Sorry, a little slow out there On the Fax today. Happy Monday!
Cheney doesn't think we're safe? Thanks to you Lord Vader. [Democracy Now!]
Showing posts with label The Man. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Man. Show all posts
Monday, March 16, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
I Guess Things Could be Worse...At Least Spring is Almost Here!
So being employed again has put me in a position of not being able to write as much. I know that's a lame excuse but there's only so many hours in a day and I require sleep...that being said, when someone calls me out, I feel it is my responsibility so answer some motivating criticism.
Two coerced readers (whom I send the posts to automatically via email) both were less than impressed with my link to the Financial Times article about the thousands of people at the New York job fair. Fine, so maybe I'm getting a little lazy.
As a response, I'll address a point that one of the readers brought up: what the hell has the special needs group known as Congress been doing for the past month and a half? Plus, it's been an on-going circus with the whole new administration. Michelle's arms, Rahm Emanuel likes to curse, the bloody dog, and the BIGGEST shocker of them all? Washington DC is still disgustingly partisan.
Aren't you glad that so many people voted for change? I mean, sheeeeesh, things are SOOOOO different. Banks are still beingnationalized pre-privatized, companies are still laying off workers, baseball players are still getting outed for steroids, AIG is heating their buildings by burning their bailout money, General Motors still makes crappy cars, and Democrats and Republicans in congress still would rather break bread with Osama bin Laden than work together on any meaningful legislation that might actual accomplish something.
But our government officials really aren't that interested in doing anything but blaming each other. It's not in their best interest to work together. How the hell else are they going to get elected? They've got to be able to point to someone that isn't doing anything to help us (e.g. the other party). No one wants to point to, GASP, accomplishments.
A lot of this blame falls on the Democrats. I mean, they've got the power right? They wanted it so bad and now that they have it all they've done is continue blame the other party, "Just you wait Republicans! Once we get this ball rolling, you'll never win another election, EVER!" Too bad nothing has happened except unemployment rocketing through the stratosphere and the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunging below 7k.
All of that being said, Republicans haven't done a damn thing either. All they're doing is going back to all their old cliches and making excuses. Like the whole notion that the White House talking about Rush Limbaugh and what a blowhard he is, is somehow distracting the American people from the adminstration's policies. Apparently, Lenin has taken residence in our new President and the only way they (i.e. the White House) can distract the American people is talk about Rush Limbaugh.
First of all, the "American People" are really more distracted by NASCAR, Bud Light commercials, and Brangelina then what's going on in DC. Second of all, the Republicans had the better part of EIGHT YEARS to do things and what did they do? They completely dropped the ball. Our country is in a total quagmire and it's largely their fault.
Did John Boehner think that the day that BO took the oath that all those lost jobs would come back? Sean Hannity is blaming BO retroactively to March 2008 when he "won" the election so all of this is clearly his fault.
On top of all this, it's becoming more and more likely that it will be necessary for ANOTHER stimulus package because the first one was too small. Aren't you glad that some of the scholars in the Senate cut some "wasteful spending" and "trimmed the fat"? We're right back to where we started becuase no one thought that unemployment would continue rising like A-Rod at a Madonna concert.
So what do we take from all this? We're clearly in the rut of electing some really good politicans and NOT electing problem solvers. Hey, it's just our country, what's a decade of economic turmoil going to hurt?
Two coerced readers (whom I send the posts to automatically via email) both were less than impressed with my link to the Financial Times article about the thousands of people at the New York job fair. Fine, so maybe I'm getting a little lazy.
As a response, I'll address a point that one of the readers brought up: what the hell has the special needs group known as Congress been doing for the past month and a half? Plus, it's been an on-going circus with the whole new administration. Michelle's arms, Rahm Emanuel likes to curse, the bloody dog, and the BIGGEST shocker of them all? Washington DC is still disgustingly partisan.
