Saturday, January 31, 2009

OPEN POSTS WEEK ELEVEN

President WOW (Walk On Water) managed to get a stimulus bill rammed through Congress despite the Republicans finally discovering - after several years - that they had a backbone. The usual code words were tossed about in that this will create jobs, free up the credit markets, help those in mortgage free fall and punish who needs to be punished on Wall Street. Is this an echo? This is essentially the same thing I heard back in the summer. Maybe this time it will work since WOW must have a direct line to the presumed All Knowing Being (not MR) that watches all over us. Now the stimulus of taxpayer handouts back in the beginning of the year didn’t work although the $600 was nice. The various bailouts didn’t work. The companies that were given cash (ours) will soon fail or be drastically changed. Now we have the new and approved version for a price tag of 1.3 trillion dollars. Real key is housing market and that is just plain dead.

I have watched some of the talking heads and a good portion of this package is merely following up on campaign promises and has little to do with stimulus. We have heard of the ATV trails, endowment grants and all the other fluff. A good 25% of this bill is nothing more than permanent items that will stay with us forever. Now many and probably most are worthy but the intent should be NOT to add them to a package designed for something else. The Senate from what I have seen and read will examine this closely and may have significant changes. IMO the end result will be the same…this economy is going to have a lot of problems for a very, very long time and adding excessive debt to spur on inflation is not going to solve anything. Do not reward bad behavior.

I guess that’s about as close as I’ll get to the more sophisticated blogs - you know - the ones with links, cut and paste, color backgrounds and clever videos. In the meantime the talk of the illustrious Mr. Bond continues although significantly diminished as the week wore on. To some he is Benedict Arnold and to others Winston Churchill and to most I suspect the view is the same as me. A small town politician who had a public hussy fit. We have all posted our versions of the histrionics involved and some - such as Rocky - have even posted real links! I’ll overlook it this time, Rocky, but if you continue to post facts to back up your positions you are looking at double secret probation.

Post away. All are welcome.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

OPEN POSTS WEEK TEN

Quite an interesting week as I attempt to recover from this cold that is just a ...well, you get the idea. Real nasty and the meds just knock me out.

First off is the coronation of President WOW (Walk On Water). At least WOW had the good sense to put a damper on the fact that a miracle will not happen in the next week or two over issue number one - the economy. Good move as he attempts to toss money at the problem just like the former whatever his name was attempted to do. Use to be only the Democrats tried to solve every issue with wads or dough but the Republicans have certainly adopted that tactic. WOW also mentioned bipartisanship and IMO patient zero on that issue has been our very own very senior senator and Bork. I have been a real pessimist on the economy for over a year and see this getting worse and worse. Hope I am dead wrong.

This week the local BOS has been in the news and that certainly has been trashed around on this blog. Speaking of trashed around - BBB (Bellicose Bumpkin Bashing) has taken on a life of its own among those who post here. Just don’t exceed my very liberal limits on that and BB is always welcome to respond. Back to the BOS issue over the IGA and that has been blogged to death. The comments certainly make for enjoyable reading and I’d suggest everyone check out the various local blogs for comments and commentary.

Steve McKinnon has announced his run for Steve Spataro’s seat. Your comments or any by Steve (either) is certainly welcome. Just try to keep it issue oriented and not personal so that usually puts a damper on my comments.

The CPA is either in limbo or dead and I’m leaning towards dead. Maybe next time around especially if I’m wrong on that economy thing. Never did see a reply to LA’s figures on open space that were correct.

The state has proposed a cut in local aid to the tune of 128 Million. I assume all will not suffer equally and if things usually go the way they do for our hamlet we will suffer more than most. I suspect more to come as the state will do this piece meal. On top of that is the idea of one rep is to raise the gas tax by twenty-nine cents per gallon. This will in addition to toll increases and as The Herald noted the state managed to add 2,100 jobs when reduction was suppose to take place. Needless to say there is no joy in 351 Mudville’s over any of it. Ah…the joys of a one party state!

Post away. Add any topics you wish to add. All are welcome.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

OPEN POSTS WEEK NINE

The first part will be a be kind to MR section. Now for those of you who have managed to get this far after reading the first sentence I will explain or else everyone from Mildly to Rocky will be writing an anti Bogo blog or having me take a nice observational vacation at Pembroke Hospital. Two points on MR.

MR had a post a few weeks ago that took to task - somewhat - her exclusion from the Green Committee. Appears it was just an oversight (maybe) and explanations were given. From what I could fathom it all came down to available slots. Just open up another slot. Simple solution. Is there any limit to the number of committee members? If so it can be tweaked.

Point two is her opposition to the anti Cape Wind faction. I know there is a mountain of facts being tossed around from both sides but I’d like to see in built. If a Kennedy is against it must be a good idea. There are certainly posters more versed in this issue on or who read this site.

A very bad week for CPA since, IMO, the posts critical of the BOS for present and past sins and the negativity towards former dinosaurs only isolated the CPA further from those whose blessing would be nice. Frustrating that some could not temper their criticism to the CPA and not to the laundry list of the same old regarding the BOS. As far as I know the CPA is still going forward.

