End Of The Year Post

Right now teams/movies/music and so on for the decade are being honored such as Tiger Woods being Athlete of The Decade. Only problem is the decade is not over until December 31st of 2010. All has to do with no year zero. Same issue arose during millennium celebrations.

The Red Sox have made some excellent moves lately with the addition of John Lackey, Marco Scutaro and Mike Cameron. Cameron has long been a personal favorite who I was hoping the Sox would have picked up a few years back rather than trading for Coco Crisp.

Is the economy really turning around? WOW better hope so for November of 2010.

I have a link to Mouse Print on my sidebar. I really enjoy this consumer site especially the way they track downsizing of products. Size goes down and price goes up. I imagine Suo will soon downsize bricks.

There is politics and there is government and the recent Senate vote on health care shows politics at its possible worse. All that was missing was the gun and mask from senators from Nebraska, Louisiana and Florida whose states receive payments in exchange for votes. Boss Tweed lives!

I managed to finally listen to The Billy Fallon Show and I’ll say this old “Billy” has a nice delivery. Easy listening. I wish he did have those barking dogs doing Jingle Bells.

When I get Xmas presents for my wife I usually schedule them to arrive right through January. Her highlight for this year will be a fruit cake (named after me?) that is one of her favorite treats. Company that makes them actually finishes production in May and lets them sit and “mature.”

Ford Motors Company (F) has made quite a turnaround and is now selling at a yearly high.

The climate convention had the usually suspects “lecturing” the Western World on out excesses. I really place much faith in the ramblings of Hugo Chavez and Robert Mugabe.

I’ve stopped brushing my teeth since I don’t want a DUI charge.

Lost in the ghastly vote on health care was the vote in the Senate to raise the debt ceiling to 12.4 trillion dollars.

Gaming analyst have forecast 2010 to be a “transition year” for Las Vegas. That means the outlook sucks for gaming in 2010.

Looks like Blogger Shark did not bite for the Suo inspired call out. Too bad…..$425 for the BS favorite charities. Maybe BS would have contributed it to the Green School?

Assorted Stuff

The current corporate tax rate for the U.S. is 39% and that represents the second highest rate among industrialized nations.

The WOW administration claims it will not raise taxes on anyone making less than 250K per year. Now there has certainly been some questions raised on the truth of that statement but what I’m interested in is the expiration of the current tax table on long term capital gains. This will certainly be a tax increase for many of us. As usual if you or I say it that is called a lie but if a politician says it they’ll dream up a different tag line.

Barney Frank (D-Fanny Mae) is constantly talking about economic fairness. IMO that translates to income redistribution.

Douglas Adams was a wonderful writer and I will paraphrase from one of his books were an excerpt spoke of a planet wide evacuation - they put all the lawyers on one ship and sent them in the opposite direction.

In the recent Senate election five of the six candidates were lawyers. Could it get worse? Yes! Four were from Harvard Law School.

This is an informational note. On occasion I will use the names Billy Flynn and Billy Fallon and what that refers to is William Fallon who was know as “The Great Mouthpiece” for his ability to defend notorious mobsters. Billy Flynn is the ethically challenged lawyer from the musical “Chicago” and that character is loosely based Fallon.

Mike Dukakis (D- Tank Girl) spoke at the USS Slots or Slots USS or whatever. I’ll give Duke credit in that he voted against the lottery also.

Why is it so hard for people to put away a shopping cart?

Why is equally as hard for the same folks to clear snow off their cars?

TSA continues to prove they are the mall cops of the government. A wanted fugitive actually got hired. So much for screening. Wonder what else is going on?

I am still attempting to figure out how President WOW got a Nobel Peace Prize? Did Gandhi ever get one? I think even WOW was embarrassed by the award.

Going green does not make you any green. I have a mutual fund and an ETF that is green. Returns have been dismal - zero at this point and both have lost 50% of their original investment value. The more traditional energy funds have been excellent. Dirty coal is green.

LL is in the wrong country. They had a shortage of Limo’s in Copenhagen and had a call out over Europe for some more. Top it off with the 140 private jets.

There is no such thing as “The Middleboro Way” but there is the common sense way.

1.1 TRILLION dollar federal budget. Austerity?

Plowgate And Other Stuff

What an enjoyable column by Jane Lopes on Plowgate and especially the Plowgate Ten - of whom several are not even taxpayers. Charge a nominal fee? Define emergency as simply being accumulated snow/ice and then resolve the issue in the spring.

Adam Bond and the Plowgate Ten have certainly shown what they think of their fellow townspeople. Just another reason to realize Willy Shakespeare was correct. This whole issue has nothing to do with the streets and everything to do with the sitting BOS.

Think Adam “Exit stage left” Bond will finally update his web site?

Isn’t a basic function of government the safety and well being of the citizens?

The Charter group has done a fine job. Nice presentation by Caroline and the committee.

How soon before sponsors start dumping Tiger Woods? Probably right after his wife dumps him.

How much time is being expended on Plowgate that could be used for more productive issues. Makes dog complaints look trivial.

This is for those of you who are bilingual - which is not an island in the Caribbean but the ability to converse in more than one language. Now - when you dream do you dream in one specific language? I have asked several and no one has come forth with a definitive answer.

IMO some of the anti casino bloggers have now become a casino issue version of an anchoress. Walled into their one issue.

From the will we ever learn file - a raise in the gas tax is again being proposed.

I think for you Pats fans the salad days are gone.

I wonder how much jet fuel was expended by all getting to Copenhagen by all? Certainly enough hot air to melt some glaciers.

There is a big difference between breaking the law and common sense. I find common sense usually loses out to convoluted legalese.

Sometimes the law is used as a bully and when you deal with a bully it is often necessary to fight back.