Aren't you glad that so many people voted for change? I mean, sheeeeesh, things are SOOOOO different. Banks are still being
But our government officials really aren't that interested in doing anything but blaming each other. It's not in their best interest to work together. How the hell else are they going to get elected? They've got to be able to point to someone that isn't doing anything to help us (e.g. the other party). No one wants to point to, GASP, accomplishments.
A lot of this blame falls on the Democrats. I mean, they've got the power right? They wanted it so bad and now that they have it all they've done is continue blame the other party, "Just you wait Republicans! Once we get this ball rolling, you'll never win another election, EVER!" Too bad nothing has happened except unemployment rocketing through the stratosphere and the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunging below 7k.
All of that being said, Republicans haven't done a damn thing either. All they're doing is going back to all their old cliches and making excuses. Like the whole notion that the White House talking about Rush Limbaugh and what a blowhard he is, is somehow distracting the American people from the adminstration's policies. Apparently, Lenin has taken residence in our new President and the only way they (i.e. the White House) can distract the American people is talk about Rush Limbaugh.
First of all, the "American People" are really more distracted by NASCAR, Bud Light commercials, and Brangelina then what's going on in DC. Second of all, the Republicans had the better part of EIGHT YEARS to do things and what did they do? They completely dropped the ball. Our country is in a total quagmire and it's largely their fault.
Did John Boehner think that the day that BO took the oath that all those lost jobs would come back? Sean Hannity is blaming BO retroactively to March 2008 when he "won" the election so all of this is clearly his fault.
On top of all this, it's becoming more and more likely that it will be necessary for ANOTHER stimulus package because the first one was too small. Aren't you glad that some of the scholars in the Senate cut some "wasteful spending" and "trimmed the fat"? We're right back to where we started becuase no one thought that unemployment would continue rising like A-Rod at a Madonna concert.
So what do we take from all this? We're clearly in the rut of electing some really good politicans and NOT electing problem solvers. Hey, it's just our country, what's a decade of economic turmoil going to hurt?
Monday, November 24, 2008
Step in My Office...
Let me just first say that this posting has been a long-time coming. I've had lots of time to think about it so hopefully the wait has been worth it.
For me, getting laid off has been weird. Not weird in the sense of someone trying to open the obviously locked bathroom stall door while you're in the middle of an evacuation but weird in the sense of how happy I am as a result of this "reduction in force".
Which, for the record, is the stupidest buzz phrase for a massive nation-wide LAYOFF. You're not taking troops out of Iraq, KPMG, so let's just be honest...Just sayin.
Sorry about the disgression...Yes, I'm happy that I got laid off. Thrilled, in fact. Relieved too. Thinking about how hard I'm NOT going to be working during the months of January through April is a huge weight off my mind. I have many friends that are remaining in the trenches and I've got to say that it may not be the best year to still be there. The unfortunate reality of the sitch is that the amount of work has not changed and has probably increased. Meanwhile, the amount of the people working has most certainly decreased.
Now, you don't have to be a MIT graduate to figure out this equation: MORE WORK + LESS PEOPLE = MORE WORK PER PERSON. Oh and when MORE WORK PER PERSON goes up, your personal life GOES DOWN. BIG TIME. Does this clear up my serentity for you?
Regardless of my logic, there will be friends and colleagues that will think that I am still nuts and that's fine. I can't expect everyone to appreciate my perspective and that's not necessarily what this blog is about.
All I can say is, don't worry for me. DON'T. I'm asking this of you because not only am I happy, I'm feeling completely liberated. It's hard to explain. Perhaps it's the type of feeling that you have when you're so dissatisfied with a situation and then suddenly it is fixed far beyond your expectaions.
Not only that, I can't help but think that being a part of this large financial meltdown doesn't do something interesting for my life story...Granted, there are many people like me but they're not necessarily writing about it but certainly hope they are all enjoying themselves as much as I am.
