Everyone deserves a bailout

"Lex Luthor Bailout" with Jon Hamm from Jon Hamm

Compromise

Got a call from my bank this morning. All they would tell me was that my debit card number had been "compromised." Despite my further inquisition, they declined to tell me what that meant. However, they did tell me that they were shutting off my card and sending me a new card, which they generously agreed to rush to me.

So, until I get my new card I'm poor. Yea. In honor of my situation, here's an acoustic performance of one of my favorite bands, The Format, playing "THE COMPROMISE."

NOBAMA!

STOP! STOP! STOP!

Here's the link to the Wall Street Journal article imploring Mr. Obama to stop his insane war on economic recovery.

Link

Stop the presses!

Obama announced that the fed is going to print yet another trillion dollars to loan to people. When will this madness end? WHO IS JOHN GALT?

Stick with Cramer!

Hey Geithner, YOU SUCK!

One of simsisms favorite market commentators, Jim Cramer on why the current bank plan sucks and won't work. The second clip, though a little long, is Cramer's explanation of why Obama's policies are killing the country and ought to be put on hold.



Can we force the market down to 6500 this week? YES WE CAN!

Ron Paul

DownSize D.C.

The fine folks at DownsizeDC.org have a mighty fine post on why the president's proposed plan will not work. Downsize is one of our new favorite websites here at Simsisms. Link HERE.

No No No

I didn't watch the president's speech. Not because I wasn't interested, but because I knew from experience that I would end up throwing things at the television and frankly, in the Obama economy I can't afford to break my television.

I have read the reports on the speech and I just cannot fathom how anyone so dense could become the leader of this country. Granted, the last guy was no genius, but exactly what planet is Obama on? We've plunged a trillion dollars into the banking industry, and he basically said we're going to go spend even more money later? WHAT!?!?! We haven't spent so much as a dime to fix the mortgage crisis that is driving the economy downward. As for the president's plan to have a mortgage relief that doesn't reward unscrupulous buyers who bought homes they couldn't afford, that's the most asinine thing I've ever heard. It's the irresponsible buyers who are driving the economy downward. We've bailed out every other undeserving schmuck, why aren't we cutting home owners a break?

Not that it would matter if we did. There's a lot of talk about modifying loans, adjusting mortgage rates, etc. I'm going to tell you right now that this is all a mistake and these efforts are only going to prolong the agony of our faltering economy. Credit is not moving because of uncertainty. Uncertainty is being caused by the fact that a lot of companies have assets and they have no idea what they might be worth because real estate is essentially worthless as long there's an endless supply of foreclosed houses going on the market. It does not matter what the interest rates are, or what adjustments to principal are made. There are a lot of homes occupied by people who will never in a million years be able to afford to own a home. Not if the interest rate were -2% could they afford the payments. Rather than dragging this thing out by trying to keep people in homes they are going to inevitably lose, we should be speeding things up. We need to get people out of those houses and get the house sold to someone who can afford it. Once the houses are all sold, the real estate market will recover its value, and we can start rebuilding the economy.

In the meantime, the idea that we can throw money all over the place and the economy will magically heal is just insane. It hasn't ever worked in the past, the bailout shows no signs of working now, and it is the very definition of insanity to think that it will somehow start working in the future.

As if that weren't bad enough, the President then went on to say how he's found two trillion in savings from programs he's going to cut (not true, see links at end of post) promised to cure cancer, make us a green economy, and to get everyone a college education. WHAT? Ignoring that there is no conceivable way to pay for this, there is still no physical way to accomplish these goals. Not everyone can go to college. An outrageous number of kids can't pass the high school exit exam, how are they going to go to college? I also find it laughable that Obama would promise to end costly agribusiness subsidies, when he has continued to support the Ethanol, the largest agriculture swindle in America. This whole speech was outrageous and just plain idiotic. If you bought any of it then I suggest you have your head examined.

The fine folks at factcheck.org have weighed in on the stimulus plan. Their review can be found here (short version: It's Bull).

Also, the fact checkers at mywaynews had a thing or two to say about the speech tonight, story here (short version: you could fertilize your lawn with that speech).

P.S. Ben Bernanke said he thinks that the recession will end this year. Based on what? Where on earth do you get the facts to support your starry eyed optimism, Mr Bernanke? Please, share with us the figures that indicate any kind of trend towards recovery. Show us what facts convince you that all of the experts who say 3-5 years until a recovery are in fact wrong.

Don't believe the madness. Fiscal responsibility is our only way back to success.

Only you can bailout the economy

Addicting Games has a great little game where you get to handout bailout cash or slap bankers. Give it a whirl:



Play Games at AddictingGames

D'oh!

Some economists are saying that the president's new program to employ people to install rural broadband networks could actually result in job LOSSES. I'm starting to feel for Obama, the guy just can't catch a break. Story here.

Meanwhile, no one seems to be gaining enthusiasm for my plan to help the economy. I'll explain it again. We have people who need jobs, and we have an auto industry that needs something extraordinary to pull it out of the tank. Let's put those people to work building flying cars. It's almost 2010 and every freaking Sci-Fi movie worth its salt has promised us that we would have flying cars by now. Flying cars would revitalize the sagging auto industry, and it would eliminate the need to spend large chunks of government funds to maintain the roadways. Be honest, which would you rather see: people working in a modern Tennessee Valley authority, or those freakin' sweet flying cars from Minority Report. If the government is going to spend a trillion dollars, wouldn't you at least like to get flying cars out of the deal? Shouldn't a trillion dollars be enough to make it happen? Can we finally get the way cool flying cars that you know you want, and revitalize the American economy? YES, WE CAN!

I want to point out that not only is the Sims Stimulus plan economically feasible, it is the only stimulus plan that has the benefit of being TOTALLY AWESOME. I urge you to write, telephone, or email your congressperson and tell them to vote for the Sims Stimulus plan (also referred to as the Simsulus Plan). I want to point out to all of the naysayers that the Simsulus plan has EXACTLY the same chance of working as any other economic recovery plan that has been presented. Plus, it is the only plan that offers you FLYING CARS.

Congratulations

Here at simsisms, we are often criticized for being too negative. But, we like to recognize achievement when we see it, so today, we at simsisms would like to give a big congratulations to the nation of Iran.

Intelligence reports that Iran now has enough uranium to make a nuclear weapon. SURPRISE!!! Iran is now one step closer to reaching its goal of being a nuclear force and vaporizing the filthy zionists. Iran, we congratulate you. YOU GO GIRL!!!

Idiot Watch

Exactly how hard is it to find a competent attorney general? Have we had one in the last 20 years? In a nation where you can't throw a stone without hitting a lawyer, someone has got to be able to do the job and not be grotesquely beef-headed.

For those who didn't hear, soon to be former Attorney General Eric Holder called the United States a "Nation of Cowards." In context, his remarks were directed at america's ongoing failure to openly discuss the issue of race. However, that is NOT how the remarks are being taken. Memo to all would be cabinet officials: Speechwriters save lives. Enjoy crucifixion in the media Mr. Holder!

