On September 27, 2008 we lost an American icon. My children and I love the movie Cars. They love the cars and the racing. I love listening to Doc Hudson a.k.a. Paul Newman. Those merry eyes, kind heart, and no nonsense attitude is something Hollywood will probably never see again. While a guy with Newman's looks could easily cruise the starlets of Hollywood, he married a woman he cherished for 50 years. He was faithful. He was known to say in response to infidelity, "Why go out and eat hamburger when you have steak at home?". Joanne Woodward was his steak.
With the passing of the old guard of Hollywood, I mourn what is left. The murky, sleazy era that churns out untalented flavors of the month make my eyes bleed. There are some talented people in Hollywood, but the class is gone. Take a look at Newman's life and lament the loss of class.
Paul Newman fought for his life and loses at the age of 83.
I thank Paul Newman for leaving an imprint on the media that will touch generations to come.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Do You Know Where Your Money Is?
So the market is crashing, George W. is being presidential for the 2nd time in his life, and people are squirreling their money away. Do you know where your money is?
What does the bad scene on wall street have to do with Joe and Jane Average? Nothing? Everything?
I will admit that I'm not a big Wall Street guru. I have a working knowledge of what the Dow Jones entails. I know that when the numbers go down that it's not a good place to be. Many people depend on the market being strong because their retirement is tied into it. Some people "play" the market and when the market goes south, the fun drops out of "play".
Are we approaching a depression/recession? Will business men and women dive from skyscraper windows? Will entire families be turned out on the streets? Will the children be forced to work in sweatshops?
In these days of financial turmoil, there is one thing to keep in mind. It's best to be careful about the few pennies you have clutched in your hands. Read the small print on contracts. Educate yourself on how to diversify your money. Remember that $100,000 is a magic number. When your mother told you not to put all your eggs in one basket, consider your money to be eggs. When your money reach that $100,000 mark, look for another basket to hold the overflow. Don't shy away from the banks, but don't think the banker is your friend. If you have what you consider a lot of money, invest in a financial advisor. And if you don't understand or trust your advisor, get a second opinion. Who cares if you hurt their feelings? There are a lot of people who once had millions who probably wished they had been a little less trusting of their advisors. They probably wished they had hurt a few feelings in order to save their fortunes.
Once again, I'm not a financial expert. I like to think that I'm an expert on commonsense.
So take your money out of your sock drawer, have faith in the economy working itself out, and educate yourself on being a smarter investor.
What does the bad scene on wall street have to do with Joe and Jane Average? Nothing? Everything?
I will admit that I'm not a big Wall Street guru. I have a working knowledge of what the Dow Jones entails. I know that when the numbers go down that it's not a good place to be. Many people depend on the market being strong because their retirement is tied into it. Some people "play" the market and when the market goes south, the fun drops out of "play".
Are we approaching a depression/recession? Will business men and women dive from skyscraper windows? Will entire families be turned out on the streets? Will the children be forced to work in sweatshops?
In these days of financial turmoil, there is one thing to keep in mind. It's best to be careful about the few pennies you have clutched in your hands. Read the small print on contracts. Educate yourself on how to diversify your money. Remember that $100,000 is a magic number. When your mother told you not to put all your eggs in one basket, consider your money to be eggs. When your money reach that $100,000 mark, look for another basket to hold the overflow. Don't shy away from the banks, but don't think the banker is your friend. If you have what you consider a lot of money, invest in a financial advisor. And if you don't understand or trust your advisor, get a second opinion. Who cares if you hurt their feelings? There are a lot of people who once had millions who probably wished they had been a little less trusting of their advisors. They probably wished they had hurt a few feelings in order to save their fortunes.
Once again, I'm not a financial expert. I like to think that I'm an expert on commonsense.
So take your money out of your sock drawer, have faith in the economy working itself out, and educate yourself on being a smarter investor.
Old Salty Dogs w/ 2 Months to Go
Some people get caught up in American Idol, Survivor, and The Hills. The news media said that more people watched Obama and McCain's speeches than the finale of American Idol.
Imagine that. The search for the next leader of the United States is being compared to the search for America's next pop idol.
Well, I have been watching the conventions and speeches. I've been listening to the talking heads disect every word, look, piece of clothing, etc.. I've asked many of those questions a lot of people asked or were afraid to ask. Will Hilary really concede to Obama? Will Bill Clinton throw his support to the new democrat Messiah? Who the hell is Sarah Palin and why did McCain pick a newly minted govenor as a running mate? Can McCain speak to a crowd as well as Obama? Can Cindy McCain stop smiling? Did Laura Bush ever stop smiling? How can McCain talk about change when he's representing the current politcal party in office?
The questions go on and on.
What fascinates me is the underlining drama. Yes, everyone is debating on whether an old salty dog or a refreshing upstart should be the next president, but the battle of the old salty dogs is one I'm eager to watch these coming weeks. Obama is suave and cool while Palin is, seemingly, quick and spunky. But what about McCain and Biden? These two cats been clamoring for that top position for years. They both made the run two times. It looks like it's the last chance for them both. McCain is 72 and Biden will be 66 in November. Biden may not be running for president at the moment, but he sure is running as the next heart beat to the job. So it's a matter of who wants it more.
Biden says that McCain is a good friend. Can two friends duke it out for the White House? Right now everything is nicey nice, but Palin and Biden are slotted for the pitbull position of their campaigns. Palin came out swinging this past week.... Well, her speech-writer came out swinging on Obama. Biden did not hit as hard. Now that the conventions are over, who will bring it like Mike Tyson with his boxing license restored?
So I will pop my popcorn, listen to my talk radio, watch some political television, and stay tuned to this reality television.
Imagine that. The search for the next leader of the United States is being compared to the search for America's next pop idol.
Well, I have been watching the conventions and speeches. I've been listening to the talking heads disect every word, look, piece of clothing, etc.. I've asked many of those questions a lot of people asked or were afraid to ask. Will Hilary really concede to Obama? Will Bill Clinton throw his support to the new democrat Messiah? Who the hell is Sarah Palin and why did McCain pick a newly minted govenor as a running mate? Can McCain speak to a crowd as well as Obama? Can Cindy McCain stop smiling? Did Laura Bush ever stop smiling? How can McCain talk about change when he's representing the current politcal party in office?
The questions go on and on.
What fascinates me is the underlining drama. Yes, everyone is debating on whether an old salty dog or a refreshing upstart should be the next president, but the battle of the old salty dogs is one I'm eager to watch these coming weeks. Obama is suave and cool while Palin is, seemingly, quick and spunky. But what about McCain and Biden? These two cats been clamoring for that top position for years. They both made the run two times. It looks like it's the last chance for them both. McCain is 72 and Biden will be 66 in November. Biden may not be running for president at the moment, but he sure is running as the next heart beat to the job. So it's a matter of who wants it more.
Biden says that McCain is a good friend. Can two friends duke it out for the White House? Right now everything is nicey nice, but Palin and Biden are slotted for the pitbull position of their campaigns. Palin came out swinging this past week.... Well, her speech-writer came out swinging on Obama. Biden did not hit as hard. Now that the conventions are over, who will bring it like Mike Tyson with his boxing license restored?
So I will pop my popcorn, listen to my talk radio, watch some political television, and stay tuned to this reality television.
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