nc211

This kind of stuff is just ridiculous. It's one thing if you have a door seal that is bad, or a switch, or even a floor mat anchor. All bad situations that can have tragic results. But, the Chevy Cruise with it's "cost cutting" approach that sparked a recall because the freaking steering wheel would fall off??? The gas tank dropping out and exploding on the ground of your truck??? Airbags going off for random reasons??? How damn hard is it to get it right?? How hard it is to swallow your pride, go buy a Camry and reverse engineer some of this stuff??

Are you kidding me???? THIS is what union labor buys you? You're an engineer for Ford. You live in Detroit. You're driving to work in a 3 year old car that has rust bubbles already under the paint from the millions of tons of road salt put on the roads every winter. It's a fact of life up here. And, not one time, during your 20 hour, full-time, work week, did it not cross your mind that using thin METAL straps to hold the gas tank in place, UNDER the car, exposed to the elements, might not be a great idea????? http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2011/08/02/gas-tank-defect-forces-ford-to-recall-11-million-pickup-trucks/?test=latestnews This is the kind of crap that makes USA Automakers look like complete, worthless, dumb, IDIOTS!! Ford = Found On Roadside Dead.... Or, F'd Over Rebuilt Dodge. You've earned this one, Ford...

Don't even get me started.... But, when I travel, I use the Valet Lot at the airport, at $70 a day. When I was questioned by corporate accounting for the additional parking rate on my expense report, I offered them the choice of either paying to park, or paying to fix. They took parking.

"Well, you were chasing me afterall!" Speeding tickets are like zits. The more you pick at it, the worse it becomes. The key to getting out of a ticket isn't with the officer, it's with the lawyer 30 minutes later. The nicer you are to the officer, the easier (and cheaper) it will be for the lawyer to convert it to a parking ticket. That being said: Last legit ticket I got was in 07', a week after buying my wife a new Mazda 3GT. Driving down the road, didn't realize I was technically in a construction zone, got tagged at 65 in a 50. Cop asked me why I was not upset with him pulling me over, and I cut a joke: "this car makes me feel 16 years old again, and now it's going to cost me like I'm 16 again." He laughed, and wouldn't you know it, did NOT check the little box on the ticket that indicated a "construction zone". Which, allowed the lawyer to make easy work of getting it dropped. Had he checked that box, I'd of been screwed! Construction zones and school zones, are no-no's for speeding, and are not tickets able to be negotiated with in court. They stick, badly. There wasn't a worker within 10 miles of that site, or a single piece of equipment other than two old cones and a sign that said "construction zone", with a bullet hole in it.

And on a lighter note! http://sendables.jibjab.com/originals/so_long_to_ya_2010

I don't blame him for anything. Personally, I live in my little shell of a world, and other than it being in Chicago at the moment, it's pretty darn good and well insulated from the wolf at the door. I build with brick, not sand. I'm the one here saying I'm voting for the guy who cares the least about my life, not the other way around. I'm not saying that's a conservative or liberal stance either. It's just plain and simple: You don't bother me, and I won't bother you. That being said, I'm not the first person to think his actions at times come across as arrogant and more "CEO" than President. But, that's my opinion. I know he's not the only source of decision making in our government. I have nothing personal against the man whatsoever. However, if you are going to be the face of communication to the masses, both on a national and international stage, then you must be prepared to be the prime target for dissatifaction from the masses, because that is what the masses understand and see. Most people couldn't care less or have the time to waste on figuring out who Barney Frank is, or even Joe Bidden. They just know who is interupting their favorite TV show on Sunday night. That isn't speculation, or personal opinion, it's fact. I doubt 99.9985% of the American population ever even heard of some congressman named Wiener until he poped up on TMZ's iPhone App. Now, with all of that said as well.... who has the ultimate (veto) power? For anything to clear the house or senate, it must pass with a vote of all representatives with the majority in favor of the measure, which is very much supportive of your comments about all of the other influences in the background !Removed! things up. BUT, well, I think a certain past President best says what I'm saying with this: http://www.trumanlibrary.org/buckstop.htm If you read any of it, make sure you read the last few sentences in that link. "In his farewell address to the American people given in January 1953, President Truman referred to this concept very specifically in asserting that, "The President--whoever he is--has to decide. He can't pass the buck to anybody. No one else can do the deciding for him. That's his job." Sadly though, I think the damage has already been done in our financial markets. The inability of the DC Duo to come to an agreement w/o it spilling over into all of our living rooms during primetime family time, sends the message pretty clearly: As it stands now, even when it comes to something as precise as our credit rating, this country can't come to an agreement. The financial markets around the world already know, that even if we do solve this issue, and I'm sure we will, every other issue that pops up will probably be the same game. Always been a game, but this is just childish and nuts.