Story may be found here.

Poverty Watch

Yet another reason why you are screwed:

Just as everyone who ever picked up an econ book has predicted, printing massive amounts of cash has caused inflation. Almost a full percentage point in the month of January. If inflation continues to rise at its present rate, we'll be looking at about 10% inflation this year. That's assuming things don't get worse, which they will every time the government decides that the solution to our problems is to spend money that doesn't exist rather than make real meaningful changes to the way we live.

Oh, and still more people lost their jobs. Details here.

Legal Watch

What do you do as a follow-up for getting OJ? You take down Suge Knight. Infamous rap mogul and (alleged) force behind the Biggie and Tupac murders, pled guilty to Battery in a Las Vegas court recently. That's right, California. Our courts get the guys you can't. Send us Phil Spector and Robert Blake. We'll put them away too.

Suge was caught beating a naked woman along D.I. He apparently had possession of a bunch of ecstasy and a Gregory House amount of Vicodin. He also had a knife. Good Job, Suge.

Story here.

Today in the Financial Crisis.

Quick survey of some notable financial developments.

First, in case you didn't know already, credit card companies hate you, and they aren't shy about showing it. Pretty much every credit card company on earth is raising their interest rates, minimum payments, and tacking on additional fees (ever call a credit card company? exactly how does an organization that does not provide service justify calling fees a "service charge"?). We here at simsisms would like to taunt all of you who slave away for VISA, Bastardcard, and American Excess by rubbing in the fact that we have no credit card debt. Neener, Neener, Neener.

Not wanting to be upstaged in the "people or groups that you are absolutely sick of hearing from" contest, congress immediately announced that it would be looking into credit card companies. The same credit card companies who no longer have the resources to give generous campaign contributions. Way to attract attention to yourselves at precisely the wrong moment, guys! Maybe you should have just lied low and waited for the whole economic crisis to blow over, but no, you had to go and try and get a few more drops of blood out of a nation full of stones. Good move, guys. Seriously, next announce your corporate sponsorship for the 2009 "Club baby seals" competition, FTW. Link to the story may be found here.

Next, a surprising number of homeowners have been able to escape foreclosure by asking their lenders to produce the note. Turns out, a lot of the time, Banks can't do it. Good job consumers. Pwn those banks! Link may be found here.

Forbes had a decent article on why we should not bail out shareholders in banks. I skimmed the article but didn't find any mention of bankers having horns. Must have been an oversight. Seriously though, the article should appeal to all of you amateur economists out there (you know who you are). Link here.

Also, it appears that the economic crunch is being felt all over, resulting in premiere Las Vegas attorney Craig P. Kenny actually charging for defending you from traffic tickets. Kenny used to provide this service for free as a way to meet new clients. Now he's charging 50 bucks. That's still less than most other lawyers are charging, but still, it stinks to lose such a valuable free service. Over the years, we here at simsisms have sent many people Craig's way, but we may now have to rethink this. Sorry Craig, until further notice we are downgrading your status from "People we love" to "People we moderately like." Story on Wild Wild Law, here.

I've been meaning to lug this for a while, but haven't found the right time to do it. I've decided that here is as good a place to plug it as any. One of my favorite prof's has a blog and I am commanding everyone to read it. Nancy Rapoport is one of the great bankruptcy minds in the state of Nevada, and has worked on several big name bankruptcy cases, including the Enron case. I insist that you check out her very worthwhile blog, http://nancyrapoport.blogspot.com/

Lastly, have you seen this photo?




Don't front, that's freaking cute. I don't even care that it has nothing to do with money and doesn't belong in this post.

More snarky comments as they develop!

Bankruptcy Watch

Oh yeah! It's the economy, Baby.

The following notable companies got pwned by the economy.

First off, Muzak, the dreadful "music" played in elevators and shopping malls through which the government may or may not be controlling your mind is out of cash. Sadly, they are not liquidating and will continue to kick the tunes. Story here.

Next, providence has smiled upon us all and forced Trump entertainment to declare chapter 11. You may notice the sun shining a little brighter and music sounding a little sweeter today. Except for Muzak-type music. Story here.

Nazi Zombies

Open Letter

Dear Barack Obama,

On behalf of the entire city of Las Vegas I would like to thank you for discouraging companies from sending their employees to Las Vegas. Thank you very much for taking billions of dollars out of the rapidly deteriorating Las Vegas Economy. Did you not seem to realize that when people spend money it helps the economy? Did you seriously rise to the highest office in the country without a rudimentary understanding of economics? Are you clueless to the fact that there are ways to stimulate the economy other than the government just randomly printing money? See, those people would have come to Las Vegas, and spent money on goods and services. The people who would have provided those goods and services would have then spent the money they received on more goods and services, and so forth. It's bad enough that you are on TV every night flogging this outrageous and ill conceived stimulus bill which will commit our nation to economic underachievement for the foreseeable future, but why do you feel the need to further embarass yourself by seeking to discourage tourism to Las Vegas, a town which anyone with approxamite IQ of granite knows relies heavily on tourism for its economy. Is it possible that the same man who criticized his predecessor for being a simpleton could be so mind-bogglingly beef-headed? Mr. President, are you seriously saying we must act with reckless abandon to mortgage the next 30 years of our treasury to save our economy at the exact same moment that you are telling people not to go and spend money in a town leading the nation in foreclosures and with double digit unemployment? Thank you very much for making Las Vegas an utter pariah in the business world, you unbelievable schmuck. Just please, never mention my town again. In fact, don't even visit this state. You are not welcome here, you pea-brained twit.

Mayor Goodman has asked for an apology, and I you owe it to this city. You've cost this town a great deal of money and jobs, and you have offended the city of Las Vegas, a city with numerous mob connections. Next time you want to score political points by making someone else look bad, please don't throw my city under the bus to do it.

The cost of credit

How much does it cost a business when you use your credit card? Check this website.

http://truecostofcredit.com/400927

Music Czar

Some people have mocked the new administration. It's too idealistic, too focused on change, they say. I, on the other hand, have become inspired. It's time we right what's wrong. It's time that we make changes happen. That is why I am volunteering to serve as the Music Czar for the Obama administration. Can we fix the dismal state of music in America? Yes we can.

Here's my platform as Music Czar.

1) MTV will be ordered to go back to playing nothing but music videos. It will not be allowed to interrupt the music for ridiculous viewer comments or clutter the screen with a news crawl. MTV will also be required to show the video for "The Superbowl Shuffle" at least once a day between the hours of 8 am -7pm Eastern Standard Time. The Creators of The Real World and Road Rules will be jailed for crimes against humanity.

2) Yoko Ono and Courtney Love will both have their citizenship revoked immediately.

3) Your best friend who keeps insisting that you should listen to more Sigur Ros will be subject to prosecution for being a Poser.

