Tuesday, September 30, 2008

I'm Confused

I've got to say, on one hand, I'm somewhat pleased that the House of Representatives didn't pass the bailout bill. I will say that I'm quite surprised though. I thought they were all scared by the financial crisis. I guess they were more frightened of the voters, at least those who are up for re-election this year. I'm sure they heard from many of thier constituents who were against taxpaper money being used to prop up the companies who gambeled and lost. On the other hand, if the government does nothing, we're most likely in for a deep recession, which may last for more than months, more likely for 2 or 3 years, according to some accounts I've read. I'm not too excited to go through a recession. In my job, I'm already seeing customers curtail thier spending to mainly necessities.

I read an article in the Christian Science Monitor that says that the government should not artificially prop up the economy, that it will only postpone the changes that need to be made in our ways of doing bussiness. They also feel that we just will get another melt down later on that will be even worse. Unfortunately,what the US does or doesn't do affects the rest of the world. Our markets and finances are so intertwined throughout the world, that a recession won't just affect the US, but much of the rest of the world.

I am certainly not qualified to figure out what we should do. My heart goes out to those who are facing foreclosure due to subprime mortgages. I have certainly been there myself. In fact, the company who held my mortgage, has already gone under itself. I guess we just watch and hope and do a little praying that those in power do the right thing. I don't think "we the people" are helpless though. We can mend our own dealings as much as possible, pay down debts if possible, don't take on any more debt if we can help it. Maybe it's time we got away from the instant gratification attitude many of us have and think over any big purchases we may have been planning, even though that might make a problem for retailers. We just need to get back to living within our means. Buying on credit and buying anything that's new has a lot to do with the problems we're facing now, the housing bubble bursting was just the trigger.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Questions About Economics

I have often scratched my head, trying to understand how it is that the American economy seems to depend on my spending money. Everytime there's a blip on the economic radar, it seems it's because people didn't spend as much as expected on back to school products or on holiday giving. Is our gross national product the spending of money by the populace? It seems so much of our economy depends, not just on our spending money, but on our investing in companies, and even on our using credit.

I was reading an oped article by Harold Myerson, who is a writer and editor of American Prospect and the L.A. Weekly. He is of the opinion that the failing companies like Lehman Brothers and Merril Lynch deserve to die due to their poor management and greed. He mentions that over the last 8 years, the U.S. economy has created only 5 million jobs, and the median income of American households has declined. Our infrastucture is failing,(bridges, roads, airports) New Orleans has not been rebuilt. He asserts that American productivity within the United States is no longer the prime target of investment. Now household consumption, known as shopping, comprises 70% of our economy---that's 70%, people. We get to keep our country afloat economically by spending more of our decreasing income on products from China.

Mr Meyerson goes on to lambast Wall Street for turning thier backs on America, only caring about profit and themselves. He says that it wasn't always this way. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, bankers like August Belmont and J.P. Morgan invested European capital in American rail roads and steel. The Whig party, a forerunner to the Republican party, committed to develope the country's infrastructure. Later, as the Republican party, they created land grant colleges to help the populace get an education. The currant Rebulican party seems to have loyalty only to large corporations. These are the same corporations that want Americans to take on more debt to buy more things that they probably don't need, then cry foul when these people can't pay their debt. Now these corporations are beginning to admit that they may have pushed credit onto people who really weren't able to handle that much credit.

I'm not totally comfortable with the Treasury's huge bail-out proposal either. Other than the government buying subprime mortgages, there doesn't seem to be a lot of info on what will actually be done. The fact that one man will have all that power with little or no oversight is a recipe for disaster. I know Congress is trying to put in oversight, as well as some help for individuals,but it is tough going. Hopefully, they will stay in session until it gets done better,and not take the easy way out just so they can get home to campaign for re-election. It seems, to me, that the electorate would be more impressed by seeing them doing thier jobs.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Rain

Since the subject today is rain, I thought I would add a picture of a rain storm we recieved on Labor day this year. We received over an inch of rain in this storm. Since Tooele is in the foothills of the western side of the Oquirrah Mountains, any appreciative amount of rain will run downhill to the North or West. This day, it even ran over the parking and onto the sidewalk.

We got a lovely rain yesterday morning. It was gentle, one of Mother Nature's gifts. I enjoyed watching it. I was also thankful that we didn't have to do our usual Monday lawn watering. I was able to start the laundry early, and finished just after 1 pm. Usually, I have to wait until 10am, when we're supposed to finish the morning watering. That puts me later finishing the laundry. There's just not enough water pressure to water the lawn and run the washer too.

The rain reminded me of the storm we had Saturday in Salt Lake. We had several minutes of thunder, then it started raining on our store's metal roof. What a racket. I was regreting that I couldn't get out to see the rain. That's the trouble with having no windows. The skylights just aren't the same thing.