With all do respect, 1990, it wasn't a republican on tv last night saying medicare and social security checks could be delayed if the national debt limit isn't increased immediately. It was the President. The republican that followed, seemed to be the one saying not to panic. But, as they say - politics, religion, and women, are nearly impossible to win a debate over!! :-)

In my opinion - what we saw last night was a leader who has pinned himself in the corner, and trying to make everyone affraid. I feel as though Obama views the office of the President as the CEO of the county. But, the flaw in that thinking, is that he can't fire anyone. It's the other way around. I don't think he gets that, when he talks the way he does. Our national debt/income ratio is 10x as it stands today. What does that mean? For every dollar the country has to pay in debt, it brings in $10 in revenue. We're far from broke folks. So, why this need to raise the ceiling then? It's the exact same model that has been applied to the banking industry over the past 24 months...reserves for losses. When someone comes to you, who makes a $100K a year and owes $10K, for a loan, then your very first question needs to be "why?" This question should come from your gut feeling of that borrower knowing something unique and troubling is probable to happen, or they are wanting to buy something really expensive. Now, what could that possibly be in the United States? What could be so troubling, and potentially so expensive to require another loan to a country that has "real" unemployment figures north of 15% (I'm speculating on that number), a country that has massive foreclosures on the market, and has been in a recession for over 3 years already? Answer: nothing that a 10x ratio shouldn't be able to handle on it's own, IF you are serious about recovery. In my opinion - the real reason for this need, is international, not national. And for a President to go on live TV and try to scare the very people he needs to win re-election next year by saying your government paychecks will bounce unless you do as I say, was a real moment of weakness in leadership by the President of the United States. How can a person, who is sworn to act upon the best interest of his countrymen, seriously tell those countrymen that you won't get health payments and food payments if you don't give me my money, when we're spending billions on Pakistan (to name just one example)? You can't, and you shouldn't. I'm not going down this road of radicals from yesteryear. To hold someone accountable for their actions 40 years ago, when the world was nothing like it is today, leads to a dead end. Heck, I'd hate to think someone views me today, as that NC211 from 1997 when I was making movies and drinking beer with Teamsters on the backlot of Screen Gems studio in Wilmington, NC. After 3 years of no real positive "change" from the first day in office, I'd say the man has probably a 30% chance at best to win in 15 months. I feel as though we fell to the floor in 2008, and right before we could tie our shoelaces again, someone came along and put roller skates on our feet so we couldn't get back up as easily as before (recessions happen folks, and will again, I promise). I'd also have to say, if the credit rating of this country is downgraded from it's AAA rating, he very well might not be the Democratic Nominee for the job. Many Presidents have started wars, and lead through economic hardships. But NONE have ever risked our national credit rating like he his doing, NONE! If we're downgraded, we're going to have a massive problem on our hands, a real problem that will be in the face of every human not only in this country, but in many others as well that have invested in us. You think it's tough to get a loan today to start a business....just wait until the USA needs a Co-Signer. If this happens, then in my opinion, the man should be impeached. It will essentially be the 9/11 of the economic engine that drives us, and it will be entirely his fault, because he is The President.

And I don't buy for a single second that social security checks and Medicare payments are at risk here. Those are votes! And he and his side of the table can't afford to lose any.

And so the political blame game begins. Anyone see the tv tonight? Obama blaming the republicans, and vice versa. Republicans know that Obama will budge, because if he doesn't, he will become the first and only President in the nations history to default on a bill due. And will be seen as the leader who allowed the credit rating to slide. He, and his team, will be long gone. Democrats are pinned in a corner on this one. Obama IS the President, and the nation grew tired of his blaming everything bad on Bush already. He must bend, or go down in the history books as the President who destroyed the economy on a world stage. Doesn't matter who you think is right in this situation, he is the President. Blame will go to him. Should be an interesting week ahead!

