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 being nationalized 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?

Links 3/11/2009 - yes, a day late

Excellent article on stem cell funding and shortfalls that may now that federal funding has been approved [NYT]


Something tells me that not everyone will be enjoying this technology [Reuters]


Those were the days! [Daily Intel]

Links 3/10/2009

Cities are Green! [NYT]

Mass Transit [Democracy Now]

New York's finest [Daily Intel]

Links 3/9/2009

In my lame attempt to get back into a regular blogging routine, I've decided to put into the practice of posting links to some of the better stuff on the web each day. This isn't like plagarizing is it?

Be in the audience of people complaining! [Denver Business Journal]

Isn't this a paradox? [9 News]

Coming to a Red Rocks near you? [NYT]

Ok, this makes it a little more depressing (for Coloradoans anyway)

Last cartoon.

Donations Can Be Made on Behalf of All the Journalists Who Will Now Try Writing Spy Novels

This might be what we would read in the obituary of the Rocky Mountain News, whose last publication is today. Read about here, here, and here. Here's an "official" obit.

Apparently for this Greatest Depression thing to really gather some steam, a major Denver newspaper had to go down.

Is it sad? Sure. The Rocky was published for 150 years. The longest run business in Colorado. That's not exactly a weekend in the Hamptons (or Vail, the choice is yours). But what I think we're witnessing is another business model that has failed to keep up with the changing business environment and was just plain run by morons who probably don't know a damn thing about working capital or debt/equity ratios.

Hell, if banks and car companies don't have a chance, what kind of odds does a tabloid-format newspaper have?

Faxtacular!

Oh loyal readers...last time I posted I probably was still killing mice, walking everywhere and consumed by time in New York.

NOW, I now live in the South City Park neighborhood in Denver, Colorado, get to see the mountains every day, I haven't seen a single mouse since I left New York, and the sun shines all the time. Oh, and it snows too.

It's very strange to leave a place that is so fun and exciting like New York and expect nothing but disappoint in wherever you might be headed. What's equally strange is getting to the new place and realizing that you're only going to be disappointed if you let yourself be. Right, I know that sounds Tony Robbinsish but it's the truth.

My new neighborhood in Denver is a lot of fun and I have a great new non-corporate coffeeshop within walking distance of home on Colfax Ave. Plus, the bus system is really good here so I'll still have regular public transit stories...I'll get into more detail later but that's basically the gist.

I know this isn't really the most exciting post, but I felt really compelled to share the ginormous life change I've recently had. And it has been well over a month since I posted so hopefully you all didn't assume that I had closed up the blogshop.

Don't worry, I'll still be completely obsessed with New York City and what it's like to live there and all the chaos that I'll be missing but you'll likely get plenty of perspective on why Colorado is pretty fun and has plenty of its own chaos, including Aspen bombers. OH BOY!