Pumps' Perplexities

I try to stay away from political thought but here
is my opinion on this mess......

On one side of the problem you have the olde
Democratic politicians that have ruled with
their "power" when they chose to use it.....

Now you have the "Clinton Political Machine"
in full battle mode in their attempt to get
re-elected President of the United States for
at least the next 4 years......

I believe that if the Clinton's win the election
the "olde" democrats will either lose their
power or be subjugated to the "will of the
Clintons".......

Let's face it, any "Great Olde Fart" of an
United States senator just HATES TO LOSE
POWER......Therefore, Kennedy and Leahy have
been the first to stick their necks out in support
of Obama, which they can "guide"......There
is no way the Clintons will accept any of their
"guidance"......

Let's face it.....No one running for the President
of the United States really cares about
the country.....It is all about POWER......Pumps

The newspapers of the day are full of stories of
large banking corporations and home owners
which are effected by the down turn in the
United States housing market......Everybody
has a tale of woe......

No one is mentioning the fact that the "local
governments" are making a killing on the
market "downturn".....In the past 6 years the
housing assessments, and therefore the taxes,
have increased some 75%.......

So it seems that anyone who was frugal and
survived any monetary loss is now getting "hit"
right in the "chops" with an additional tax
burden........I guess you can not "win for losing",
as they say.....Pumps

Don't you just love this.....After a 31 year old
Frenchman defrauds a bank of $7.1 US million
a guy by the name of Christian Noyer on
French radio says, "If there hadn't been a
collap0se in the (stock) markets earlier in
the week , the size of loss would have been
smaller".......

Am I missing something?.......Is there someone
in France saying that if it where not for
the American Stock Market, one of their
own" would have stolen LESS?.......Pumps

When the New York Stock Exchange opened its
doors, last Monday, to start business of "trading",
the rest of the world had decided to take money
out......There was an immediate plunge in
prices of some $400 US dollars.....

On Wednesday the price value was initially
minus $300.....It regained the $300 and then
went plus $300 before the "closing bell" rang.....

For three days this week all the big financial
brains have blamed the instability on the American
"market".......It does have some problems, BUT...

On the fourth day, it appears that a
Frenchman has committed a bank fraud on the
second largest bank in France to the total of
7 BILLION US dollars......(I think 5.6 BILLION
euros).......

I believe that the "big inside banking guys"
knew of this fraud for some time and it was
not some poor "schlep" not being able to pay
his mortgage that cause all the stock market
problems.......Pumps

It seems that there are a lot of Internet Web
Cameras in use today.........Some are used
for weather and others for advertising, such
as a beach or resort......

What really annoys me is when the cameras
just point into the sky, or vacant oblivion....
There is nothing in the picture that one can
relate to.......

If it is to be a weather cam than the picture
should "talk" to you and relate proper weather
conditions and snow depth......If it is a picture
of a resort beach show a flag and some
people.......

All photography, no matter in what form,
must "say something" to the person viewing
it.......Pumps

There is a whole new industry which has
developed since the Internet has come into
being......The buying of an item via the
mails and a "store catalog" has been
replaced by a "click" to a "web site".......

One thing I have noticed about "buying
online" is you have to watch your "mouse"
movements and your "clicks".......

The modern day purveyor, on the Internet,
does not make it simple to place and order,
sometimes.......They have little annoyances
in their "checkout" routing......One wrong
"click" and the savings or "special" is gone
into cyberspace and you are now paying
"list" price.......

Thank God for that little "X" in the upper
right hand corner of a computer screen.....
One click on it and you are back to your
"home page" and away from the charlatan
web site.......Pumps

The phrase "Born Again" is now, once again,
popular on the American political scene......
It appears that one presidential candidate
is "getting the born again vote"......

What I have noticed is that most of the
"Born Again" people, which are interviewed
for a TV segment, are over 40 years old......
I never see any "Born Again" 20 year olds....

Thus, I am coming to the conclusion that
people who "do their thing" in their youth,
decide to be "Born Again" when they
become too old to "do their thing" anymore.....
Seems to be a lifestyle that enjoys the
best of both worlds......Secular and religious....
Pumps

Well it seems that the "big push" is on for
everyone to use the new type CFL (Compact
Fluorescent Lightbulbs).......It is a Global
Warming "thing".......