Oil every 5K miles - Brakes when needed - Plugs every 45K miles no matter what - Air filter replaced when needed, usually evey 10k miles. Everything else done per instuctions in the manual. Usually I do my own servicing of this stuff because I like to use the highest quality fluids that most shops don't use. But, not always anymore due to time constraints, and my fading interest. Dealership useage is dependent on the car (type), mileage, and type of repair. My VW, given it's extended warranty, must go to the dealership for all repairs and services to show documented history of proper care. My aging 4runner, is no longer a "DIY" status vehicle, and goes to the Jiffy Lubes for most things. Changing the oil in that thing has become a bear, due to the process to remove the heavy steel engine guard. Items that are critical to repair, always go to the dealer. I'll pay the premium price for the dealership backing of it being done right, or else. Fighting with a 3rd party repair shop for a bad job, usually costs twice as much as a trip to the dealer does in general. Been down that road in my old LS400, won't do it again.

I do a good bit of soecific traveling for my job, commercial real estate. We never leave without our Garmin. I have two personally, as two more in the office, all different models. My only two gripes I have with them is the "log in" time when turning it on in a new city for the first time (sometimes 5 minutes), and they all struggle a bit with a major downtown setting of tall buildings, like a Chicago, Boston, or NYC.

Yeah, its the basic GM story of the basic same car across all of their platforms. Me personally, I like the look of the fully loaded Chevy Traverse LTZ the best, more of an angled and edgy look. With the highend wheels, I think it really is a sharp vehicle. But the Buick has the best interior finishes across the line. I'm not a big fan of it's exterior though. But, the wife is, so I default to the "I like it" position... They are expensive, more than makes sense to me. But, does appear to hold value pretty well. Until of course someone else figures out the minivan interior w/ an SUV exterior that isn't huge or massively expensive. The only thing I can think of that comes close is the MB R series. But, too much Detroit in those. I priced a single shock absorber for one a few months back...$2,000! It says something about a car when it's manufacturer refuses to sell an extended warranty on one of their own cars before the new car warranty expires....

YOURS! Waiting for the statute of limitations to expire before posting pictures though! Honestly though, an 09' 911 Convertible last December in S. California. That was my favorite to drive. My favorite to ever ride in though? One of the first Corvette ZR1's in 1989 at the age of 16. Friend's dad bought one of the first. Took me out for a spin, during which his "break-in period" for the engine had passed. He opened it up, and I nearly ruined the passenger's seat... Real car that I can afford? Not really sure, but this little VW I've got now is sitting at the top of my "favorites" list of all cars I've owned.

Heidi Montag... Why? Well, you know the ol' college saying for hitch hikers don't cha'? "GA$, GRA$$, OR A$$"! I'm too old for the grass, married to a fine piece of !Removed!, and Heidi Montag seems dumb enough to flash her fake boobies at the gas station for some free gas! I'll leave the free Slurpie jokes alone on this one.... B)

Well, I'm a little late to the game on this one. I've been to La Jolla several times, and Paul is right. MB's in certain areas of S. California are like Toyota's for the rest of us working stiffs! They're everywhere. My former boss in NC spent 10 years in Newport Beach. He still drives his 00' MB E300 sedan. I spent about 3 weeks in Newport Beach / Laguna in 2006. I knew it was time to go home when I caught myself saying "yellow just totally ruins that Ferrari". Of course, when you've got one of these in your town, MB is sort of like a Camry in the cache' realm.. http://www.symbolicmotors.com/ I like the "used" Bugatti with 800 miles on it, for $2.5M dollars! The free carfax report is a nice touch as well. Really gives a potential buyer the piece of mind he/she needs to make sure their "used" BUGATTI hasn't seen the inside of a Macco! I also chuckle that they identify a Lamborghini Gallardo as a "4x4" instead of AWD. Hey, it's a La Jolla beach-buggy with it's 4x4! If you go back to La Jolla, Paul, google the "Marine Room" restuarant along the beach. Some of the best seafood you'll ever eat! On high-tide, the waves crash up against the 1 inch thick glass. Kind of funny to be sitting there, eating a fish, and having his buddy's smash up against the glass at the end of your table, looking at you like "whoa..what happened to Bob?"

If My wife and I can get $500 worth of Costco supplies home, without having to strap the kids car seat to the roof.... I'd say you're good! The 4door really has a lot more room in it than it's exterior advertises!