4) CD's will no longer be produced as no one buys them. Those resources will be reallocated to producing Vinyl Albums so that people who want music that sounds fresh and alive can finally find it.

5) The Format will be required to get back together.

6) Resources will be diverted from middle east peace talks and channeled into brokering a peace agreement between Roger Waters and David Gilmour so that Pink Floyd can finally do a reunion tour.

7) The RIAA will have to be reparations to everyone it sued for illegal downloading while screwing musicians out of money and jacking up CD prices.

8) The government will subsidize the purchase of Bon Iver songs.

9) Hip Hop artists will be prohibited from performing in khaki's and/or argyle sweaters. I don't know when this trend started, but it needs to stop. I'm looking at you Kanye West.

10) Country Music singers will no longer be allowed to do songs about the beach. It's country music; it should be about the country.

11) The FBI will investigate the Biggie and Tupac murders. This country needs closure!

12) Any top ten guitarists list will be required to feature Lindsay Buckingham. Can we finally get a musical genius some much deserved recognition? Yes we can!

13) Metallica will have to pay a settlement to be divided equally among its fans, proportional to the amount of money each fan spent on concerts and CD's.

14) Seven string guitars will be banned.

15) A law will be passed mandating that all lyrics must be decipherable.

16) Otherwise ood bands will not be allowed to sell out and allow their music to be used in Teeny Bopper Vampire movies. Can we restore Iron and Wine's indie cred? Yes we can!

17) Lip Synching in concerts and live TV performances will be punishable by fine or imprisonment.

18) Any artist who shows up to concert drunk or stoned must offer a refund to ticket buyers. An exception will be created for Willie Nelson.

If you can think of any urgent music reforms that I missed, feel free to post them in the comments section. Together, we can save the music.

Bottle Water

Daniel Hamermesh has an excellent screed on universities and bans on bottled water. Recommended for your edification, here.

The Ascent of Money

Sorry for the last minute post, but PBS is running the excellent special, "The Ascent of Money" tonight. Tear yourself away from American idol and catch this special. If you miss it, check your local PBS listings because they will almost certainly rerun it.

2008 Wrap-Up

Greetings to all after the Holiday layover. As we move on to 2009, I think it appropriate that we take time to remember the mighty suckfest that was 2008. Here's the Simsisms rundown of the best and worst parts of 2008.

Best Movie Seen in 2008

Look, 2008 was a pretty crappy year for movies. Let's face it. There were maybe a handful of movies that you could actually justify seeing a second time. I think we can all accept that Dark Knight was pretty much the cream of the crop, provided you ignore Christian Bale's Tom Waite impression every time he speaks as Batman. Batman scores major points for having at least 3 Oscar worthy performances and having the guts to realize that Batman is a fairly boring character at this stage and focusing on everyone around him. Harvey Dent's rise and fall was probably the most interesting story told onscreen this year, and the Joker was about the scariest character to show up on film since Hannibal Lecter.

Other Fairly decent films include Iron Man, and....uhm...(crickets chirping)....uh....yeah. By all accounts Wall-E was pretty good, as was Kung Fu panda, but I haven't gotten around to seeing either of them. I've also heard some great things about documentaries, but again, I haven't seen anything. Pretty much everything else was a tragic disappointment or mediocre at best. James Bond was Meh, and Indiana Jones....well....let's just say I'm working on a device a la "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" to expunge the memories of this film from my brain. We may need to take a restraining order out on George Lucas to keep him away from movies.

Worst Movie Seen in 2008.

This is a pretty crowded field, as there were a number of movies I turned off midway through when I realized that I didn't care how they ended. However, the most ridiculous movie I sat all the way through would have to be Eagle Eye. The more I thought about the movie, the more it just didn't make sense. Why would a computer go through such convoluted lengths to accomplish something so very simple?

Thanfully the 2009 slate of movies looks very promising, with Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes leading the pack of movies that I want to see.

Best TV show of 2008

LOSTLOSTLOSTLOSTLOST!!!!!!! A thousand times LOST. No show featured more jaw dropping, mind blowing moments. I love the Wire, but I'm too traumatized by what happened to Dukie to put it as number one. I'm tearing up just thinking about it. By the way, did I mention that LOST starts again in 3 weeks? I may completely fail school this semester.

Worst TV Show of 2008 that used to be good.

Heroes. It's stock has dropped further than Bear Stearns. This last chapter was the equivalent of Indy hopping into the fridge. Note to producers, It takes a lot to make me not watch Kristen Bell. I have a mad crush on that girl and have since day one of Veronica Mars. She makes my little geek heart race. But I just couldn't watch her on heroes, it was just too awful. After years of hearing her bantering witty Rob Thomas dialogue, I just couldn't take the banal drivel the Heroes writers had her spouting. I don't know if Bryan Fuller can fix this train wreck of a show. I've quit watching anyway.

Best Music of 2008

While 2008 was a dreadful year for movies, it was a boom year for music. Picking favorite music from this year is like picking between my children. In addition to the great lineup of indie artists I found by cruising amazon at 2 in the morning, I also discovered some great classic stuff as well. I've played "Perfect Day" by Lou Reed my iPod is practically in revolt. I've also gotten hugely into the Clash and local record stores are toying with me by not carrying any of The Clash's classic stuff in Vinyl. DARN YOU ZIA RECORDS!!! YOU HAVE EVERY RECORD JACKSON BROWN HAS EVER RECORDED AND NOT A SINGLE COPY OF LONDON CALLING?!?! HOW DO YOU SLEEP AT NIGHT!?

As far as tracks from this year, a definitive best is impossible to name, but Fleet Foxes, Vampire Weekend, Bon Iver, and Ra Ra Riot all made must have music this year.

The Album Most Overhyped as "Amazing" When it was Really Just Okay, or at Best, Pretty Good.

Viva La Vida by Coldplay. Sure, It's on my iPod, it's got some good songs, but it was well sort of Earth Shattering and nowhere near as transcendantly good as everyone made it out to be. I haven't listened to Violet Hill in months, and the album is just not an essential to anyone's reord collection. Go ahead, send me angry email messages, it doesn't make the album any better.

Worst Song of the Year, Who's Singer Should Be Shot.

"I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry. Terrible song, propelled up the charts by teenagers who wanted to upset their parents. Back in the day, kids bought Offspring, or Green Day to make their parents mad. At least they had talent! I sound so old. This song is irritating, irritating, irritating. If the lyrics were about something else, this song would have never seen the light of day. It. Sucks. Period.

Most Washed Up Artist who is No Longer Relevant and We Should All Seriously Reconsider if He/She was Ever Any Good to Begin With.

Madonna.

2008 proved that she's an old hack, and an embarassment, and her career has basically been perpetuated by finding new and interesting ways to court controversy.

Best Blog of 2008

Goes to my buddy Myron. If only he updated more often.