It appears that a lot of countries want to
reduce the useage of the old incandescent
bulbs by 2012......No one has yet to mention
that the "bulb manufactures" are making
a "fortune" selling these new style bulbs......
They are the "ones" that are pushing the
use of the new bulbs.....There is more profit
it their sale......(Is it a really a Global Warming
thing?).......

Today while shopping in a "big box" store, I
noticed that GE light bulbs had "a lot" of
shelf space in the store......(You want a bulb,
you buy GE.).......The shelf contained both
the new CFLs and incandescents along with
some new type halogen bulbs.......

I sincerely doubt that the incandescent bulb
will every go away.....GE DOES NOT WANT
TO LOSE THE SHELF SPACE.......This is
just a simple sales and marketing decision......

They will try to convince you to buy more
CFLs but not at the expense of losing the
valued shelf space in the " big box" store.....
In fact it is these new CFLs that have GAINED
them additional space......Pumps

In the past files of my "bog" is one about Mike
Nifong and his quest of retirement money.....


We all remember Mike from the Duke
University Lacross Team rape case.......


Well, good olde Mike is now enjoying his
years of retirement......His current income
is only $9,210 a month and that amount
includes his wife's salary.......


Here again is a man who gambled.......He
went for the gold ring on the "merry-go-
round" of life and missed it......


The last great legal case of his life long
career, the Lacross Rape Case, on which
he wanted to base his retirement income,
is now down the "tubes".....


I guess he just could not ride out into
the fields of retirement like the rest of
us........Pumps

Once again the United States is in turmoil....
The "I" word is in common use on all the
news reports......Inflation equals doom.....

Am I missing something?.....Having lived
in excess of 70 years does not the price
of everything always go up?......


The 2 cent newspaper now costs 50 cents.....
The 5 cent "Coke" is now 75 cents.....
The 18 cent gasoline is now $2.90 a gallon.....


I have come to the conclusion that "inflation"
is not new in my life.....And that during my
live span I have been able to handle the
financial change......Also that the panic is
political........Pumps

Here in America the month of January and
February are "Award Show" months on TV.....
First there is the "People's Choice" then the
"Golden Globes", followed by the "Grammys"
then the "SAG" (Screen Actor's Guild) and
finally the "Academy Awards".......

This year there is a labor strike by the WGA....
The Writer's Guild of America.......The strike
is effecting the TV "airing" of some of these
award shows.......And most of the American
people do not care......

It seems that once in a while the undercurrent
of American opinion comes to the fore......It
happened last summer with the question of
the immigration issue and some proposed laws
in Washington, DC.......Last summer the people
cared........Regarding the writers strike they
do not care......

What really gets me is that there are companies
which make a lot of money detecting the pulse
of the American people.......I wonder what they
tell their clients when they do not fine it?.....
Pumps

Today Citibank took another loss to their
corporation due their over investment in the
US housing market......What the heck is the
difference between a loss of a corporate
CEO and a home owner, currently in
foreclosure?........Nothing......

The entire US economy is now on a "teeter-
totter" because a lot of people were looking
for a fast buck......The CEO and "Joe Sixpack"
are one in the same.......The only difference
is that the CEO will not lose his house.....

Both though made bad decisions......Both
knew the gamble and took it......Both lost.....
Their decisions are now effecting other
people but "Joe Sixpack" will hurt the most......

One thing I have learned in my years in the
business world.....The "Big Guy" NEVER
makes a mistake......He just makes a "slight
error in judgement"......If he can not correct
it, he moves on to the next CEO job.....

Poor "Joe Sixpack" has to buy a cheaper
brand of beer.......Pumps

Well a few days have passed and the "Thaw" is
still here....Sat out on the porch this afternoon
and it was 67F degrees.......The sun is beginning
to set and the temperature is no down to a
"frigid" 63F......

The forecast for next week, here in Jabunyaville,
is for temperatures to be in the mid to high 50's.....