PS: The only reason I post this stuff isn't to brag about the car, but to offer actual ownership commentary of a VW, as most are of the opinion that going from a Toyota product to a VW is crazy. I find it funny how the automotive world can, at times, view a simple check engine light on a German car as a symbol of engineering crap, and the same light on an Asian car as a routine maintenance or expected to occur situation. Plus, we all have friends of friend's friends who had a VW that blew up and killed 50 Martians for no real reason!

Well, it's been a year since I did the trade and entered the "horrible" VW world of reliability. I've driven it about 7,500 miles on rough Chicago roads. I'm at 48k on the clock. Lots of traffic, lots of stop lights. And..... I still love this little marvel of a car! I have not had a single major issue. Not a single rattle, not a single check engine light. I've changed the oil once, which was a little more expensive than most, due to my choice in using true German oil "Lubro Molly" full synthetic. It does burn about 1/2 quart every 1k miles, thanks to the turbo and my happy right foot. Honestly though, I've learned that burning oil is more of a turbo thing in general, than it is a VW thing. Had a goofy issue with the transmission in the winter slamming into second gear hard when in manual mode before letting the car heat up for 20 minutes. There is a new transmission valve body issued that fixes this. They did a software update though that slowed that specific shift down a hair and eased the problem. The 07' is the first year with their complicated double-clutch gear box, so I can't expect it to not be 100% perfect. However, after it's warmed up, it's freaking awesome to have, and really makes the car come alive. I just drive it in automatic mode for a few minutes to let it warm up before bumping it over to manual. I had to have the timing belt changed as well last spring. It had developed a "bird chirp" in the morning. I thought it was the fan belt, but turned out to be the timing belt stretching. $0 cost under the VW CPO bumper-bumper warranty, which I still have over 25k miles and 2 years of coverage left. One year of driving it in the worst commute I've ever had in my life, and I can honestly say, I still wake up in the mornings very excited to get in it and drive it. Not a single problem that I wouldn't expect to experience in any other car, no matter the brand. In fact, having 18' low profile tires, I'm surprised I haven't had more problems to be honest. At least an annoying rattle or two. But, not a single one. I'd have to say, if you're in the market for a new(er) car, a CPO VW is worth your time to check out. If you like the looks of what you're looking at, but concerned about the reliability, like I was, I can say that I've been very happy with mine. Dare I say, moreso than both of my former Lexus cars? Yeah, I'm getting there. They're just so much fun to drive! And extremely comfortable, in a German sense of the word. Not soft and cushy comfort, but a "designed" sense of comfort. They make the sweetest sounds when you're driving too. A mature "german" sound. The GTI is set up as a sports car, yet it really likes to cruise in the 80-90mph range. We don't have speed "limits" in Chitcago, we have speed "suggestions". And you'd be wise to go with the flow of traffic, which this 2.0 turbo engine does perfectly! I would love to get the opportunity to hit the open road in the car and cruise, but just haven't had the chance yet. It's been 100% city commuting, with a brief stint on the highway. It really does feel fantastic north of 80mph. You can feel the car, the trubo, the steering wheel, nagging you to "go faster, faster, faster, yippie!" You do have to educate yourself though via VW forums. There is one part of the 06-08 2.0t engine "known as the FSI model" that can wear out and kill the engine. It's a $50 part that takes 30 minutes to replace every 45k miles or so, called the cam-follower on the high pressure fuel pump. Very easy to replace. I replaced mine out of prevention. Was happy to see though that I didn't need to do it, once I had the old one out. I figured $50 buck was worth the gamble to buy, whether I needed it or not. My brakes are starting to need replacing. Can't argue against that though. 50k on the originals is acceptable to me in this town! One drawback though on the GTI, is if you make the mistake of not buying the fully loaded model, you'll get the occasional teenager wanting to race you in their honda. However, for me, once they see me behind the wheel, they usually move on to the idiot in front of me with the M3 jamming some rap-crap. I have received quite a few nice comments from folks at the gas stations. Surpirisningly enough, many from BMW 3 series owners who are asking how I like the car. Usually when I look over at their car, I see a child seat in the back as well. They all seem to have the same problem that I had. "I'm tired of having a child and a trunk. I need the ability to load bulky stuff on occasion." Mine is the 4-door, all black, all OEM, fully loaded. No problems on a car heading into the 50k+ mile window, and 5th year of life!