For me, getting laid off has been weird. Not weird in the sense of someone trying to open the obviously locked bathroom stall door while you're in the middle of an evacuation but weird in the sense of how happy I am as a result of this "reduction in force".
Which, for the record, is the stupidest buzz phrase for a massive nation-wide LAYOFF. You're not taking troops out of Iraq, KPMG, so let's just be honest...Just sayin.
Sorry about the disgression...Yes, I'm happy that I got laid off. Thrilled, in fact. Relieved too. Thinking about how hard I'm NOT going to be working during the months of January through April is a huge weight off my mind. I have many friends that are remaining in the trenches and I've got to say that it may not be the best year to still be there. The unfortunate reality of the sitch is that the amount of work has not changed and has probably increased. Meanwhile, the amount of the people working has most certainly decreased.
Now, you don't have to be a MIT graduate to figure out this equation: MORE WORK + LESS PEOPLE = MORE WORK PER PERSON. Oh and when MORE WORK PER PERSON goes up, your personal life GOES DOWN. BIG TIME. Does this clear up my serentity for you?
Regardless of my logic, there will be friends and colleagues that will think that I am still nuts and that's fine. I can't expect everyone to appreciate my perspective and that's not necessarily what this blog is about.
All I can say is, don't worry for me. DON'T. I'm asking this of you because not only am I happy, I'm feeling completely liberated. It's hard to explain. Perhaps it's the type of feeling that you have when you're so dissatisfied with a situation and then suddenly it is fixed far beyond your expectaions.
Not only that, I can't help but think that being a part of this large financial meltdown doesn't do something interesting for my life story...Granted, there are many people like me but they're not necessarily writing about it but certainly hope they are all enjoying themselves as much as I am.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Conviction by Embarassment
Wow - it's been a couple of week since I posted so getting back into it can be tough sometimes. Now that the dust has somewhat settled after the nuclear winter known as the U.S. Economy, the public hangings can commence. Most of these will be courtesy of Bill O'Reilly (via DealBreaker).
Stan O'Neal, former CEO of Merrill Lynch (my 401k custodian), is up first.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Crisis, Turmoil, Chaos, Whatever
I got a request to opine on the current madness that is currently happening on Wall St. and since I don't like to disappoint my few loyal readers, I thought I would indulge a little. Granted there are an infinity of articles out there on this but I'll give you my non-journalistic, non-finance, non-economics background take on everything. I'll also put in some links to help all of you navigate some of the best stuff on the web.
First, understanding why this is all happening is pretty crucial. The best explanation I've found is here (second post). I don't think I need to say too much more (if you read it) except maybe that too many people got caught up keeping up with the Joneses, Gonzalezes, Schwartzes, Mohammeds, Khans, Sopranos, Changs, whoever the hell they live next to and coveting their (seemingly) marginally superior lifestyle and consumption ability.
This all-too human behavior got the best of too many people and companies like Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, Merrill Lynch, hell, all of them decided to take advantage of this unprecedented wave of home buying and all the consumption (via plastic) that goes along with it.
The past is the past. What about the present? Well, things are bad. Especially in New York, where this eliminates thousands of jobs and the trickle down effect is huge (e.g. street coffee man). That's just the beginning. The cab and limo drivers, service industry employees, etc. A person I regularly talk to likens our situation as (I'm paraphrasing) Great Depression-esque. I definitely see his point. Hoovervilles aren't popping up in Central Park just yet but things are pretty grim. The seemingly bullet-proof New York real estate market is softening, prices of everything are rising, and infrastructure is crumbling.
Luckily, we live in an information-overload era and there are plenty of people putting a comedic spin on all this. My favorite is DealBreaker, a self-described Wall St. Tabloid. They take everything in stride and is a good outlet for those affected by the situation to vent a little about their incompetent, ego-maniacal bosses. New York Magazine is also great, especially the blog Daily Intel. They (DealBreaker, Daily Intel) have a tendency to poke fun at the big players: Hank Paulson, Dick Fuld, John Thain among others which is good because the typical "Big Business Bad!" (via the New York Times) vs. "Big Business Rules!" (via CNBC and Fox News) is, frankly, a little boring.