Most Unprofessional group 0f 2008

The mainstream media, for not even attempting to be evenhanded. It's not that they were overly harsh to John McCain or George Bush, it's that they wouldn't ask hard questions of the other side. It galls me that these outlets wonder why they are losing ad revenue and viewership and can't seem to self-examine and figure out that they have a HUGE credibility problem.

The Publication most desperately in need of a more competent and biting Ombudsman in 2008.

The New York Times. If this paper wants to savce itself, it needs to find credibility FAST. It should follow the ESPN model and get an Ombudsman and actually draw attention to it. ESPN's Ombudsman was the Must read feature on the web this year. She's tough, fair, and calls people on the carpet all the time for being idiots. If the New York Times is going to continue being a leftist hack publication, it ought to admit it, and bring someone in to point out the Glaring Bias in its reporting. Ditto the Washington Post, which already has an ombudsman, but doesn't give her any power or press.

Best Book I read in 2008

This is a tough one, since I didn't read many books. I read a lot of cases, and they were all terrible. The kind of writing that would make John Updike light himself on fire. I guess I'll go with "Slaughterhouse Five" even though I can't decide whether I loved it or hated it. Vonnegut's writing is undeniably brilliant, and buried deep within all of the sci-fi stuff is a compelling account of the horrors of the Dresden Bombing.

Coming up number 2 on the list is Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Meth Addiction. It's a heartbreaking story of a father of a brilliant young man who turns to drugs. The father describes the years of heartache as his son becomes a modern day Jekyll and Hyde. The book does tend to ramble a bit, and the poor author must be the only one in the world who didn't see that his son was probably doomed to drug addiction before he ever became a teenager (broken home, nasty custody battle, long distance joint custody arrangement, early experimentation with marijuana. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that this kid was at risk). Still, the book works as a compelling story of heartbreak, and the capacity of a human being to live in complete denial of reality, even when the truth is right in front of him. It also serves as a great window into the condition of rehab and recovery in this country, which the author shows is fairly impotent and unequiped to handle an ever-growing epidemic.

Favorite Book I read to My Nephew, Thomas

Five Monkeys Jumping on the Bed.

I may go out and adopt a kid just so I have an excuse to read this book every night. Thomas loved it so much he started reciting it in the middle of sacrament meeting last week. I couldn't help myself, I joined in. I'm sure the family in front of us hates me.

Favorite Moment of 2008

On a long 15 mile run a few months ago, I ran up Charleston avenue until just after all the houses. I stopped and looked around and noticed that I had escaped civilization and there was nothing around me. At that exact minute, snowflakes started falling.

Also fun was Emma telling me I was the most fun of everyone. Ha! Take that, Uncle Danny!

Favorite Discovery of 2008

Vinyl Records.

I've now spent more money on vinyl albums in the past few days than I have spent on CD's in the past couple of years. In fact, I can't remember how long it's been since I even bought a CD. Records sound so warm and alive. I listened to "New Slang" by The Shins last night on vinyl and it was like I heard the song for the first time. As much as I love all of the music from 2008, the best song I've heard all year was last night, when I listened to Simon & Garfunkel's "Only Living Boy in New York" on vinyl. I don't know how CD's ever replaced the warm and inviting sound of records. Vinyl just sounds so much better.

Worst Move During the 2008 Economic Crisis

New York City, for raising welfare benefits 30% while introducing a plethora of new taxes.

Is it a prerequisite for elected office in this country that you must not have a basic understanding of economics? How else do we explain this? In a year of stunningly bad financial decisions by government, this has to be the worst. "The only way to stimulate the economy is to get people to spend money, let's raise the price of everything so people won't spend money." WHAT?!?!?! A tax on soda, coffee, iTunes? Seriously, freaking iTunes?

Close runner ups were the auto bailout, and the Einsteinian "Stimulus Package." The auto bailout means that the mismanaged auto companies will continue to run without meaningful change, and the stimulus package which was supposed to prevent a recession, well, let's just say it didn't work. Even though it didn't work, congress has decided to try and give it another go. We'll probably have another round of stimulus checks this next year. This is the very embodiment of why nothing in this country gets fixed. Rather than change the regulations or failed policies that gave us this mess and then wait for a recovery, the government would much rather throw money at the problem and then pat itself on the back. You realize, that since we've been in recession not one meaningful financial regulation has changed? Again, the capacity of human beings to live in denial is limitless.

Worst Losers of 2008

The Whole "No on Prop 8 crowd." If they had spent the kind of energy trying to defeat the bill that they did complaining and harassing Mormons after the bill was passed, it might have been a closer election. They also seem to be wholly immune to the message that voters sent, that the No on Prop 8'ers are CLEARLY in the Minority and that the Majority absolutely, positively, and without exception does not want gays to marry, PERIOD. You cannot inflict social change on people who do not want it. Just ask all of the schools in the south that weren't desegregated until the NIXON administration, almost two decades after Brown v. Bd of Education.

Biggest Stud of 2008.

Thomas S. Monson.

Hands down. No contest. No comment needed.

All right kids, that's the wrap on 2008. Stay with us for 2009, as we cover the continued recession, the collapse of the construction industry in Las Vegas, and the early failures of an overly arrogant Obama administration. Happy New Year, and Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Men.

Holidays and Insulin Shock

I've posted about my love of cake before, but in honor of the holidays I'm posting one of my favorite sites, http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/ They have some great and hilarious holiday cakes for your enjoyment.

Also, check out recent baking enthusiast John Mayer's latest entries on Interfaith Baking, and check out some of the cool cake pictures that fans have sent in. Link here.

Merry Christmas to all! Diets start Friday!

More Required Listening

I avoided listening to Raising Sand, Robert Plant's collaboration with Alison Krauss, for a long time. It just seemed too odd to work. For those who don't know. Robert Plant was the lead singer of Led Zeppelin, probably best known for singing Stairway to Heaven and generally inspiring Heavy Metal. Alison Krauss is probably best known as the poster child for Bluegrass music and was heavily featured on the O Brother Where Art Thou? By all rights this shouldn't work. Who even suggested this collaboration? Well, whoever it was is a freaking genius because their album together is one of the greatest things I've ever heard. Highly recommend that you sample some tracks.

As I Lay Dying

I managed to get sick midway through my tax final. Thankfully, I didn't know anything about the subject anyway so it didn't affect my performance. I'm just hoping for that All important C-. At this point, my motto is C's get degrees.

Before finals, I went and dropped a wad on Amazon's mp3 shop. For those of you still downloading from iTunes or pirating from limewire, get with the times. Amazon is where it's at. The music is DRM free. Restricted music is so last year, as is getting sued.

As I've basically been stuck at home in bed waiting out the chills, dizzyness, headache, and crazy David Lynchesque nightmares I haven't had much to do except zone in and out of consciousness while listening to my iPod. So, without further ado, here's the latest recommendations for your download list.