Haha, thanks Lex! We're looking forward to the trip big time! Speaking of "you're not going to believe this"..... guess what car sparks my wife's fancy? BMW, Audi, Lexus, MB? Nope..... A Buick! I had absolutley no idea either! I figured since she is totally against anything Subaru, a Buick would be even moreso. I was wrong. So, we're driving down dealership row last weekend while on our way back from a furniture store. There's all the usual luxury players, BMW, MB, Lexus, Acura, VW, Volvo. Really easy to cruise through the lots without having to deal with Monte Hall. We go through all of them. I hear "that's nice, but I don't like it more than the 4Runner." Thought I might've had a bite on an Acura MDX with "yeah, I like it, I guess, it's nice." We get to the end of dealership row, head back onto the street and head home. About a 1/2 mile down the road, there is the Buick lot. Out front sits a 2008 Enclave. She jumps up, and says "I love THAT car!" I quickly look over, and all I see are Buicks. I say "what car? A Buick?" She says "yes, that SUV looking thing". I nearly spilled my ice cream cone in my lap. I said "are you kidding me? Of all the cars in the world, a Buick lights your fire?" So.....we have found the make and model. Now, I'm just waiting for the right time to buy, towards the end of the year. If you don't know what the Enclave is, here is a link to one. Dealers aren't in the mood to negotiate very much right now (summer time), and I think the economy is going to get jittery again in the fall, which should reduce these prices dramatically. I've got to admit, they're really nice cars, and drive very nice! I've had a couple for rentals in DC in the past. Easy to drive in city traffic, and very comfortable. Whatever we buy, it'll be "certified". Must be AWD, which pretty much limits us to the top of the line models. I tried to push her towards a Chevy Traverse, which is basically the exact same car, just a couple of cosmetic difference. She's not budging. She wants the Buick, either white or red. Heck, she likes the car so much, she even said she liked the brown color. Me, no way on brown. I flush brown, I don't drive brown. http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp?tracktype=usedcc&csDlId=&csDgId=&listingId=66730774&listingRecNum=1&criteria=sf1Dir%3DDESC%26drvTrnId%3D27102%26mkId%3D20006%26stkTyp%3DU%26mdId%3D21058%26rd%3D30%26crSrtFlds%3DstkTypId-feedSegId-mkId-mdId-clrId-drvTrnId%26zc%3D60137%26rn%3D0%26PMmt%3D1-1-0%26stkTypId%3D28881%26clrId%3D27132%26clrId%3D27134%26sf2Dir%3DASC%26sf1Nm%3Dprice%26sf2Nm%3Dmiles%26isDealerGrouping%3Dfalse%26rpp%3D50%26feedSegId%3D28705&aff=national