I thought we would get snow this winter in order
to refill the lakes but it looks like it is going to
be rain......

Have to see what February will bring....Pumps

Some thirty years ago I use to enjoy the January Thaw
while living in Vermont.....The warmer temperatures
were a relief from the cold winter days......

These days, living below the Mason-Dixon line, the
January Thaw is even more enjoyable for my olde
bones.......With a normal winter's day of 30 degrees,
it is nice to have 60......In Vermont it was 0 over
30.......

It is a true act of nature and it keeps the ground
from freezing too much......

In a few days it will be cold again.....And in about
another 6 weeks winter will come to an end here in
Jabunyaville.....Pumps

Enable ---#1 to make able; provide with means,
opportunity, power, or authority (to do
something)......#2 to make possible or effective.....

Both Britney Spears and Hillary Clinton have
been enabled.......They both are surrounded
by people that tell them that they can get what
ever they want.......There is not a "negative"
word ever spoken, in their presence, because
they "do not want to hear it"......

Well this week, the first in January of 2008,
both women, from different social classes,
different worlds, with different ambitions have
both suffered by hearing the word "No"......

Now both have to readjust their thinking and
both have to realize that their "poopies do
stink" just like everyone else's......Pumps

George Orwell's book has long faded from the
minds of the young.....Let's face it, the predictions
of Mr. Orwell are now one generation old.....

But yet the man's vision is slowly becoming
"true".....

I have previously noted the development of
the RFID (Radio Frequency Identification)
"chip" that has been developed.....It is used to
find lost humans and animals, if embedded into
their skin.....It also tracks the movement of
items in the distribution chain of WalMart
and other retailers......IT KNOWS WHERE
THINGS ARE.......

Now we have the PCT (Programmable
Communicating Thermostat) which the
State of California wants in all new construction
under their Title 24.......

Many years ago my local electrical company,
then, said we will give you a $10 reduction in
your electric bill if you let us install a device
on your house that would allow "us" to shut
off your electric water heater, during peak AC
electrical demand.....OK, who takes a hot
shower on a hot day......

The electric company installed a box on my
house, which was connected to the hot water
heater, and if necessary sent a FM radio
signal to "the box" to prevent the heater
from "coming on".....

Well the State of California wants to have
new thermostats installed which will work
the same way......If the temperature in your
house is consuming an excessive amount
of electricity for either heating or cooling,
the STATE will send out the FM signal
to set the temperature in YOUR house to
what THEY think it should be......

Mr. Orwell, a socialist, was indeed a
visionary.......Pumps

The above mentioned ancient Greek gentlemen
who is famous for his "oath" also said that,
"A doctor is a slave to his patient not the
master.".......

Today was annual "check up" day.....Blood
work, prescriptions and all that other "jazz"....
I just love to watch the faces of the people
in the "medical profession" when you open
your mouth and "know" a little about "your"
condition.......The only thing you can not say
is, "I saw on the Internet that ----"......Then
you are dead......

The older nurse today immediately asked
me about my blood sugar, after she looked
at my chart....."Are you going to give me
a A1c blood test?"......."Yes", she answered.....
"What else are you going to test me for?"......
She was now lost........

"Are you going to give me a PSA, CEA, CBC?",
I asked.....She left in a huff.......The PSA and
CEA were way more important than a A1c
which has been recently "marginal".......

Sometimes I think that there are more "drug"
salesmen than patients in an office......(I
suspect I may have blogged on this subject
before.).....But give me a break, how many
pills should a person take for a "marginal"
condition......

Let's face it.....When you get older, your entire
body becomes "marginal".......

I am beginning to love the word "curmudgeon"...
But always with a smile.....Pumps

I guess my financial guide has been very simple for
me to use......#1 The inflation rate in the United
States, each year, is roughly about 2%.....Any
money invested or in a bank that is making less
than 2% a year in interest is a "loss".......

#2 The goal for a good investment is at least 4%...
This means that you did not lose any money
during the year and in fact made 2%......

#3 With all the ups and downs of Wall Street and
the Stock Market during the year 2007, the
total gain was 6%......No matter what people
want to tell you, 2007 was a good year.....Pumps