Old 97's- Question and Murder or a Heart Attack

What's that you ask? When did I get into alt country? Get with the program, peeps. Alt Country is where it is at. The Eagles, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, if they were around today they'd be lumped into the Alt Country category. Don't forget that Wilco emerged from the remains of Uncle Tupelo, which was the poster child of the Alt Country movement in the 90's. That said, I defy you to find anything as catchy as Murder or a Heart Attack. I love this song. It gets caught in my head and keeps me company all day long. Kind of like the voices which tell me to burn things.

Apologies, but youtube only had a decent video for question. Still a good song, but not AS good.




The Helio Sequence- Lately

The best thing to come out of the White Stripes revolution is the realization that a band only needs two people. Sorry Bass players, but most of you are just glorified metronomes. Anyway, the two man line up is about where any similarity with the White Stripes ends. The sequence sounds a lot more like Coldplay with Bob Dylan as the frontman. It's good stuff.



The Kooks-Always where I need to be.

Yet another example of Indie Rock being more than whiny dudes with an acoustic guitar. I'm a bit of a latecomer to the Kooks, as they've officially become so buzzed about that they're essentially mainstream at this point (They have an actual music video. Sellouts!). I don't care, I don't have any street cred that needs preserving.


Neutral Milk Hotel- In an Aeroplane over the Sea.

Speaking of whiny guys with acoustic guitars...

I've always thought the best musicians were the ones who could hold their own in front of a crowd with nothing but an acoustic guitar. NMH is pretty much from forever ago, but it's amazing how unknown they remain in most circles. Bonus points for the horn solo in the middle.

The National-Mistaken for Strangers and Fake Empire

I was going to post the video for Mistaken but then I found out that it was directed by a guy named, I'm not making this up, "Thread Count." I'm not going to lie, it's pretty much killed the song for me. Maybe enen the band. Too bad because they were really good. Here's the band live on Letterman.


Ra Ra Riot-Can you Tell

Darn it, picking between favorite Ra Ra Riot songs is like picking between you children. St. Peter's Day Festival is also a treat. This band is one of my recent favorites if for no other reason than they have an electric cello and it actually sounds good. And you know my feelings on cellos. They are the audio equivalent of Sylvester Stallone's acting.

Beirut- Scenic World I've heard a lot about Beirut and I've been meaning to give them a spin for a while now, but I've resisted because they have an accordion player. Generally, I feel that the Accordion is like Tom Waits voice: It has no place in music. (Cue angry emails defending Tom Waits). I'm happy to say I was wrong and that Beirut is completely awesome. As synth music seems to be catching on more it's good to hear some novel and organic sounds.


Panda Bear- Comfy in Nautica From unorthodox instruments to no instruments. Panda Bear's A Capella + Sound Effects song is insanely catchy (or is that kitschy?). The song is good enough that I will forgive the dude for stealing the title Panda Bear, which I had long intended to be my Rap Name. I'll also forgive him for using sound looping in his live performances, but I have to tell you that it was likeing finding out there is no Santa Clause.

I didn't like the normal video for the song (skateboarders?), so I replaced it with this one full of Indiana Jones scenes.



Ben Folds- Fred Jones Part II

An oldie, but a goodie, and often overlooked. No one does depressing like Ben, and this song is one of his better forays into Melancholy. The sad tale of a man who's life has passed him by and finds that his usefulness is gone. I included this clip because it features the random and unintentionally hilarious cameo by the dude from CAKE.



The Weepies- The World Spins Madly On

Darn it, this group is like Buckingham Nicks, but mellower. This makes me wish I had the original Buckingham Nicks record on Vinyl. Anyone who wants a good Christmas Gift idea for me, there you have it. Okay, back to the Weepies.

No, wait, we need to go back to Buckingham Nicks. How is Lindsay Buckingham so under appreciated? He was the lead guitarist for one of the most successful groups of all time and he is a guitar savant. He's never mentioned on anyone's top guitarist list and that's just criminal. He's released two solo albums in the past couple years and they are as good as anything Fleetwood Mac did post-Rumors. How is he the least famous member of that group?

Okay, back to the Weepies. I'm telling you, this group has major upside. Look for them to continue to sell their ethereal, mellow tunes to undeserving movies for the next several years, or join a formerly well thought of power blues group fallen on hard times and transform it with their pop influence culminating in a best selling album fueled by divorce and Mick Fleetwood's cocaine habit.

Please ignore the fact that this video was taken from a total chick flick.

What is a GPU

Ah, Mythbusters, How I heart you.

Watch the demonstration of Leonardo 1.0, 2.0, and then the second video show's what happens when a man get shot by 1100 paintballs at once

Hipster?

For those of you who have ever wondered what a hipster is and whether you or someone you know might be a hipster, Urban Dictionary provides the following definition:

	People in their teens to 20s who generally listen to indie rock, hang out in coffee shops, shop at the thrift store and talk about things like books, music, films and art.

The Hipster Handbook offers this definition:

One who possesses tastes, social attitudes, and opinions deemed cool by the cool. (Note: it is no longer recommended that one use the term "cool"; a Hipster would instead say "deck.") The Hipster walks among the masses in daily life but is not a part of them and shuns or reduces to kitsch anything held dear by the mainstream. A Hipster ideally possesses no more than 2% body fat.

For further reading, see the wiki article on hipsters (is there anything not in wikipedia?) available here.

Worse people skills than me?

Some things are just too good not to be shared. Las Vegas City Life's Article on P.I Attorney Adam Kutner, who's TV ads are best described as "ubiquitous," is one of these things.

Check it out here. But, be warned, this is a story not for the faint of heart.

What's Spinning on the Ipod

Now that the election is over and we can get back to the ordinary course of politicians ignoring the express will of the people, I thought it would be a good time to drop what's on my iPod playlist.

I cruised some of the celebrity playlists on iTunes and found myself laughing out lout at some of the people trying a little too hard to be cool in their music choices (I'm looking at you, Michael Cera). If you don't really like indie rock, then don't put bands no one has ever heard of on your playlist. It doesn't make you cool, it just makes you a poser.

Here's some of what I'm listening to recently. As you can tell, I'm having a bit of a classic punk phase.

Police on my Back--The Clash



I can't help it, I've become a huge Clash Fanatic. If you are not yet a devotee of the Clash, repent hit amazon.com's mp3 page immediately. Not liking the clash is the musical equivalent of voting no on prop 8.

Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn've)--The Buzzcocks.



You may recognize the song from Pete Yorn's remake for one of the Shrek Movies. He actually did a pretty good job, but original is generally the best. By the way, how does someone as decidedly non-punk as Pete Yorn end up remaking a song by the Buzzcocks? I mean, Jason Mraz redid Blitzkrieg Bop, but at least he was in on the joke. The more I think about it, it's like Coldplay doing a cover of "Anarchy in the U.K." Actually, that would be pretty cool. In fact, I'm now insisting that this happen. Chris Matin, wherever you are, I'm begging you the start remaking Sex Pistols songs. Who wouldn't buy this? If anyone out there has connections in the music industry, make this happen.