And, of course, the two guys running for President are talking a big game. John McCain wants to appoint a "9/11 Commission" to figure out the problem (not a solution) and Barack Obama is going to raise taxes (not good for anybody). The last two people that should be talking about the situation is these two guys.
I hate to be the person to remind a few people of this, but the President of the United States has very little to do with the state of the economy. There are going to be good times and bad times and if you're President you either bask in the glory (Clinton, Reagan) or take all the blame (Carter, either Bush). Sorry, it comes with the job.
Now I suppose I could get into credit default swaps and mortgage backed securities and how they fit into all this but it's really pretty boring and complicated. Hopefully this satisfies your Wall St. madness thirst. Now go out there and get your Lehman Brothers swag on eBay!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
"So...the Fed, huh?" Who's that playing Shortstop for the AL?
On Tuesday Major League Baseball’s Mid-Summer Classic will be played at none-other than Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. I remember watching the All-Star Game on TV and loving it. I enjoyed watching all the cool players of that time all playing on the same team. There were always lots of home runs and lots of action and back in those days, the National League always won. Plus, it helped with bargaining in my baseball card trading.
Now that I’m older, while my interest in baseball is increasing again, I am not as knowledgeable about the sport or the players, the American League always wins, and while there is still plenty of action and home runs, there is now something else ubiquitous that I don’t remember as a young fan. Constant corporate sponsorship and advertising.
Since this year’s game is being played at Yankee Stadium and it is the last year of the original Yankee Stadium existence, the corporate presence will likely be more over the top than usual. Not only will the ads be flying fast and furious, the only people attending the game will be CEO’s, Chairperson’s of the Board and their guests, in the following order of importance: 1) clients/customers 2) suppliers/partners 3) mistresses/boy toys 4) family members.
It would be great if more of the tickets were made available to the general public so that they could have a great memory of a baseball game played by its greatest players. Alas, this is not the world we live in. Most people who have enough money to buy these tickets are either not interested in the least or already have their tickets.
Meanwhile, the rest of the tickets are gobbled up by corporations and given to the bigwigs to entertain others who are probably not interested in the game at all.
Hey, what can I say, I’m a fan, and I’ll watch if possible. But thinking about how the game will only be played a short train ride away and also knowing that a bunch of corporate stooges will be deciding how to best present their next big write-down or massive layoffs to the media doesn’t really sit well with me.
On another, unrelated note: how does this guy not make the American League roster?
Now that I’m older, while my interest in baseball is increasing again, I am not as knowledgeable about the sport or the players, the American League always wins, and while there is still plenty of action and home runs, there is now something else ubiquitous that I don’t remember as a young fan. Constant corporate sponsorship and advertising.
Since this year’s game is being played at Yankee Stadium and it is the last year of the original Yankee Stadium existence, the corporate presence will likely be more over the top than usual. Not only will the ads be flying fast and furious, the only people attending the game will be CEO’s, Chairperson’s of the Board and their guests, in the following order of importance: 1) clients/customers 2) suppliers/partners 3) mistresses/boy toys 4) family members.
It would be great if more of the tickets were made available to the general public so that they could have a great memory of a baseball game played by its greatest players. Alas, this is not the world we live in. Most people who have enough money to buy these tickets are either not interested in the least or already have their tickets.
Meanwhile, the rest of the tickets are gobbled up by corporations and given to the bigwigs to entertain others who are probably not interested in the game at all.
Hey, what can I say, I’m a fan, and I’ll watch if possible. But thinking about how the game will only be played a short train ride away and also knowing that a bunch of corporate stooges will be deciding how to best present their next big write-down or massive layoffs to the media doesn’t really sit well with me.