I don't completely disagree with some of your views Lenore. In fact, I think you and I probably agree more than disagree. I'm not saying Obama has stopped any of this financial crisis. Obama has led a presidency so far that has mostly been "reactionary" to events. Action vs Reaction. One creates, one responds. I think that is the "rub" that people are feeling now. Other than healthcare, I'm not quite sure I know of any policy he has thought of that wasn't a "reaction" to current events. He talks a big game, but can't get it done. Some of that though has to do with the Repulicans come back to power in the last round of elections. I don't like it when one party rules the roost. It's too dangerous, and in my opinion, that is when you're heading for the cliff. Power is like a rubber band. You can stretch it, but if you forget that it'll snap back when you let go (every 4 or 8 years), you end up stretching too far. That's what happens when only one side of the isle runs the show completely. And, that's when this train gets going too fast. That's what happened with Bush's term, and we got going way too fast and crashed. All it takes is just one wheel to hop the track (housing derivates this time). 50 shots? Come on man. I've got two kids. If your grandkids need 50 shots, then my heart goes to you and your family, because there is an underlining reason beyond just being a child. In terms of the generational difference that Josh speaks about, I agree with that completely. It's just part of passing the torch. I'm 37 years old. I remember the moment MTV showed up, clearly (Video Killed The Radio Star). I remember worrying that I would get caught by my mom while watching Madonna videos (she was an ace with a wooden spoon buddy! I swear she had her NRA license with that thing!). Now, fast forward two generations, and I can't believe what I hear on TV during prime-time. I watched a rerun of Two & a Half Men last night, could not believe my ears. MTV is kiddie !Removed!, and over 100 channels of my cable tv have titles like "Hot Mom Next Door Needs 18 Yr. Old..." It makes me sick! And, it makes me realize that I'm now a passing generation in that regard. I do agree that Governmnent influence has played a part in this though, with the FCC allowing it to air. But, at the end of the day, it's my responsiblity to make sure I change the channel, not my elected official(s). Progressives, Lefties, Righties, Conservatives, Teabaggers (oops, tea partiers), and whatever else we can label ourselves as - represent nothing more than the core value of what makes this country great....Freedom of choice! Progressives are mostly of a younger demographic, because at that age, your whole life is in front of you, not behind you. As a progressive, you're "working to acquire", you're in the rat race, you have nothing to look at but what is in front of you. You haven't quite hit that "benchmark" of your life where the rest of it will be compared to. Conservatives are mostly older, a bit more established, and have a few more battle scars to show for their efforts. They've made it to that comfort zone of their lives and don't want to risk loosing it. They've made big bets on themselves and have it "hanging out there" hoping it doesn't get clipped. An example would be having kids, or too far along to alter your retirement plans and contributions. I'm a conservative for that reason, and another as well - my limitations of time and understanding to comprehend much of what the progressives are talking about. I'll admit that if I don't have the time to spend on learning something new, I tend to reject it in general. But, that's not only my fault...it's also our government's fault. Case in point - my comment earlier about Obama's healthcare package and the democrats failure to explain it in "American" terms. You know how many government lease contracts for real estate I read in a year? A lot. Let me tell you, with absolute honesty....That AIN'T english they're speaking to eachother! We've got an army of Harvard lawyers at our fingertips around here, and they too struggle to understand it, at $925 an hour rate. Some of the fabric of this country's existence in general comes from the fleeing of European Religious Prosecution. Freedom of religion was a big part of our discovery as a nation, and a big part of our war with Britian for our independence in general. To revert back to it, would be disrespectful to all of the lives lost who have defended us against it. Including in recent memory. It's also the backbone for our wars in Iraq. Had we invaded and said "you're all going to become Christians", we'd of lost in the first 48 hours. Our ability to invade such a hot-bed of religious beliefs, and earn the respect of much of the population in doing so, is probably the greatest example of our religous belief system this, the youngest county on the block, has ever demonstrated. And...all at the hands of a religious Texan...Go figure. I absolutley agree with SWO on the budget mess. The money is already spent. I think what the republicans are doing though is telling Obama to create an iron-clad insurance policy that proves we're not going to be right back were we are today by Thanksgiving. I think it's pretty clear to many now, that Obama's "word" isn't exactly trustworthy in certain areas. To say "We'll stop buying the candy, I promise, I just need a little more money for this last purchase" doesn't sit well with anyone. BUT, I think it needs to be mentioned that Obama's past experiences aren't exactly a pedigree for leadership. Remember, this was a big topic 3 years ago. His resume isn't exactly one of a fiscal leader. And here in Chicago, only a fool would think whatever he did helped in any way. Illinois & California are the two worst states in the country right now fiscally. The difference between the two, is all off the major metros in California (tax payers), vs. Chicago for the entire state of Illinois. Just like the state of Kansas. One county in the state of Kansas is responsible for nearly 90% of the state's revenue stream, Johnson County in Overland Park. One county. I know, because I use to live there. I graduated HS only a few blocks away from one of our members here on LOC. Mr. Hermann Cain likes to say he was the man of the KC Fed Bank. He was, for 12 months. One county folks...one single county. Abortion - Lenore, go have a drink. Don't even bring that up around here. It's like driving 200mph in a cul-de-sac. In terms of national debt obligations - Let us not forget that we not only had a balanced budget, but a surplus of cash as well in 2000 when Clinton left office. Let us also not forget that he came into power in 1993, right in the teeth of the worst recession this country had seen to that date. That one, was created in a very similiar fashion as this one - "commercial" real estate (CRE). Plus, Dessert Storm had just happened as well, our first real attempt at war since Nam. Clinton cut the budget, and raised taxes, and it worked. He also got the heck out of the way of the private sector, and believed in the American people to do the right thing. That is an element that I haven't seen from this democratic party, and in my opinion, is the sole reason why we're still in economic dire straights. CRE learned it's lesson, and the PRIVATE sector created mechanisms and policies shortly thereafter to safe guard it from making those mistakes again. Not until three years ago where those mechanisms and policies actually put to the test. Guess what....they worked, beautifully. There was a moment in 2009 where they were tested very heavily in the court system, when a company called GGP (out of Chicago) took all of their assets into bankruptcy court. GGP is a big retail mall owner/operator. One of the biggest in the country, if not world. They tried to do a (1992), and got stopped dead in their tracts by those policies and mechanisms. GGP tried to make themselves look better, by trying to crash the CRE industry in general. Had they been successful, we might have truly gone into a depression. Now....there isn't a lender on the planet who knows what they're doing that will return their phone calls as they try to emerge from bankruptcy. We've been called by them several times. We put them in the "Donald" category around here. Trump is scum, and so is GGP. When the going get's tough, these two don't get going, they get lawyers and play the blame game. And...they lose.

