The Mauling of America

As my wise friend Kim told me, the whole enchilada will not fall apart. -- So be it.

Crude oil futures are going to reach $100.00 per barrel sooner in 2008 than later. Our not- so-tidy dirty little wars will continue to escalate, now compounded with the tragic news from Pakistan. Bhutto's death marks the beginning of a new chapter in International affairs with our collective posteriors hanging out to catch the flack and fallout.

The United States of America faces perhaps the grimmest visage of an election year since 1960, when at least the scoundrel Nixon was defeated by the New England political machinery of the old bootlegger Kennedy.

The choice at the polls always a lesser of two evils.

Nineteen sixty or two thousand and eight . Business as usual in America!

Jesse Marvin "Big Daddy" Unruh, California Democrat insider politician until his death in 1987, said this about lobbyists "If you can't take their money, drink their liquor , and fuck their women, and then come in the next day and vote against them you don't belong here."

Jesse was also quoted as saying "Money is the mother's milk of politics."

It is truly sad that change comes so slow in such a large and free country as the USA.

A mild recession is predicted for the USA in the year 2008 by educated bipeds a lot smarter than me. I believe them, and then some too.

I grew up around twentieth century depression era survivors, and at least then families were extended, and you knew the butcher, baker, and grocers at the end of your street by their first names.

Not quite the same set of faces will great you at your local big-box corporate store if you are a little short on funds and desire to order your victuals on the cuff for a week.

Today's sources of credit are the loan shark industry that poses as "payday loan enterprises", complete with enough double digit interest to choke a cow, and terms that you might better work out with a swarthy man on the docks in a sharkskin suit, who spells out his terms very clear and concise, complete with penalties of a permanent nature for failure to make good on your loan.

The banking industry in the USA has the largest lobby gang on K street in Washington, D.C. This banking industry is coming off record years of profits, and has managed to use it's collective k street influences to affect a more stringent set of bankruptcy legislation that penalizes the very customers that the bank's strung out on cheap teaser credit card loans, and home mortgage loans that resulted in the bank's record profits, and the client's fiscal downfall. B

usiness as usual from the out of control banking industry! Profit by hook or by crook. -- Or is it hook 'em, then crook 'em?

The banking industry has taken Jesse Unruh's "Mother's milk" practice to it's unfortunate contemporary conclusion.

These same banks ,via their hired lobbyists on k street, will soon be crying to our elected officials in Washington, D.C. for some major fiscal relief from their less than prudent business practices. Time has arrived to shut the door in their faces, and as the drug jingo goes "just say no."

Tell your congressman, senator, or write a letter to the next President of the USA to that effect. Tell the banks no, when it comes to them asking for yet another hand out, and bail out form their unsound practices.

Thirty years as a small business owner has taught me well to live within my means, and to resist the notion of borrowing money against the future. I did borrow a thousand dollars in 1976 when first going into the book business from a depression era Uncle.

Paid the unc' back in thirty days with interest, and have managed to never borrow another dime. Simple lesson. Better to live without in the present, than to jeopardize fiscal solvency in that uncertain future.

Spent a great day today in the great American wilds of suburbia. My wife and I suspended belief in reality for a day, taking in a matinee movie, spending a Christmas gift card apiece on practical shoes, J.C. Penney Company and Macy's Department Store, and even splurged on a three dollar set of photographs from an arcade machine.

As best as we could, we two tourists from the big little city/town of Cleveland , Ohio, did our level best to act as consumers for a day in shopping mall America.

All these mall retail stores seem to have a great corporate air about them. Corporate performance is based upon profit and growth. These corporate operators are big borrowers, and I wonder how they will stand up to the rough fiscal times ahead in 2008?

These same corporation-types are deep in red ink as a way of existence, and keep going back to the well to borrow against the future.

Having already emptied out the mom and pop entrepreneurial retailers once set up on main street USA , their quest for market dominance and worldwide profits might just skid back in 2008 a fair bit , and have their reins yanked back as well.

Stay tuned more to come in election year America 2008.

The various small market media concerns in Cleveland, Ohio would have you believe that a second place in professional sports in the year 2007 is something to brag about.

Not in my book.

Eric Wedge positively choked to finish out the 2007 Cleveland American League season. The Cavaliers 2007 Championship series team is acknowledged as one of the weakest on record to make the show.

The Cleveland Browns await their certain postseason fate. And even if they are able to attain playoff status will be knocked off early.

As for the true City of professional winners in 2007, seems that Boston and New England teams rule the roost.

Pats are undefeated despite the slippery antics of their pajama wearing weirdo head coach. Boston Red Sox capture another World Series flag. And The Celts so far in the 2007-2008 season have lost but three games, and are rather amazing.

So listen up you local lager louts, get used to Cleveland loosing in sports!

It has been a long time since the Browns of 1964, and you can bet the Indians will not see post season play in 2008, The Cavs need to spend some money for a playmate for LeBron or he will be gone soon. And as for the Browns/Oranges, or whatever they call themselves these days brighter days are ahead. Not for some years mind you, and a super bowl seems a fur stretch for the foreseeable future.

Now if we could only get a pro-Hockey franchise, perhaps we would stand a chance...

Book Selling Time!

While coming of age during the Vietnam War era one of the scariest moments in my young life was the realization that the scoundrel Nixon was out to kill me and my young friends. Throwing young men into the meat grinder of a war that was Vietnam did not seem to bother scoundrel Nixon very much at all.

He blathered away propaganda on the radio and television while bombing Hanoi, and crossing into Cambodia.

I will not kid you folks. I was scared shitless of scoundrel Nixon!

While under the influence of a rather strong psychedelic substance I once watched his televised face change into a purplish devil like apparition, and ran from the room clutching my head.

Bummer Nixon!

Now I can only offer to sell this book of his memoirs signed by him as a possible catharsis for my still reoccurring bad Nixon flashbacks.

Please help me purge this old demon from my mind. Help! If interested please purchase SIX CRISES, which is inscribed and signed by scoundrel Nixon himself on the book's free front end paper.

Promise to throw in a free copy of comedian rush Limbaugh's SEE I TOLD YOU SO, low humor book as well -- though hurry, I am tempted on a daily basis to toss Rush out into the traffic on east ninth street, and do not know if I can resist this cheap thrill much longer.

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