Pumps' Perplexities

Yep, my faithful few readers, this is the milestone
"blog" of my ramblings.......

I have written 1,000 comments over the past
few years and have "run out of steam" to
continue on a steady basis, as you may have
noticed.......I try not to repeat myself and it
is tough when you have "bitched" about
almost everything.......

I started this blog to take the stress of ideas
off the mind of a "Joe Sixpack" type of guy......
I know that I did have a few followers who
at times appreciated my commentary....To
them I say THANK YOU......

After rebuilding my angst, I will continue
to post, on occasion.......If only for the purpose
of myself......In the meantime it is Obama,
McCain, Wall Street, Oil, and America's
future......Questions all..........Pumps

During the "Depression of the 1930's", a man
invented the game of "Monopoly"....It was a
simple board game in which everyone was
given an equal amount of money and each
player tried to become "rich".....

Today people watch TV and play video games.....

Well, the game of "Monopoly" did teach its
players how to handle and manage money.....
The game in not in "vogue" anymore and I
think a lot of people have not learned its
"teachings"........

Wall Street money is in turmoil these days
with the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers,
the purchase of Merrill Lynch (Pierce, Fenner
and Bean) and the financial bailout of
Freddy Mac and May along with Bear
Sterns by the US Government....

One thing that "Monopoly" taught you was
that what YOU lost, in the game, ANOTHER
player won......

Since all these big Wall Street companies
have lost their money, WHO WON IT?....
Pumps

In a recent news article, the "great minds"
say that even though the price of gasoline
may be coming down, people will keep
their "frugal ways"........

Frugality is not an occasional happening,
it is a state of mind......And modern day
Americans have no knowledge of the
"word" and it's economic effect on their
lives.....

What is happening now, in their daily
lives, is that they do not have money to
spend.....So they do not spend.....This
does not make them "frugal", it only
makes them "non-spenders"......When
they get money and can spend it, they
will most certainly spend it......Whether
it be their money or not.....

The United States Government took out
its first loan in 1789 and the present
American consumer owes 12 TRILLON
in credit card debt....."Frugal Not"...Pumps

Well the hurricane "Ike" has hit Houston Texas
and it's surroundings....My TV is full of
photographs of devastation and carnage......

Watching all of this happening on TV only
reassures me of one thing -----

My home owners insurance will one again
go up next year.....It "rains" in Texas and
I pay for "it" in Virginia.....Pumps

Everyday I wake up and read a newspaper or
turn on the TV, I am being told that the US
is in a recession and economic downturn
which is compared to the "Great Depression"....

However, when I walk out my front door
I do not see people trying to sell apples
or waiting on soup lines for something to
eat.....

The only lines I have seen lately are those
in front of an electronics store as people
wait to buy a $200-$300 iPod thing......

This to me is not the sign of a weak
and faltering economy......Pumps