A member came by my cart to try a sample of my chicken salad. He had a baby with him that looked to be no more than a year old, or less. We talked about the storm and he went on to tell me that he had rushed up to the front door so he could show the rain to his little son, but by the time he got there, the rain had stopped. I thought about how sweet it was that he wanted to share the storm with his child. A little later, I heard the rain start up again and I hoped that he had been able to share it with the baby.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Fall Outing


Ididn't have to work last Sunday, and MaryLou didn't have church, so we decided to take a little trip into the mountains and see whether the fall follage was out. We invited Maureen and planned to make a day of it. We went to the Alpine Loop above Timpanogus. I discovered that while I don't get carsick when I'm doing the driving, I don't do too well as a passenger.


The leaves were just beginning to turn, mostly the scrub oaks and box elder trees. Only a few of the quakies were turning. The colors weren't as bright as I had hoped. It's been a very dry summer. That's usually the case when the colors are a bit on the dull side. The picture on the bottom was taken as we went on the Mirror Lake highway, the one on the top was on the Alpine Loop. We went on to Evanston.WY. We stopped there for lunch.


We've had a disease in the lodge pole pines aroung the state for several years. I was really sad to see how bad it has spread. There are many trees that are like dry sticks, and many others with the red, dry needles of the disease. It almost looks as if there are as many diseased trees as there are healthy ones. I'm not sure whether loggers could get to the trees on the steeper slopes or if they would even want to. To be truthful, we could probably use a fire to clear out the diseased trees. Of course, that would take out the healthy ones too.


We probably would see more color in another week or so, but with me working weekends and gasoline still a little too pricey for another trip,I guess this will have to do for this year.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

We Need To Read Carefully

I've been reading an article from The Christian Science Monitor, whom I consider to be fairly objective. This article advised people to be careful about reading articles about Sarah Palin, and not take things written at face value. The author chastises the media for not reporting objectively and backing down from doing their research and homework,bowing down to the GOP campaign people. Things that were reported in the early days of Gov. Palin's pick as Sen McCain's running mate, were not followed up on. Soon, the press was parroting the party line,as the GOP tries to "create its' own reality".

The problem for many average, busy people, is that they see campaign spots repeatedly, and because they either don't have time or don't know where to research for whatever is true, they end up believing what they see and hear constantly and vote that way. Later, we all begin to wonder how we got into another mess, or why things don't get any better.

Considering the last nearly 6 years, I think it's important to look at many sources and read as much as we can before we make up our minds on election day. We need to use our brains as well as feelings to decide how to vote. Please don't vote on looks, your nieghbors' advise or the wishes of whatever group you may belong to.

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Thoughts and Feelings

Yesterday, I was doing some cleaning and dusting in my room. I was cleaning one of the 8x10 pictures I have of Michele, when I suddenly felt such a wave of grief and disbelief that it almost felt like punch in my stomach. I thought,"I can't believe she's really gone!" These things hit me, usually with no warning, just some little thing can trigger it. Later, I realised that it was Sept. 8th, Michele has been gone for 4 months. It still seems quite unreal to me, for some reason.

I'm working a little bit more lately. We are so short handed at work right now. Last Friday we had 4 people call in sick, plus our new co-ordinator has been in the hospital. There has been lots of shifting of demos and hours. Next month we will probably see an increase in the amount of demos with the up coming holiday season. I'm sure I'll be pressed to work more days. I'll probably work some more, but with every extra trip, it costs more in gasoline. Prices are coming down a bit, but Utah still has one of the highest costs, tied with Montana, in the nation. Unfortunately, with the higher food prices, it's getting harder to get our sales goals. Thank goodness I've already had my yearly review.

The weather is cooling some and we've actually had a couple of good rain storms. Our summer water total by Aug. 27, was just .41 inch. Over Labor Day weekend, we recieved 1.11 inch of rain in Tooele. We finally have some green in the yard. I was afraid we were going to have to convert to sage brush. It's cloudy and breezy today. We're expecting rain this evening and tomorrow. It will be welcome. I must say, I've certainly remembered , with fondness, MaryLou and my trip to Long Beach summer before last. There was so much water compared to Utah!

Wednesday, September 03, 2008

Book Review

I just finished a book by Sue Monk Kidd called "The Mermaid Chair". This is a very good book about a woman going through, essentially, a mid-life crisis. She begins feeling restless when her only daughter goes off to college. The woman has what most would call, a very successful marriage, but the cracks are starting to show. She is an artist who has limited herself to making little art boxes. Things come to a head when she is informed that her mother has cut off her finger with a cleever.

The woman, Jessie, goes home to be with her mother on the little South Carolina barrier island where she grew up, a place she had happily escaped to go to college. Now, she must deal with her mother's possible madness,and her own confused feelings about her home, her mother, and her fathers' violent death when Jessie was 9 years old.

A very important feature is the monestery where the Mermaid Chair resides, a chair honoring its' patron Saint. She resists any help from her psychiatrist husband, in fact tells him to keep away.

We meet very colorful people from the island, and dog Max. Jessie also meets Brother Thomas, to whom she is instantly and strongly attracted. We get to know several of the other resident monks.

It is a book told with compassion and passion. Jessie finds a part of herself that she repressed at the time of her father's death. In fact, in many ways, his death is the focal point of the book. I highly reccomend it.