Short and long

The media has made a big story out of nothing. It is typical media behavior. It just helps sell ad space in magazines, newspapers, the internet, and wherever else. It has been said that the First Lady was wearing short shorts on her vacation recently and that maybe it might not have been appropriate. It was funny, I thought. First of all, those were not short shorts she was wearing. Secondly, she was on vacation. The American public knows full well that women are now wearing skirts and dresses that are shorter than any short shorts used to be. Really. So, what is the fuss about? Nothing. It is media-created. Please. Look at the photos and compare.

These might qualify as short shorts, though girls often wear shorter shorts than these. Don't let the glasses fool you, this lady is not with the Secret Service.

Global Governance

From a recent news update: “Former Vice President Al Gore declared that the Congressional climate bill will help bring about global governance. “I bring you good news from the U.S.,” Gore said on July 7, 2009 in Oxford at the Smith School World Forum on Enterprise and the Environment, sponsored by UK Times. “Just two weeks ago, the House of Representatives passed the Waxman-Markey climate bill,” Gore said, noting it was “very much a step in the right direction.” President Obama has pushed for the passage of the bill in the Senate and attended a G8 summit this week where he agreed to attempt to keep the earth’s temperatures from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius. Gore touted the Congressional climate bill, claiming it “will dramatically increase the prospects for success” in combating what he sees as the “crisis” of man-made global warming.”
I believe this is a classic “Tiger by the Tail” story. Gore has now got this beast by the tail - when it turns around, it will scare him to death, for sure. Global Governance – what is that about?? Ask Katie Couric. Maybe she knows. Please.

Pick on the little man

A quote from commentator Pat Buchanan: “Last Saturday, Honduran soldiers marched into the presidential palace, bundled up President Manuel Zelaya and put him on a plane for Costa Rica. The ouster had been ordered by the Supreme Court and approved by the Congress, as Zelaya was attempting an illegal referendum to change the Honduran constitution so he could run for another term. Will someone please explain why this bloodless transfer of power to the civilian legislator first in line for the presidency, in a sovereign nation, is any business of the United Nations, the Organization of American States, Hugo Chavez, the Castro brothers or Barack Obama? For all have denounced the "coup" and demanded Zelaya's immediate return. The hypocrisy here is astounding.” Indeed! Very well said. There is s saying in Spanish (translated): “Nobody picks on whom they want but only on whom they can.” In Spanish that would go something like: “Nadie se desquita con quien quiere sino con quien puede.” In other words, you only bully those weaker than you. Is that fair? Should we blame the beautiful woman on the left? No!!! She wasn't even there. She was on Facebook.

2009

From an investment advisory letter: By Tom Dyson: “President-elect Obama makes his inaugural presidential speech on January 20. This speech is going to determine the direction of the stock market for the rest of 2009. Sentiment is the reason this speech is so important. Right now, America is feeling pessimistic. People are worried about their jobs, their houses, and their finances. No one is spending money. To get the financial system working, the government needs you to start shopping again and it needs you to start making risky investments again. In other words, the government needs America to start feeling optimistic again. The financial system we use today is a simple confidence scheme... a Ponzi scheme. To survive and grow, our system needs a constantly increasing river of capital. As long as more capital enters the system than leaves it, the system functions. As soon as new capital shrinks, the whole system breaks down. Debt is the reason. As long as we can find new capital to cover the interest on our existing debts, the system works. When capital dries up and we can't make our payments, the system crashes. This is what happened to Wall Street in October. On January 20, in his inaugural speech, Obama is going to announce a gargantuan government spending plan, probably around $750 billion in size. Obama's plan will make the problem worse. Every dollar the government spends must come from the revenues it receives from taxing Americans. Essentially, Obama will borrow money from the future and spend it today on investments the free market is unwilling to make. This wasted money will hurt our economy for years to come.” There are a few things here that make sense. However, I feel that if you get something for your money, the money is not wasted – no way. The country will get infrastructure, different types of economic engines, and improved efficiencies, out of its investment. If the private sector won’t do it, then a government subsidy is the only way. Or, maybe the country can save for the next twenty years until it can pay cash for everything? I’m no financial guru, but my guess is that that’s not going to happen. Sorry.

Duh!!!!

From a recent news story out of Yahoo!: “Oil prices tumbled below $40 for the first time since the summer of 2004 Wednesday despite an announcement from OPEC of a record production cut of 2.2 million barrels a day. Markets had already priced in a vastly reduced flow of oil and traders focused instead on troubling economic data that points to a long and severe recession. Demand for gasoline over the four weeks ended Dec. 12 was 2.7 percent lower than a year earlier. Meanwhile, the dollar suffered its biggest one-day decline against the euro after the Federal Reserve cut a key lending rate target to historic lows. That would typically lead more investors into the crude market because oil is bought and sold in dollars and you can get more bang for the buck. But investors in this harsh economic climate are holding onto their wallets like never before, betting there's not enough global demand to support higher crude prices, said Gene McGillian, an analyst at Tradition Energy. "Oil prices should be a lot stronger," McGillian said.” This goes to show that speculators control the price of oil - speculators and middlemen and nobody else. Demand dropped 3% but prices dropped 70%. Explain that to me please. A weak dollar should mean higher prices but it does not – explain that to me. I have said from the beginning that speculators control much of the markets. Right now, they are scared to death and do not want to lose any money if they can avoid it. Regardless, that beautiful woman on the left does not care – she’s dead. We are not. Don't you wish you could stay 35 forever?

Fashion Industry

If you've been following the internet buzz about the outfit Cindy McCain was wearing on Thursday, you know that it cost around $300,000. She can afford it, of course, so that's no luxury for her. She is said to favor Oscar De La Renta, Michael Kors, Escada, and Carolina Herrera (not a relative of mine). In the sixties, Jacqueline Kennedy used to be very closely watched for her trendy fashion style. The new women in high politics - Sarah Palin, Michelle Obama, Cindy McCain, and Mrs Biden - will now, for the next two months at least, also be the focus of a lot of media attention for what they choose to wear. Perhaps also for what they choose not to wear. They will, simply by making these choices, create lots of jobs for people in the fashion industry - especially those who work for their favorite designers. That's something to think about.