And I'll give you all another example of why this election needs to be all about "business". S&P put the US Treasuries on "Negative Watch" today. US Treasuries are the benchmark for interest rates. I get live updates twice a day on the wide range of T-Bills (3 year, 7 year, 10 year, etc) If you were to by a 3 year T-Bill right now, it would produce an annual yield on your invest of 0.680%. Buy a 7 year T-Bill today, barely more than 2.1% yield. What does this translate to in "American" language? The dollar is practically worthless. Inflation must happen, we're BROKE fellas! T-Bills weren't even close to being this low 3 years ago when the DOW was going through 700 point drops in a day, and Lehman Brothers was going under, one of the biggest mistakes ever made by the FED. Lehman Bros was "main street USA" as opposed to AIG, which was Wall Street, in Singapore. All of these debates about values and principals of religion and healthcare and everything else, albeit very important and serious matters, can wait until we get the neon sign on the front door to work again, that says "Open". We don't get this fixed in a more permanent manner other than borrowing from China every 60 days, we're screwed. We are SERIOUSLY flirting with the very thing we were supposed to be avoiding with all of this debt... Business business business. And before anyone puts up Cain as a notable mention... Let us not forget the fate of his Pizza joint, Godfathers Pizza.... Bankrupt!

Now, having that said: Let us not forget the makeup of this country, and why it is the only one in the world where a man would risk the lives of his family in a make shift raft in the middle of the ocean to reach from, say Cuba. Give us your tired, your poor, your..... Basically, in not so politically terms, we ARE a country of mutts, a mixed bag of everything. You can't expect everyone to follow the same Christian belief system, or even follow one in general. But, you can expect the true power holders of this country, the US Supreme Court, to protect the core of the Constitution, which does include some religious aspects. Case in point - Sharia Law being accepted in the US Court system. Never gonna happen!

Man, we're really covering all of the basis on this one! Religion is such a personal topic, as rarely will you ever find two people of any religion who interpret their own religion in the same way. On this topic, I have to agree that having a politician (not exactly a saints profession) blend in the word of God to the masses, is almost blasphemy. How can one who has the power to kill all living things, yet dumb enough to commit audultry with an intern (just an example) be considered a religious crusader of the masses? He can't, and shouldn't. Yet, having that said, I grew up saying the Pledge of Allegiance, with ALL of the words, every day in my public school, and I think it should remain that way. It's a pledge to a country with a basic parameter of rules, basic. It's not a Pledge of Allegiance to one specific God.