You are the Best Thing--Ray Lamontagne


Ray Lamontagne is finally starting to get some much deserved recognition. He's essentially Joe cocker for the modern age. It is criminal that people haven't heard of this guy while that "I kissed a girl" song is playing on a continuous loop on pop radio. If that doesn't prove that civilization is doomed, I don't know what does. Maybe this.

Perfect Day--Lou Reed



Yes, I do know what the song is about and I don't care. It's still beautiful. While we're on the subject, if they ever legalize drugs, I think that instead of a surgeon general's warning, they should just put Lou Reed's picture on the packaging. I think the idea of one day looking that messed up should be enough to deter ANYONE from using. In fact, this could single-handedly win the war on drugs.

P.S. John Cale has a much better voice and more musical talent than Lou Reed, so why was Lou Reed the vocalist for Velvet Underground? These questions keep me awake at night.

Closer--Kings of Leon


Just put their entire latest album here. It's great. I don't even care that they lent their music to an impossibly lame season of Gossip Girl, which is 1/10th the show the O.C. was. Yes, even the 22 episode long practical joke that was season 3. Darn it, it was the show that gave us Death Cab for Cutie and it was much better than Gossip Girl will ever be. It had better music and the girls were 10X hotter. I can no longer discuss this rationally, I'm posting the song Life is a Song by Patrick Park in memoriam.



Head On--The Pixies


Okay, it's a cover, but it's a good one, darnit. Besides the Pixies have the distinction of having been loved by Weezer. The Legiao Urbana version is better, but we try and feature english speaking bands on this site.

Flightless Bird American Male--Iron and Wine



Look, I've been listening to Iron and Wine for years, so I knew them before they were cool. If I could grow a convincing beard, I'd be this guy's exact clone. As such, I'm willing to forgive them for allowing this awesome song to be included on the soundtrack for a certain teeny-bopper vampire movie which I will not allow to be named on this site. Seriously, if you name it in the comments section don't think I won't delete you. The video is from a pretty awesome live version, but the recorded version is great too.

He Doesn't Know Why--Fleet Foxes



I've written about this band before, but I can't say enough about them as far as I am concerned. Buy this CD. GO to amazon and pay the 10 bucks for the whole album; it is absolutely worth it. One of the best bands I have ever heard, spread the word.

That's it for now kiddos. Happy listening.

Day late, dollar short

For those who have not seen it, here is Elder David A. Bednar's discussion on Proposition 8. I realize the vote has come and gone, but you are nuts if you think that this is the last you will hear on the issue. At best, a prop 8 passage will delay the homosexual agenda for a bit. We are going to reach the point in the next few years where only an amendment to the United States Constitution will be able to save marriage.

Elder Bednar also discusses the "Tyranny of Tolerance" and how the label of Bigot will be used to attack those with differing view points. In light of what has happened since the election, i.e. the protests at the temple in L.A., you say his words were prophetic. Please take the time to watch the video as the fight for traditional marriage and the family is far from over and Elder Bednar's discussion is probably the most coherent and reasoned explanation of the subject. Until then, keep supporting traditional marriage and family.

Prop 8 Passes

After 8 years of a very unpopular president and a fairly inept republican party, the Democratic triumph is not unexpected. McCain lost the election when he didn't stand up to the bailout and decry it for what it was: A sham bailout for undeserving, greedy crooks, which covers the mistakes of speculators who turned the economy into their own personal roulette wheel and offers not a dime to help normal people struggling not to lose their homes. He likewise should have denounced the stimulus package for what it was: a band-aid on cancer and a tacit admission by the left that what the country really needs are fewer taxes.

No, an Obama presidency is nothing to worry about. We survived 8 years of a Clinton presidency, this can't be any worse. This economy is beyond repair and in 4 years, Obama will probably be hanging on to his job by a thread. If the republicans can come up with a dynamic leader between now and then (Not Sarah Palin) then it should be a simple matter of "Are you better off now than you were 4 years ago?" Since unemployment will probably have doubled, and foreclosures will still be high, I'm guessing people will be ready to see him go.

The big story in this election is that Gay Marriage Bans passed OVERWHELMINGLY in every state where they were on the ballot. Maybe activist judges will finally get the message that they should not read their own political views into the law. Maybe the Homosexual Agenda will finally realize that the way to bring about change in the country is through broad consensus building and not forcing unwelcome change down America's throat by way of activist judicial fiat.

So, while america voted for change in personnel, it HAS NOT embraced a liberal and permissive agenda as some would have you believe. In essence, the vote against gay marriage says:

GET LOST, LIBERAL JUDGES!

Bill Simmons on Sunk Costs

ESPN.com's Bill Simmons gave a fantastic review of the economic concept of a Sunk Cost. Here it is for your economic education:

What is a sunk cost? In financial terms, it's a lost cause -- you're paying for something that has lost its value to you. Let's say I spent $200 on one of those beautiful, 6-foot-high, glass-blown water bongs and named it Barack Obonga. And let's say I smoked a little too much of the special hydro weed they give to cancer patients, decided someone was watching me through my front window, ran outside in my underwear with a baseball bat, and eventually spent the next two hours sitting in a tree waiting for the imaginary guy to come back before my neighbors called the police. And let's say the whole experience made me say, "You know what? I need to quit smoking pot, it's making me a little crazy." Maybe I'd try to sell the bong on Craigslist to no avail, and none of my friends would take it because there's nothing grosser than owning someone else's bong. At that specific point, Barack Obonga would become a sunk cost; that money is out the window. It's gone. I need to accept this fact and move on.

Full article can be found here

DANNY BLOGS!!!

As some of you know, I have a little brother, and his name is Danny. Here is our stock photo.

My little brosky is pre-med at BYU and he's started up a blog. He's resisted starting a blog for a long time, so I can only assume some sweet girl has finally convinced him to give in and join the Blogosphere. Bienvenidos, Hermano. Everyone go check his blog out right now. His first entry is a delightful discussion of cleansing diets and one of my favorite pastimes, colonics.

Blog may be found, HERE.

Yes on Prop 8

I haven't blogged yet about prop 8. Mostly, it's because so many people have already talked about it and have done a much better job than I could ever do. My old buddy Myron gave the best roundup on it, and I strongly encourage everyone to read his explanation of his position on prop 8.

http://myronn.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2008-10-17T20%3A22%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=2

Long time Simsisms friend, 84rkr posted his thoughts on prop 8 on his blog. 84's stuff is always well written, and may be found here.

Anyone who thinks that judges imposing their own view in substitution of the people's ignores history. Proponents of Judicial Activism often cite Brown v. Bd of Education as an example of the rightness of Judicial Activism. These people also ignore the fact that there was broad support for desegregation, and that the Supreme Court vote in that decision was UNANIMOUS. They also conveniently ignore the fact that most schools weren't desegregated until the NIXON administration. The judicial branch is simply not a transformative institution and cannot push the country in a direction it does not want to go. Take for example the Decision in Roe v. Wade. The court decided to push the country into universally accepting abortion. We have not had a judicial appointment since that decision that hasn't involved whether or not that decision should be overturned. We can't have an election without abortion being a subject. In essence, we've spent the last 30 years trying to undo Roe v. Wade because half the country despises it and will not accept it.