On another, unrelated note: how does this guy not make the American League roster?
I don't know either...
Friday, June 20, 2008
Willie Randolph: Not That Different from the Rest of Us
Strangely ironic that a friend of mine got let go today...I decided I was writing on Willie while on the 'Q' this morning. My hope is that it's not somehow my fault...
For those of you who don't follow sports closely, the New York Mets (baseball) fired their manager, Willie Randolph this week after four seasons. Randolph chronicled his being let go today in the New York Daily News.
The article isn't terribly interesting (it's in the Daily News, after all) but what is interesting is that it shows that even Major League Baseball managers can get treated like complete and utter crap by their bosses.
Randolph was let go approximately 3 am EST. Now granted, that he was on the West Coast so it was only 12 am where he was and he isn't in an office job where the ax drops somewhere between 9 and 5, but it seems a little sloppy.
And, if you read the article, Randolph was completely shocked that he was getting let go. He states that he confronted the GM, Omar Minaya, before leaving for California and that Minaya told him things were "still being evaluated". Randolph goes on to say that he didn't think it would only be one more game before he got fired.
In sports, "being evaluated" might as well mean, "pack your bags".
Many in NYC and across the country have shared a similar feeling with Willie in the past few months. Corporate America has a tendency to be a little more creative when it comes to letting people go. Read this and this. In sports, they take more of a Donald Trump approach.
I guess this may give me some reassurance that no matter what kind of job you have, don't expect your bosses to be above board with you when the possibility of layoffs are looming (unless of course you're a contestant on the Apprentice).
If they're dodgy and non-committal, that usually means they're lying. The problem is, most bosses have bosses who have bosses in sports and in Corporate America. Everybody is under the gun and when "results" are at stake we're all expected to "step it up". What a bunch of shit. If I'm not performing say, "your work is not good, do better or you're going to get fired". Maybe people don't like to hear that but for me it beats the hell out of "you need to step it up".
Refer to other lame buzzwords and cliches here.
The only thing that we can take away from all this is that few people will actually tell you how you're performing because most people suck at delivering bad news or just suck as people in general.
For those of you who don't follow sports closely, the New York Mets (baseball) fired their manager, Willie Randolph this week after four seasons. Randolph chronicled his being let go today in the New York Daily News.
The article isn't terribly interesting (it's in the Daily News, after all) but what is interesting is that it shows that even Major League Baseball managers can get treated like complete and utter crap by their bosses.
Randolph was let go approximately 3 am EST. Now granted, that he was on the West Coast so it was only 12 am where he was and he isn't in an office job where the ax drops somewhere between 9 and 5, but it seems a little sloppy.
And, if you read the article, Randolph was completely shocked that he was getting let go. He states that he confronted the GM, Omar Minaya, before leaving for California and that Minaya told him things were "still being evaluated". Randolph goes on to say that he didn't think it would only be one more game before he got fired.
In sports, "being evaluated" might as well mean, "pack your bags".
Many in NYC and across the country have shared a similar feeling with Willie in the past few months. Corporate America has a tendency to be a little more creative when it comes to letting people go. Read this and this. In sports, they take more of a Donald Trump approach.
I guess this may give me some reassurance that no matter what kind of job you have, don't expect your bosses to be above board with you when the possibility of layoffs are looming (unless of course you're a contestant on the Apprentice).
If they're dodgy and non-committal, that usually means they're lying. The problem is, most bosses have bosses who have bosses in sports and in Corporate America. Everybody is under the gun and when "results" are at stake we're all expected to "step it up". What a bunch of shit. If I'm not performing say, "your work is not good, do better or you're going to get fired". Maybe people don't like to hear that but for me it beats the hell out of "you need to step it up".
Refer to other lame buzzwords and cliches here.
The only thing that we can take away from all this is that few people will actually tell you how you're performing because most people suck at delivering bad news or just suck as people in general.
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