Actually.... beyond my attempts at humor...I'll chime in on this one... In my opinion, much of the pain, fear, and error we have all experienced over the past few years is due to the massive shift of wealth. All of this name calling and trying to put labels on policy matters, in my opinion, just clouds the vision and stalls the process of recovery down. I also think a lot of people, me included, get caught up in the moment of what's hot now. Today, it's the debt ceiling. Yesterday it was chasing away energy hunters in the Gulf of Mexico, before that it was death panels for grandma. I'll admit, at first I was not impressed with this whole healthcare business of Obama. And to be honest, I'm still not quite sure if I like his plan or not, basically because I don't understand it enough to make up my mind. The democrats have absolutley failed on all levels to explain this policy in "American" terms. DC Beltway talk is not "American". BUT, what this Conservative natured, suburbanite who the Tea Party would love to recruit, can say with absolute 110% truth and honesty is: If you are of the opinion that your healthcare coverage is your own business... Then I would invite you to drive down to your nearest children's hospital tonight and have a cup of coffee in the cafeteria. Don't keep your eyes on your feet. Don't make small talk about the weather. Grab yourself a cup of coffee and sit quietly and listen. Let yourself "feel" the room. I promise you, with 100% assurity, you will want healthcare coverage for everyone, even if it costs you more for your own coverage. You will want to make that sacrifice. Why? Because I, one of the only who still says Bush was one of our best, have been in that room. I was there 15 months ago for my son. I'll never forget those moments at 3am in the basement cafeteria of Children's Mercy Hospital in downtown Chicago having a cup of coffee to stay awake, listening to parents quietly wonder how they're going to pay for this. The looks on their faces told the story clearly - they were in the middle of their "worst case scenario", providing for their child at the cost of that's child's standard of living and risking their future of opportunity. Knowing that every minute they are there in that hospital, is a minute closer to losing everything they've acquired to provide for their child. I didn't feel lucky that I was able to provide my son the best of the best, for maybe $100 out of my pocket. I didn't feel proud that the choices I had made in my life leading up to that moment appeared to be the right choices. I felt guilty for it, and I literally wanted to vomit. I'm no "softy", and I firmly believe in the "thinning of the herd" process. You get what you put in. But, on that day, I knew I was wrong. And have felt that way ever since. I don't care who can fix this problem, just fix it! And for those of you (and me) who don't understand enough about this policy to comment with written fact - then don't. We need to ask "how", not ask "why". I've seen the "why". And you can too, in the most cutting and grabbing way possible. All it costs is $1 for a cup of coffee and 30 minutes of your time.. If the banks had not been bailed out, we would've had a HUGE GLOBAL Depression. History clearly shows that much of the Great Depression was caused by the failure of government to act. But, back then, we were a "country". Now, we're a "participant" thanks to technology, and fancy investment derivatives that tie your local credit union around the corner to a bank in Sydney. That being said though - much of this current recession today is caused by government's unwillingness to "get out of the way" of prosperity. This, I agree with completely, and I am ready for the "controlled" reduction of government influence in our daily lives. What was seen as a white knight, has become a hostage taker of the private sector. The FED and the FDIC did exactly as they were meant to do back in 2008 (which the FDIC was born from the Great Depression to prevent another one). But, with opportunity comes consequence. 2008 economic meltdown provided opportunity for those who believe in government control to act. Consequence = Barney Frank. TARP was a consequence to the vast majority of the banks in this country. Many banks will testify to the history books that they didn't want TARP money, but were forced to take it, and didn't touch it. Now, TARP was brought on by Bush, and in theory, it worked. But, TARP continued under Obama, after those who actually needed the money had received it. Obama's team went into those boardrooms and said "you need it too." They said "no, we didnt act foolishly in our investments, we're fine." They said "not when we get done with our review of your books." They will also testify to the history books that they tried and tried and tried to give it back to get the government influence out of their board rooms. Many still are waiting to send the money back, to this day. Again, right now, here and today, I can't help but hear Reagan's famous one-liner: Government is not the solution to your problems. Government is the problem. Look, we're entering into yet another election season. Their is blood in the water (moreso in my opinion now than in 2008), and emotions are going to run very high for the next 15 months. Obama is about to be called every name in the book. Not that he's a bad president, but because he is president. In terms of the media coverage of Obama - it isn't going to matter one bit what they say (or don't say) about Obama this time. He could've eaten little kittens on a playground of kids 3 years ago and the media would have loved him for it. Newsflash folks: The media is "for sale". News is "business". But this time, Obama can't hide from the FACT that we're even worse off today than we were when he was elected. We're not out of Iraq. We're not out of Afghanastan. Infact, we're more of a "war" country today than we were in 2008 with Lybia now in the mix. Gitmo is still open for business, gas is even MORE expensive, the world stage is turning on us again, and banks can't push credit out the door with confidence because they still have no idea what the "new normal" rulebook looks like from Congress. ALL of this plays down to the bottom line of what makes this country tick.....consumer confidence. It isn't there, and now after 3 years and $5T of additional debt, Obama gets on TV and says "it's time for us to eat our peas." HEY....BUDDY...We've been eating them for your entire Presidency...where have you been? Many of us who voted for Obama, were actually not voting for Palin. McCain blew it when that pitpull with lipstick spoke her first words. He did for me, that's for sure! I voted for Obama, because I didn't want Palin anywhere near DC. I don't think Obama has allowed his ego to realize this...yet.. But it's coming..