Yet another opportunity for Congress to really stimulate the U.S. economy and achieve long lasting positive change -- how about putting some effort into offering customers that are trying to unload gas guzzling SUVs and large pick-up trucks some financial incentives that will help soften the blow that those drivers would be facing if they trade in those guzzlers?
As an example, see the news article here: Frustrated owners try to unload their guzzlers
I'm not going to clip any of that article becuase in reality the headline basically tells the story, and/or you've probably already heard, as I heard today, anecdotes from friends, neighbors, co-workers and the like that tell tales of car dealers that just won't even take the old gas guzzlers in trade, in effect trapping customers in their old vehicles (if they aren't paid off) or leaving them with so little value in trade that the customers just can't afford to buy the new econo-box that they want (because it would allow them to use less gas).
With the U.S. economy apparently (gee, you think?) in the crapper, several politicians are falling all over themselves (and falling all over others -- example, see McCain followed by Clinton, somewhat countered by Obama on the idea of a gasoline tax holiday) to come up with ideas to help out the U.S. consumers (read that as: VOTERS) by putting more money into their pockets (see economic stimulus bribes, I mean prebates...) or by letting us keep more of the money we make (again, see that proposed gasoline tax holiday).
What the politicians seem to be missing is the idea of finding things to spend money on (i.e., stimulate the economy) that will have long term positive effects on the economy as a whole.
Normally I'd probably be hard pressed to agree with a New York court decision, but... I'm with the school system on this one...
In the future, hopefully not too distant future, there's going to come a day when the oil rich nations of the world look back at their stupidity, much as I hope we (the U.S.A.) look back at our own stupidity in how we handle our energy needs.
Demand facts and then enjoy the results (headline is linked to source article):
CATASTROPHIC predictions of global warming usually conjure with the notion of a tipping point, a point of no return.
Last Monday - on ABC Radio National, of all places - there was a tipping point of a different kind in the debate on climate change. It was a remarkable interview involving the co-host of Counterpoint, Michael Duffy and Jennifer Marohasy, a biologist and senior fellow of Melbourne-based think tank the Institute of Public Affairs. Anyone in public life who takes a position on the greenhouse gas hypothesis will ignore it at their peril.
More material after the jump... please read on for more on this issue.
So the once mighty Alan Greenspan is apparently taking some hits and being seen as potentially having caused the current mess in the housing markets and economy. Gee, others apparently can take notice!
Read the news here (from The Washington Post, via MSNBC): ‘Maestro’ Greenspan stands his ground Ex-chairman says Fed policies didn’t cause current woes
Perhaps the Maestro composed some discordant notes after all.
The record of longtime Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan -- worshipped by business leaders and dubbed "Maestro" in a 2000 biography by The Post's Bob Woodward -- is getting a critical look as his successor Ben S. Bernanke wrestles with problems that began on the Maestro's watch.
Many economists blame Greenspan for lax bank supervision and for keeping interest rates too low, too long from mid-2003 to mid-2004. That, the theory goes, fueled the housing bubble and spawned subprime and adjustable-rate mortgages for low-income people, vast numbers of whom can't make their payments now. Banks bought those mortgages in bundles that are worth far less than they originally were. That has led to big write-offs, shaking the entire financial system.
Not great news for the housing market, at least not if you are hoping to or worst yet, needing to, sell your home in the near future:
(From Washington Times)
Overvalued homes discourage buyers
Quick summary (you can click the linked article to check out the original story...): buyers are still not feelin' it when it comes to the idea of buying homes. Prices are still, in the minds of most buyers, over-inflated and too expensive for what people are selling. Which transl...
Very interesting story in today's Washington Post (hey, every now and then they actually do a story worth reading )
A Big Drop In Emissions Is Possible With Today's Technology
Sorry readers, I'm not gonna make this that easy for you, you'll have to head over to the Post and read the original article for the whole story. What I will point out though, is the point I make in my sub title above: this could all also help save lots of $$$ in energy costs -- something that hits the bo...
Gotta love headlines like: Fog Causes 70-Car Pileup in Fla.; 4 Dead
Yeah, I'm sure it was all the fault of the Fog and that the idiotic drivers that weren't leaving enough space between vehicles, weren't controlling their speed, and were tailgating were absolutely not at fault... As if.
All part of how the media never wants to deal with issues of personal responsibility. :-/
Just heard the update on an older story, that being the story about the Montgomery County Maryland woman that owned a small monkey she had named Armani and was calling 'her baby'. (She even dressed the monkey in diapers with a hole cut out for it's tail.)
Previously the woman had been arrested for illegally having the monkey and had lost control of the monkey over to animal control (who sent it off to a zoo). Personally, I thought -- given the earlier legal decisions in the case -...
Yes, there just might be a bit of Justice occurring in the D.C. lost-pants lawsuit case.
News this a.m. (10/31/2007) that Roy Pearson, the Administrative Law Judge who sued a mom & pop dry-cleaners in D.C. claiming they lost a pair of his pants (and demanding that they pay him $54 million for failing to live up to their satisfaction guaranteed pledge) has lost his job and won't have his appointment to the Judgeship extended.
I still wish there was loser pays in this case, and woul...
I woke up this morning and heard noises of things bouncing off the skylight in my kitchen area, and peer outside and see the ground looks damp. It's been so long, I'm not even sure I remember what they call this wet stuff that falls out of the sky.
Hopefully the next several days will serve to remind me all the more what this stuff is as we get a few more days of cooler weather and replinish the ground water a bit.
With thanks to someone that put up a link to this at another site I frequent, and special thanks to the person or persons that put this video together, this video is too powerful and with a message that is too important not to share.
Please consider the message of that video and remember the people that are out there doing the work they've been asked to do. It is the least we can do for these heroes.
Much of the Eastern seaboard of the U.S.A. has been dry for weeks now. The Washington, D.C. area has broken the record for most days without measurable rainfall, or had done that heading into today. Today was supposed to bring a fair amount of rain, with the weekend clearing up behind the line of storms that was supposed to be passing through.
Except, hmmm, I see clouds and not much rain. Not much at all.
We need rain desperately. I know that the news had the storie...
Interesting case and somewhat surprising results given the court system that was handling the case.
See linked article (headline is linked) for details:
Nursing mother's request denied
No extra breaks for med (licensing) exam
BOSTON (AP) — A judge rejected a Harvard student"s request yesterday for extra break time during her nine-hour medical licensing exam so she could pump breast milk for her infant daughter.
Sophie Currier, 33, sued after the National Board of Medical Examine...