Courts that put their own political agendas in place of the will of the people they serve undermine their own legitimacy. Take for example the two most activist courts in the country, the 9th and the 5th circuit appeals courts. The 9th circuit panel has essentially become a running joke. You remember them as the ones who struck down the pledge of allegiance. The Supreme Court later tossed that case as the litigant didn't even have standing to bring the lawsuit. No one really takes the 9th court seriously on political questions any more, as it's almost a given that they will be overturned.

The 5th circuit, if memory serves, was chastised by the supreme court for not paying attention to the decision that the Supreme court handed down. The supremes effectively had to issue a bench slap to try and get the 5th circuit back in line. The 5th circuit decisions have been quietly named Cert Petitions because it's almost guaranteed that they will have to be reviewed. (Cert Petition is the name of a document that requests a supreme court review).

Now, a court in California is trying to push the state into a Roe situation. California OVERWHELMINGLY voted to explicitly ban homosexual marriages. There is not broad support for the issue, and people do not accept it. When a court substitutes it's own views in place of the will of the overwhelming majority, or endeavors to force a sea change against the will of the people who the court serves, it undermines its own legitimacy.

Prop 8 ammends the California Constitution to recognize only Heterosexual Unions as a marriage. Only an ammendment to the constitution is sufficient to bind the hands of an activist court and force them to abide by the will of the people instead of calling an audible on societal norms. The court's disregard, and frankly, utter contempt, for the express will of the people makes this ammendment necessary to protect this most sacred union given by God as an essential part of his plan for his children. Vote yes on prop 8.

Don't Vote

For some stupid reason, every election season hippies and well meaning old people descend on colleges and malls everywhere trying to convince the ignorant masses to vote. This is stupid. I know TONS of college students and mall goers and the idea of them having ANY say in what happens in the country makes me break out in a cold sweat. I have a degree in political science and I almost have a doctorate, I actually pay attention to politics and world affairs. My vote is informed and based on things like facts. Most college students view class as a way to kill time between bong hits. They are too ignorant and stupid to vote. There, I said it. Stupid people should not vote, and they should not have the same say in the government as I do. There, call me a snob or an elitis if you want, but deep down you know I'm right. You look at the guy in front of you in the voting line and start wondering if they clean the voting machine before each use. Don't front, you know this has happened.

If you think that raising minimum wage is ever a good idea, you shouldn't vote. If you think Saddam Hussein was connected to Al Queda, you shouldn't vote. If you can't pass a breathalizer test the morning of the election, you shouldn't vote. If you have not studied the issues and can't explain why you think your candidate's plan will work, DO NOT VOTE. Stay home. I can't stress this enough, democracy was not meant to be run by the lowest common denominator, and you are bringing us down. Voting is not mandatory, so please, don't feel obligated.

Another great article on why you shouldn't vote, here.

Take a test to see whether you are qualified to vote, here.

In other news, Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert pretty much hit the nail on the head with his description of the recovery plan.

SP running 4 VP on SNL

Perspective

“And behold, the time cometh that he curseth your riches, that they become slippery, that ye cannot hold them; and in the days of your poverty ye cannot retain them.
And in the days of your poverty ye shall cry unto the Lord; and in vain shall ye cry, for your desolation is already come upon you, and your destruction is made sure; and then shall ye weep and howl in that day, saith the Lord of Hosts . . . Behold, we lay a tool here and on the morrow it is gone; and behold, our swords are taken from us in the day we have sought them for battle.
Yea, we have hid up our treasures and they have slipped away from us, because of the curse of the land.
O that we had repented in the day that the word of the Lord came unto us; for behold the land is cursed, and all things are become slippery, and we cannot hold them.

--Helaman 13

Just a quick reminder in this season of financial uncertainty that perhaps the best investment is to lay up treasures in heaven, where things never lose value and the interest rates are highly favorable.

How to make the debate watchable.

Cracked.com offered some suggestions on how to make the debates better. Here's a couple of my faves.

Full article here

The user's guide to the financial crises has been posted at Freakonomics. Link Here

Luigi ZIngales

University of Chicago economist Luigi Zingales offers a plan B for the economic bailout. Given the market today, this might be a moot point, but still an interesting read.

Link here

In other news, here's my suggestion for the McCain campaign ads.

REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED THE LAST TIME JOHN MCCAIN RAN FOR PRESIDENT AND YOU DIDN'T VOTE FOR HIM?




VOTE MCCAIN

Suze Orman talks credit crunch

The following is an article about Suze Orman's take on the credit crunch. I'm pasting the whole article rather than linking because it originally appeared on the website of a certain well-known talk show host whose name rhyme's with Goprah, and whose website I will not link to or name, purely out of principle.

The American economy has hit a new low. Home values are plummeting, bills are rising and job layoffs have every worker concerned.

Factor in the sudden bankruptcy of 158-year-old investment bank Lehman Brothers, an $85 billion federal bailout of insurance giant American International Group Inc., Bank of America's quick purchase of Merrill Lynch and rumors of future sales and the rejection of a $700 billion government bailout, it's no wonder Americans are worried about their money.

Are you sick to your stomach and scared out of your mind?

Money expert Suze Orman is here to explain what's really going on -- and how you can protect yourself.

"We have built an entire economy on lies and deceit," she says. "It's like building a home or an entire building on a sinkhole. You have a foundation, supposedly. But a little crack, if something goes wrong -- a little earthquake, a tremor -- and it starts to open, everything starts to fall down and ... that is exactly what has happened in the United States of America."

Suze says the current financial downturn started all the way at the top of banks, mortgage companies and brokerage firms.

"There was greed at the top -- serious greed," Suze says. "When you have stocks, you have individual companies that want to make money. And [CEOs] want to make more money because the more money they make, the more their compensation is, the more their stock price goes up."
Don't Miss

These companies made money by selling investments like mortgages to people who couldn't afford them, Suze says.

"Have you all ever wondered, 'Why does Suze Orman say people first, then money, then things?'" she says. "It means if we cared about people more than we cared about money, we would not be having what happened today, because the people who run the corporations, if they had cared about all of you, they wouldn't have created loans that you couldn't afford."

A lack of regulations also contributed to the downfall -- and Suze says there weren't more rules established because they would cut into the bottom line.

"The more money the brokerage firms, the mortgage companies and all those companies made, the better the economy was. Because if they lent you money, you had money now that you could spend," she says. "When the economy looks great, everybody feels like, 'Oh, we're doing good.' The stock market goes up. When the stock market goes up, the price of shares go up. The compensation for the CEOs go up."

As things progressed, Suze says many people fell under Wall Street's spell.

