I won't be able to pay back. In this economic crisis, we shouldn't be blaming the banks we need to be blaming our own greed. We are supposed to be adults! The old saying "My brother made me do it!" doesn't work. Yes, the banks were dumb to loan money they didn't have while thinking that the more they lent out the more they would get back. But, still! Just because the salesman/banker says "Go ahead and get the bigger house, boat, or car!" doesn't mean you should. It is time to be adults and make your own choices.
Also, why is it always the government's fault when things go bad? I thought in America we had the freedom of choice in regards to what we do with our money and how we spend it. Maybe I just missed that day in civics class. And, if people REALLY want to go with the "lets pass the buck" mentality, and blame the government, they should realize that the Democrats have been in charge for the past two years! Isn't that when everything started going south? They were the ones in charge of all these committees and oversight hearings. What have they been doing?! Oh, that's right! They've been too busy having Congressional hearings over steroid use in baseball to spend time addressing the economic concerns they claim they have had for years!

I Guess That Makes Me the Campaign Manager

Since Erin, I mean Madam Future President Montague, has turned this into a political, I mean venting, blog for at least the next month or so, I thought I would "throw my hat in the ring". My thought for today is: Why should the federal government step in and help out Michigan and the American auto industry? They shouldn't. Why, you ask? Because it was there own #$% fault for not being like the foreign car companies and realizing that people don't want gas guzzling, poorly built, expensive cars. Hello FORD you have relied on your F-150 for too long and waited too long to change with the times. Not to mention the Focus, or, as I called it on my mission, the "weekly recall". I guess the car companies were just following our lead and letting someone else do their work for them.
There is a presidential candidate out there who is getting votes by appealing to out-of-work former factory workers, saying that the government will bring their jobs back to them! I am no economist, but aren't the companies' to blame for not running their business competitively to keep up with the competition? The government stepping in isn't going to solve a problem of bad management.
Also, News flash! A lot of the foreign car companies have plants in the US, so you can't use the outsourcing bit on this one. Also, as Erin can point out to you in more detail, we have moved on from a factory based economy. Factories are so 1800's! It is time for "Change". Not the same old jobs but higher paying ones!
This is my venting and I am sticking to it.

That Time of Year Again

Hey everyone who wants to go to the balloon fiesta in Albuquerque. It is more than a festival it is a fiesta. I know it is short notice but what the "heck". It is Oct. 4 and 5. No one has church meetings because it is conference weekend. Some of us out there haven't been to it in a long time but still remember good old Mr. Peanut balloon. They have updated the balloons from 20 years ago. Also, some of you may remember getting up nice and early for the morning events and also the always fun "After Glow" in the evening. All, I ask is that no one get lost this time if you come. Let me know via email. (Notice the Energizer Bunny being blown up behind Darthvader)

Quick Observation

As a geographer and someone who has a "Y" chromosome, I have a bit more spatial and overall observation skills than usual. If you don't believe me, read some of the studies on spatial observation-apparently men and geographers are especially gifted in this area. Before I get to far, I should explain why I was thinking about this.
Erin got a new toy this past week; a wireless router. Now, she can sit on the couch and "do stuff for work". This is the female code phrase for look at blogs (my previous post will help new readers to begin to understand my philosophy on the blog). Anyway, as Erin was "working" I was pondering on the blogging world again-mostly because Wipe Out was over and there was nothing else on.
This is what I observed: People have set-up millions of blogs so their loved ones and friends can easily see what is going on in their lives. My interesting observation was that many people write a blog entry, then people call the people who read the blog to find out if their friends and family saw what was on the blog. Question: Why do you have the blog if you are just going to call people to see if they saw what was on the blog? This seems counter intuitive to me. So there.
Well, don't forget to tell all your friends about this blog. The more the merrier. Yes, I am begging for more visitors.

Why Is Blogging So Fun

I have watched Erin type away every night and looking at other "blogs" like people standing in line reading the magazine covers hoping that the worlds largest cat is really real. Not being much of a fan of reading or typing I can't understand the point of blogging. Then has I have hacked my way into this blog thing I have read for the first time what I have been up to for the past few months. It is interesting to read about your life through someone else's eyes. Recently I have heard that people get paid to do this. So, since I do have a few energy efficient light bulbs in my head I thought not a bad idea. Now that you have read this thing I would request that you send me a "donation" for my thoughts that is if you want to hear more. By the way I still don't get the fascination with blogging. For people like me it physically hurts to type and I would rather talk than type.