Category: economics
05/20/08 12:51 - 45ºF - ID#44396
opposite ends of the spectrum
So on one end we have the average people succuming to slavery by the banks and on the other we have the Uber Capitalists. They're kind of the people that (e:hodown) sees on a daily basis in NYC.
Yes, it's long but it does show the pinnacle of what everyone is striving for in the New York Metro Area. Those are the people everyone wants to be or pretends to me at least in their mind. It's kind of ironic that the financial "products" that some of that crowd came up is the fuel that indirectly is helping us burn $4 gas in our cars. To me it's kind of shocking to see the people that can burn though cash like it's nothing be Neanderthals. Since it always that the higher class of people the more civilized or gentrified, but in reality the ultra wealthy may have always been this way, we just never saw it on TMZ.
In the end we need to tilt ourselves to the left, a la FDR style.
We are going to have to turn to civic sacrifice to turn things around for everyone as the decession deepens. That means higher taxes on the corporate/hedge fund crowd & all sorts of other middle class building initiatives.
Permalink: opposite_ends_of_the_spectrum.html
Words: 380
Location: Youngstown, NY
Category: allentown
05/17/08 03:37 - 58ºF - ID#44375
Bar Fight!
We get to the bar, of which all the stools were taken at the time. We order a couple of beers and then wait for a couple to cash out their bar bill as they were heading to a table. There is this old guy literally stuffing his face with chicken wings at the end of the bar, but I think nothing of it.Then for the next 30 minutes we watch the Celtics lost to the Cavs. The weird guy goes away to the bathroom and comes back 20 minutes later to the same spot at the end of the bar. Then all heck breaks loose. He then marches to my stool 5 down and starts getting into my face saying, "You moved my beer!! That is a rotten thing to do!!!" Now to be honest I though he was saying that I stole his beer, but nothing I said to the contary did anything but make him more angry. At one point I thought we were going to go at it, but he backed away. From what my ex tells me he then proceeded to stand behind me chugging his beer. The next thing is that a guy that was watching this unfold at a table behind us comes up to me and tells me , "that guy is getting ready to BUST THAT BEER BOTTLE OVER YOUR HEAD!!!" I turn around and the guy is bright red!!!
My thought is, "I am going to get into a fight @ Gabriel's Gate with a 55 Year old Gay Guy!!!" I put down my half finished Heinie & immediately leave. As a precautionary measure I ready myself on the right side of the door nest to the iron gate. The decision is made, if this Fucker comes across the line of the gate, I'm taking him down UFC Style on the sidewalk. Well he did follow me outside, but he just looked at me on the front of the steps, sneered at me and then walked away towards Coulter Bay.
My Ex was laughing her ass off that of all Fucking places I was going to get into a fight with an AARP member at Gabriel's Gate!!! Of all the shady ass places I've been to drink I actually can't believe that I had to experience this at this of all places! It's a fucked up world where you feel safer with 21 year old fratboys drinking on Chippewa. I guess if you're dealing with people that may be packing you don't pull that kind of drama when you're tripping balls.
Anyway to close the night we ended up checking the newest incarnation of the Jupiter Room now "The Bend." All I can say is I really like what they have done to the place. I actually felt comfortable in there without the vibe of throwing down ;-)
Permalink: Bar_Fight_.html
Words: 520
Location: Youngstown, NY
Category: politics
05/15/08 08:05 - 59ºF - ID#44354
Things shaping up
It will just be like shooting fish in a barrel. Deregulation Capitalists will be kept far away from sharp objects and Washington for decades after this mess really gains momentum.
They totally ran the country into the ground. All of their principles that they stood for were just ignored when they became inconvient. In the end the only two things that remained were lowering the tax burden for the higher income brackets & for the most part putting abortion back into the dark ages. Really if you're not sexually repressed looking for suggestive logo's on coffee cups or living in a McMansion in Tom Reynold's district you don't have a reason to support those people any more. The majority of the middle class that was bullshitted into voting for them against their best interest have finally woken up. Sorry, no more student loan aid for your kid, but we can abolish the estate tax so some family can pass 500 Million to the next generation. Thank God it is coming to an end. I actually respected the Country Club Republican Party when they were just the loyal opposition.
Now to make sure whoever comes out of the Democratic juggernaut wins without any doubt, we may have a viable third party Candidate
to split the Republican vote. With him setting up a run he may splinter enough El Rushbo listeners to the point where Hillary may even win hands down even if she Steals the nomination EEERRR, wins the nomination. Just like the way Bill got in with Perot splintering the conservative red state vote.
Permalink: Things_shaping_up.html
Words: 346
Location: Youngstown, NY
Category: sports
05/15/08 12:19 - 56ºF - ID#44343
Hateriots Apology
Apology
On Feb. 2, 2008, the Boston Herald reported that a member of the New England Patriots [team stats]' video staff taped the St. Louis Rams' walkthrough on the day before Super Bowl XXXVI. While the Boston Herald based its Feb. 2, 2008, report on sources that it believed to be credible, we now know that this report was false, and that no tape of the walkthrough ever existed.
Prior to the publication of its Feb. 2, 2008, article, the Boston Herald neither possessed nor viewed a tape of the Rams' walkthrough before Super Bowl XXXVI, nor did we speak to anyone who had. We should not have published the allegation in the absence of firmer verification.
The Boston Herald regrets the damage done to the team by publication of the allegation, and sincerely apologizes to its readers and to the New England Patriots [team stats]' owners, players, employees and fans for our error.
Seriously, can we move on with things now? I think that the damage has been done when they lost. Having that hanging over their head with the potential of a congressional investigation most likely distracted them enough were they lost the big game. They lost a draft pick & the big game, that's punishment enough. So they taped the lousy Bills, Browns, Chargers, Chargers [Cheerleaders] and Jets. They really gained a competive advantage from checking out hotties from SoCal do leg kicks.
