News 2 Me

Living in New York City for almost two decades, you might think I have been to Times Square to see the ball drop. I have never done it. Tonight will be no different. It is supposed to either snow or rain. That will not stop countless, but it will stop me. Just not my time of year for that kind of thing.

Stocks were actually up today. People are holding out hope for the new year, and that is definitely the right attitude. I know things have gotten very much worse around the world in the past few days, and I do not mean in the economy alone. With a coming of a new leader in the United States, things will hopefully change. It may take well over a year to see the fruits of this change, but it can still happen. Keep the faith up as 2008 ends.

Happy New Year!

So says the Israeli defense minister, Ehud Barak. The Hamas will not give in easily, and neither will Israel fold that fast. The outcome can only be horrible. I can mention the countless civilians dead on both sides, but it is nothing new. It only gets more sad. Does Barak actually think that continued violence will settle the issues? It has not worked for decades, so why not try it for another few decades? I like that logic. It will not work, but I like it. I can go on a rant about peace and negotiations, but once again, that is nothing new.

The White House is asking for the Hamas to stop the attack and agree to a cease-fire. Easier said than done. Does it seem like the Israeli army really wants to quit so soon? One attack leads to a counterattack, and that leads to another in retaliation, creating a chain. The White House needs to do more than just telling the Hamas to stop.

In an interview yesterday, Governor Blagojevich actually defended his actions. He said, “[I]f I’d have known people were listening, I probably wouldn’t have said some of the things you say in private conversations.” That kind of excuse never works. He went on to say, “Even in this process, without saying too much, that was all about trying to end up with the right decision that could do the most things for the people of Illinois, and when the full truth is told, you will see precisely that.” He was trying to make the right decision that could benefit the people? Asking for payment to gain a government seat will help the people? He must figure that only someone who is willing to bribe him will do what is right for the people. That fails. There is absolutely no good excuse for what he did. The man honestly seems to be living in a dream world. Impeach him fast.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28390800/

I just found that article to be so stupid. Of all the things you can call someone, with all the huge problems going on right now, and for the sake of plain respect, it is just a waste of time to classify Obama as a geek, nerd, dork, or whatever. I could not even believe people took time out to distinguish these classes, if I can even call it that. The article even mentions that the Obama transition team would not comment on his geek qualities. Like they even should? They try to find “geek wife” qualities in Michelle Obama. This is just plain idiotic. If Obama will be a hero for geeks, fine. But he will also be a hero for dozens of other groups, many of whom will not waste time over-analyzing the man for traits which are not that hugely important. Will the fact that Obama collected comic books help him lead the nation? I am pretty sure it will not. If you are going to analyze the man and classify him, look at the qualities that are important. Even geeks are not geeks alone, but also tax-payers, immigrants, men, women, workers, and part of many other groups. Those, to me, are more important than the geeks. Just one last note, I am not a Republican or Democrat, so I am not saying this because of blind party affiliation to support Obama. I just try to call things like I see it.

…And all through the world, not an economy was stirring, not even in the United States. Maybe I exaggerate, maybe not. I am sure many people are in a festive mood, but some are obviously not. There is snow on the ground outside, so at least Christmas will be white for me. My uncle, however, will not be visiting from Canada, like he has for the last 6 years. He will not have his job that much longer, so he has to save his money. It is a little saddening. I am still looking forward to tomorrow, however. You have to have some kind of hope. That is part of the Christmas spirit, in addition to giving. But charities are feeling the crunch as well, although some are still struggling to donate. I donated a few days ago. The businesses are struggling. It is a mess all around. Still hold strong.

Makes perfect sense to me. Clinton plans to make the most of her powerful new role, even if it is not the presidency itself. Under President Bush, roles that could have gone to the State Department were sometimes left to the Treasury. Even some within the Pentagon have complained that the economic rebuilding of Afghanistan and Iraq has become a burden for the military. It seems that it is time for a restructuring, and a more powerful State Department does seem needed. This includes more envoys and other officials, as one person cannot handle the stress alone and still produce great results. This should go a long way in fixing some of the problems unsettled from the Bush Administration. There is only one point I am a little shaky on. One of the things Clinton wants is a bigger budget for her State Department. I know very well that all these needed changes will cost money, but I always like seeing the words “a redistribution of funds” somewhere near “bigger budget”. In this time of economic hardship, where will this bigger budget come from? If the State Department gains, who loses? Treasury? Military? Spend wisely.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28337845/

Over the past month, I have written how the economy is hurting hospitals, colleges, and other institutions beyond big corporations. Now things are getting a little more personal and sad. I have always liked animals, so it is sad to know that families are giving up their pets. Animal shelters do not have the space and other resources to keep pets left to them for long. This is leading to many pets being put to sleep, or just being turned away when their owner comes to leave them. Is there really any other alternative? If shelters will not take them, friends, family, or anyone else will not take them, and you cannot afford them anymore, what is there to do? I understand people have a right to feed themselves and their families first, take care of bills, and all that to survive. Will more animals be just left on the street as a final option? The problems for these animals and pet owners, as well as society, can get worse as the economy worsens.

Taking the bailout deal from the White House will mean certain concessions from the UAW. Among them, wages and benefits for union workers be lowered. This was heard a lot from the Republicans a few weeks ago. Those on the side of the unions are happy that the bailout is here, but disappointed that Bush added these conditions. Analysts are saying that average wages will go down to $24 an hour from $28 an hour. In the end, even though President Bush placed these conditions, Obama may still choose to take them out when he comes to power.

Personally, I believe in worker’s rights and treating workers fairly. Nevertheless, these people must realize that no one is singling only them out. I can sense that many Bush-haters will use the woes of the unions to bash him more, but it would be unfair. Executives must make concessions as well. This is an economic crisis, everyone has to make concessions. This is not President Bush trying to be evil. Would it really be fair to have workers thrive fruitfully while executives take the brunt of the woes? They would become the new group to pity. I think it is not unfair to ask certain concessions of workers. The cut in pay is not that huge. Certain benefits can stand to be diminished. These benefits are not wise in a time when the company has to spend wisely. They must still respect their workers, but not be driven to bankruptcy because of them. This is not a surrender, just a sacrifice in hard times that should be made.

The White House finally announced a $17.4 billion plan to help the struggling automakers. This money is coming from the $700 billion fund, drying up the first half of amount. The Treasury Secretary will now be seeking the second half of the amount to be released. But back to the auto bailout, the loan is dependent on the auto industry making certain concessions, including the elimination of “jobs bank” programs, giving the government the option to own part of the companies, limiting executive pay and  certain perks (the infamous private jets), and the “car czar” idea is still there. It is basically some of the requirements in the bill defeated last week.

Bush came through in some degree. There will still be a mess for Obama, but at least it will be slowed down a bit so it is not a complete disaster. The automakers now have to do their part, as Obama’s team continues on their side.

The Bush Administration is actually considering “orderly” bankruptcy to help the automakers. That is not a real solution. Bankruptcy is what the automakers want to avoid, and for good reasons. As the automakers themselves have pointed out, no one will want to buy cars from a company they believe will not be around much longer to honor warranties. Of course, using money set aside for Wall Street is not yet out of the question. The White House just seems to be weighing its options. It would be nice if they acted a little quicker. More plants are closing, more people are losing jobs, and the severity of the problem is increasing. Hopefully President Bush will act in the few weeks he has left. As he himself said, a huge mess cannot be left for Obama. A little can still be done to ease the crisis.