"A lot of you have built your personal financial foundation on deceit and lies. You bought a home that you couldn't afford ... You spent money like it was going out of style and it wasn't your money to spend, because why? They were borrowing it," Suze says. "When you borrow money, you leverage yourself. The United States of America leveraged itself so high that when it started to come down, the whole thing now has fallen down." Oprah.com: 6 deadly sins of home equity

The recent billion-dollar bankruptcies are going to make things more difficult for the average person, Suze says. For example, Suze says securing credit may be nearly impossible.

"The chances of you being able to really get a mortgage, a car loan, even student loans for your children, may be far more difficult than you have any idea," she says. "If you currently have credit cards that you're not using that have open lines of credit on it, probably you will see them close down."

In terms of investments, Suze says people close to retirement may need to reconsider. "Many people now have seen their 401(k) either cut in half [or] down 40 percent," Suze says. "[People] may have to work a lot longer than they planned, may not have enough money to generate income to send their kids to school."

Homeowners will also feel a burden, Suze says. As people lose their jobs, fewer homeowners can afford to pay their mortgages and property taxes.

"The less amount of people that are paying property taxes, the less your state has to pay the firemen, the police department," Suze says. "The more your property taxes go up, the less you can afford your mortgage."

With all of these economic puzzle pieces in play, Suze says she wouldn't be surprised if we switched to a cash economy -- which means buying only what you can afford now.

"Banks aren't going to want to give you money where they're afraid that you might not pay them back," Suze says. "I personally think that's a great thing."

So what can you do to protect yourself? "People, stop living the financial lies that you have been living," Suze says. "If you don't have the money to pay for something, can you just not buy it? Can you wait? Can we start looking at keeping our cars for 10 years rather than getting a new one every three?"

Tammy and Tim are a couple who asked for help cleaning their financial house. Like many Americans, they say they have no health insurance and owe more on their home than what it's worth.

The couple also says they have no life insurance to provide for their two children should tragedy strike. Since Tim was laid off from his job last spring, the couple has been living largely off credit cards -- and owe more than $90,000 across 29 different cards.

Tammy says the bills added up before they knew it. "We are taking every bit of money that we do make and putting it toward our credit card payments. We're very proud people and never have been late in 20 years on our payments," she says. "We tend to take our cash, pay our credit cards and then use our credit cards to pay our mortgage and put gas in our car and feed our kids."

Tim says he and Tammy have no idea what to do once their credit is maxed out. "Right now is where we really need the most help," he says. "We're open for any advice that we can get."

Suze has some tough love for this struggling couple. After looking at Tammy and Tim's finances, Suze says the couple falls $2,000 short each month. With property taxes, utilities and the mortgage payment together, Suze estimates it costs at least $3,000 a month to live in their current home.

Suze's suggestion is a harsh truth for Tammy and Tim. "I love you enough to tell you what you need to do to not only save yourselves, but to save your children so there's enough money then to buy them health insurance, for them to have life insurance," Suze says. "You need to sell your home."

Tim says he's concerned about putting his house for sale in a depressed market.

"If you had just been honest a year ago, two years ago, that you couldn't afford the mortgage payments -- you couldn't afford the lifestyle that you were living -- you would not be in this situation here today," Suze says. "If you get rid of the house, you will start to live an honest life without lies. You'll start to make more money. You'll feel better."

Tim and Tammy want to know what their next step should be. "Let's put the house on the market to sell. Let's see what it should be priced at. Talk to your bank about possibly having to do a short sale and just see what happens from there. That is our first step toward honesty," Suze says.

It won't be easy, but Tammy says they're ready. "Whether we've been naive or not, it's a reality, and now we're finally seeing the light and realizing that it's a change we need to make," she says.

Cash-strapped couples aren't the only ones concerned by the country's economic crisis. Millions of aging Americans who have money in retirement accounts have seen their nest eggs shrink in recent weeks. Suze reveals which people really need to rethink their plans for the future.

If you're 10 to 20 years away from retirement, Suze says there's no reason to panic. "As long as you are invested in good quality mutual funds, diversified across the board, as this all goes down, you're buying more shares," she says. "The more shares you buy, eventually, when it turns around ... the more money you'll make."

The situation is more serious for men and women planning to leave the workforce in the next year. Suze says if you recently lost money in the stock market, there isn't time to recover your losses.

"The harsh reality there is what? You are going to have to work more," she says. "For something to recover -- even at an 8 or 9 percent annual average rate of return -- it could take you 12 years to get back there."

If you need to start dipping into your savings in the next 10 years, Suze says it's best to take your money out of the stock market and invest in CDs and treasury bills or bonds.

"For those people who need the money to be safe and sound, you need it to generate income now. You have to come out [of the stock market] at this point," she says. "It doesn't mean you can't go back in."

Suze says people may also want to start rearranging their funds. "You might put your money in something that gives you a dividend of 4 or 5 percent, so even though it's low, you're getting your income so you can live off of it," she says. "Then if the markets go back up in those areas, you'll make your money back."

Sell Sell Sell

That's it. Market is over. When Cramer is telling you to get out then you know we are in for a crash.

One More

Saturday Night Live got this one spot on. Maybe the world IS ending.

Biden-Palin

Outrage

Remember how this spending bill is supposed to save the economy? Remember how the House rejected it on monday saying it wasn't the answer? Well, the senate has found the answer. Pork. Lots and lots of Pork. What started as a page bill giving the treasury additional authority to buy bad debts has now grown to hundreds of pages in length and contains tax breaks in no way connected with helping the economy. This bill is nothing short of an outrage and it is unconscionable that our lawmakers would use a crisis as an excuse to line the pockets of special interests.

The following excerpt from the new york post gives the details on some of the provisions of the "rescue" bill. Original article here.

The special provisions include tax breaks for:

* Manufacturers of kids' wooden arrows - $6 million.

* Puerto Rican and Virgin Islands rum producers - $192 million.

* Wool research.

* Auto-racing tracks - $128 million.

* Corporations operating in American Samoa - $33 million.

* Small- to medium-budget film and television productions - $10 million.

Another measure inserted into the bill appears to be a bald-faced bid aimed at winning the support of Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), who voted against the original version when it went down in flames in the House on Monday.

That provision - a $223 million package of tax benefits for fishermen and others whose livelihoods suffered as a result of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill - has been the subject of fervent lobbying by Alaska's congressional delegation.

Some of the pork-barrel measures buried in the financial rescue package had been contained in a bill that previously passed the Senate, but died in the House.

The Congressional Budget Office said the package of breaks - including obvious pork and some more defensible tax-relief measures - will add about $112 billion to budget deficits over the next five years because the bill doesn't contain enough offsetting revenue hikes to keep the budget balanced.

Bailout

A bailout is when a failed president and a failed congress give $700 billion of your money to failed banks. How could this possibly fail?

--Jay Leno


Link to a snappy article on why the bailout is all wrong

Click Here

Apologies

700 Billion Dollars and not a dime will go to save your house.

In honor of all the people who are going to lose their house, the best copy I could find of Ben Gibbard's All Apologies cover.