Some of the humor expressed this week was quite enjoyable. Always a bright spot to sit down and read a thesaurus post or a thou shall.

The economy continues to slide or tumble or just plain collapse. The banking situation will deteriorate even further as the bad paper figure could well be 50 Trillion dollars. I got killed on CitiGroup ( C ) stock expecting a bump up.

The plane crash or semi controlled landing was the big news story last week. Any landing is a good landing. My wife and I originally moved to Middleboro for two reasons: The housing was cheap and the airport we flew out of was located here. When we married I had a plane - a Piper Tri-Pacer (AKA - The Flying Brick) that we soon sold as it was a very expensive toy. I had a Citabria before I met my wife since I was interested in aerobatic flying and that was the plane of choice for some but I lost interest in it. My wife took up flying after we met and she has quite a collection of certifications - Commercial, Instrument, Multi-Engine, Ground Instructor and a few others. I never had her level of interest and my pitiful eyes limited me to just a basic single engine fixed wing. Have some great flying stories especially about the airport with "A hill for the runway" right here in North Middleboro. Been many years since either of us have flown but she did name our oldest, Jonathan, after Jonathan Livingston Seagull and hoped her interests would be passed down. Currently he is flying for Sky West Airlines and has been for over a year flying CRJ200s, 700s and 900s out of Milwaukee. Quite a commute Massachusetts to Wisconsin but most pilots do that. He just got back from Salt Lake City after a few days of updated sim instruction for everything they can throw at you. Hopefully, he will not fall victim to the economy as so many other commercial pilots have.

Now comes the Obama coronation and I am the ultimate pessimist on this. Never have I hoped I am so wrong as with this.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

OPEN POSTS WEEK EIGHT

Another few weeks in the books as we all slowly pace our way to the inevitable.

President Reagan...I'm mean - OBAMA! Getting him confused since they seem so similar is now going to join in with the failed Bush policies of tossing money at a problem. Hey, Bush stimulus didn't work so I'll toss in my own of 350Bil in tax breaks for the downtrodden which is just about everyone. But as long as the moonbats don’t like it that gives me hope that I may have called this one wrong. Of course a handout to the states is possible along with infrastructure and assorted other goodies designed to raise the total package to over a trillion bucks. First it would create 2.2 million jobs and then 2.5 million and now 3.5 million. Ah…nothing like the glories of political orthodoxy to inflate projections. With 50 trillion in bad paper still hanging around this will be a miracle if it has a positive impact. I’ve been a pessimist on the whole financial mess and will continue to do so since the government does not create wealth but consumes it. If you are over 50 in will not impact you but your kids will be paying this government VISA bill for generations.

Madoff. I am amazed at a legal system that allows this character to be under house arrest especially when you look at the house. Scott Burns, a financial columnist, had the best suggestion and that is to get real medieval on him. Let him loose. No jail time. No one can speak to him or feed him and are allowed to kill him on sight. Madoff has ruined thousands of lives and virtually destroyed selected charities but just goes around with this smirk on his face. Some yo yo holds up a 7/11 for $50 worth of Twinkies and ends up in a cell for five years married to some guy named Bubba.

Fat assed kids made the news. Here in the People’s Republic of Massachusetts the moonbats are now attempting to control the dietary process so that our kids do not end up like lard bottoms. Now my good buddy BB is a moonbat and I say start with the adults and start right with BB. I mean watching the big fella on a bike makes me weep for that poor machine. A marvel of engineering in that that bike has not totally collapsed. They should have let Schwin build the Big Dig. As those of you who know me realize I’m in semi perfect shape and that stomach of mine is just muscle at rest so being a body beautiful I can toss the verbal darts his way. Now as for the kids I can see Little Debbie snacks being sold by sugar dealers. Will they allow a convenience store with 500 yards of a school? Special dogs trained to sniff out tootsie rolls as a sweep takes place and a school lock down? I can see a parent at a discipline hearing: “Thank Gawd it’s only weed as I thought Muffy was caught with a soda.”

Well I do hope my good friend Rigger has been paying attention to the playoffs since I have called every game right on target especially the Cards. And the Sox seem to be a baseball version of a M.A.S.H. Unit with recent signings of Baldelli, Smoltz, Penny and Saito. Give me your tired, your not so poor and your broken down.

The Tribe is in the news and that has been posted her of late. Then, again, the Tribe is always in the news. The Tribe reminds me of that Star Trek episode where a planet is run by mobs thanks to contamination by a previous exploration party. The Raven is singing or in this case - cawing - since, I believe, Ravens do not sing. Some have hinted at the possibility of this going deeper and have tossed names or innuendo out there. All I remember is what I posted when the deal first went thorough and that is what is not on the table worries me it’s what under the table that does. Hopefully, the tentacles of corruption will not spread any further than where it is right now.

So, post away. Add to this mess or be critical or positive or anything else. This board is yours.