I just love how these tools on Sports Talk Radio are calling in saying that it is an NFL Conspiracy to protect their product and hence bottom line. These must be the losers that sleep with aluminum foil helmets at night so the government won't read their thoughts. Better yet the egos of former players or fans that just can't stomach that someone is better, smarter and more wealthier than they are. So they attempt to rationalize it through some crazy conspiracy theory.
Personally I am not a Pats fan. I really don't care about them personally. All I wonder is what would have these overweight slobs be saying if say Dick Jouron was caught doing something & the Bills 1st round pick was taken away by the league? The whole "The world is trying to F**k Buffalo" paranoia that overtakes this area would just be freaking insane.
In the end maybe it's just me and my ego isn't out of whack. There are people in this world that are better, smarter, stronger and richer than I am. If someone went to an Ivy league school, drives a BMW, has a hot 6' 100 lb blonde trophy S.O. and a ton of $; I don't secretly begrudge him. I am honest happy for him or her given the circumstances. But for the typical male where status is the measuring standard and everything, you can get his kind of poisonous envy that just has taken a life of it's own for the last 6 years.
Permalink: Hateriots_Apology.html
Words: 484
Location: Youngstown, NY
05/14/08 09:50 - 62ºF - ID#44335
freaky dream
Seriously where did this come from? The guy died in 1991!
Permalink: freaky_dream.html
Words: 30
Location: Youngstown, NY
Category: sports
05/03/08 05:51 - 63ºF - ID#44226
Derby Bet
So what I just did was bet $50 on the favorite Big Brown to "Show" or place 1st, 2nd or 3rd. I won't win much if it comes in, but it's something to focus on during the run for the roses. The big reason why I'm betting on him is his jockey, Kent Desormeaux.
Permalink: Derby_Bet.html
Words: 110
Location: Youngstown, NY
Category: bpo
04/27/08 03:11 - 60ºF - ID#44165
Pictures at an Exhibition
It has been so long since I've been to Kleinhans Music Hall but in going last night it brought back a flood of memories. For me I was excited to see some old white guys wearing clothes that were probably brought from the now defunct Jenss department store men's department. You know the type the guys wearing either a green "Masters" jacket or the burgundy version with the maroon tassel loafers. That made me happy in some weird way.
I suppose it just brought me back to my true self I suppose. My parents used to get free tickets all time time for BPO events and some intense memories of going to these events was having my Mom twist my arm to get me into a suit. Now last night I was actually excited to get dress up in a sport jacket to go to the BPO. Plus going last night did reacquaint myself to the time where I allegedly played violin in my childhood. Ok, I sucked and never made it to first violin.
Another memory was the not so "secret" anymore basement bar. To be honest it may have been close to 10 years since I was down there. From what I remembered it was much darker and had more of a wood feel to the place. Although I did like the new redesign and the shorter wait at the bar then upstairs ;-)
In the end it was a wonderful time from start to finish. It was a blast walking up Allen to the hall just people watching during a time when I am rarely on that street, during daylight hours. The looks from the people having dinner at Sample as I passed by was quite funny to myself. The whole program from start to finish, the great company and Hardware afterwards. For some reason it felt great to be dressed up after an event and hitting the town. In the past for some reason I always looked with some skepticism about guys hitting Buffalo dressed in suits. Although I wasn't full blown suit and tie, it did feel quite nifty to say the least.
There must be a repeat performance before the BPO moved down to my neck of the woods [Artpark] in July.
Permalink: Pictures_at_an_Exhibition.html
Words: 409
Location: Youngstown, NY
Category: politics
04/23/08 01:01 - 59ºF - ID#44110
Obama Penn Speech in Indiana
For some reason the three guys behind him in their Abercrombie & Fitch gear are really rubbing me the wrong way. They just smell of, "Let's go the the Obama Rally so we can look cool & get laid"
OK, I'm projecting.....
Permalink: Obama_Penn_Speech_in_Indiana.html
Words: 67
Location: Youngstown, NY
Category: ice
04/19/08 02:10 - 57ºF - ID#44049
More Ice
Permalink: More_Ice.html
Words: 42
Location: Youngstown, NY
Category: niagara falls
04/15/08 10:48 - 39ºF - ID#44022
Horseshoe Falls Pics
With the weather getting warmer it would be interesting to compare & contract them to the horseshoe falls in warmer weather.
I like this one of terrapin point completely covered in snow & ice
Horseshoe Falls @ Night
Permalink: Horseshoe_Falls_Pics.html
Words: 58
Location: Youngstown, NY
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But of course you're right janelle... there are always emergencies that can mess everything up.
I hate debt too. We pay cash for everything too. We faithfully set aside the maximum amount we can in our Roth IRAs almost every month. We even use the envelope system. If the money isn't in the envelope, we don't buy it. But I'm not so arrogant as to believe that it's just about financial responsibility. It may well be that Drew and I are faced with financial insecurity in the future due to any a number of things that just happen in life.
Getting out of debt (or not getting in) is all about personal financial responsibility. And reading the fine print.
On a personal level though, I hate debt. Using cash for purchasing cars, fixing the house, appliances, etc has been my standard for a long time now. And I don't regret it.
However, I can say as an individual, I learned a long time ago that living below my means is the only way to be financially secure. As a result, I haven't paid a single cent of interest on my credit cards in years. I don't know what the debt figure is for the average American, but I can guarantee it won't ever apply to me.
I see it as taking part of recycling. I do my part.
(e:janelle) and I, on the other hand, were frugal before it was cool.