by Diane Wilson
The Republicans always wade knee deep in talk of God and family values at their Convention. Nobody knows more about this type of thing than South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, who went missing for seven days to visit his mistress, as reported in The Huffington Post. Sanford heads the Republican Governors Association and was said to have been a presidential candidate for 2012.
While he was initially rumoured to have gone hiking, Sanford secretly flew to Argentina for a visit with his honey, and then came home and had a lot of explaining and apologizing to do to his wife and four sons and the country. In a fascinating press conference, Sanford danced around, talking about his love of the Appalachians and his need for faith. He spoke of his wonderful family, none of whom were in attendance. (Mrs. Spitzer showed up for Eliot's mea culpa.)
Sanford is resigning as head of the Governors Association. But Sanford's role these past few months has been particularly noteworthy in his refusal to accept recovery funds for his state, according to the The Washington Times. President Obama actually brought a lovely young girl from South Carolina to the State of the Union to help sell educational funding, but Sanford wanted to use the money to pay down debt.
It was a minor miracle when Sanford joined the other 49 governors in taking federal money to create or save about 3.5 million jobs. But at least we now know why this guy's thinking was so messed up. He had been good to great friends with the lady in Argentina for eight years and then it got romantic, and his wife got wind of it five months ago -- roughly the time frame of the Obama presidency. This guy had other stuff on his mind, and it sure wasn't education.
June 18, 2009
The Painful Death of Paper Newpapers and Plastic Garbage Bags
by Diane Wilson
This month, Ontario stores started charging five cents per shopping bag, which sounds like no big deal. The shopping bag brouhaha has been happening at the same time as financially challenged newspapers are being faced into oblivion or into cyberspace. Back in March The New York Times showed the sorry faces of the folks at The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, which has become an Internet-only news source -- the largest American newspaper to do so. The paper version was completely ditched.
Don't get me wrong -- I don't want plastic bags in rivers and streams. No! And I am hardly afraid of the Internet. I love The Huffington Post and other online sources. But, the physical read of a good newspaper is different from surfing -- it is reading.
But why couldn't they use recyclable paper that won't be going to newspapers for store bags? As it currently stands, you see foolish looking consumers leaving shops arms full of naked groceries: Mr. Clean, meat, lettuce and a chocolate cake. One shopkeeper tells me that shoplifting is on the rise. We have all purchased the necessary linen sacks to carry our loads, but they will get dirty, and I do not find them ergonomically friendly. And then, if you want to line your compost bin with a plastic bag, you now have to fork out a few dollars for a bunch of plastic bags. That is downright nuts.
Clearly, we are going to have to think longer and harder about what we take away from our way of living and the implications. First, in a time challenged world, we are spending too much of it on weird garbage related matters. And second, newspapers have always been a way of life, a culture. We always knew that if they were good for nothing else, they were good for wrapping food and waste. And so we have come to a new point in time. Should you wish to wrap a piece of fish, simply stick it between the keyboard and the screen and close the laptop.
This month, Ontario stores started charging five cents per shopping bag, which sounds like no big deal. The shopping bag brouhaha has been happening at the same time as financially challenged newspapers are being faced into oblivion or into cyberspace. Back in March The New York Times showed the sorry faces of the folks at The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, which has become an Internet-only news source -- the largest American newspaper to do so. The paper version was completely ditched.
Don't get me wrong -- I don't want plastic bags in rivers and streams. No! And I am hardly afraid of the Internet. I love The Huffington Post and other online sources. But, the physical read of a good newspaper is different from surfing -- it is reading.
But why couldn't they use recyclable paper that won't be going to newspapers for store bags? As it currently stands, you see foolish looking consumers leaving shops arms full of naked groceries: Mr. Clean, meat, lettuce and a chocolate cake. One shopkeeper tells me that shoplifting is on the rise. We have all purchased the necessary linen sacks to carry our loads, but they will get dirty, and I do not find them ergonomically friendly. And then, if you want to line your compost bin with a plastic bag, you now have to fork out a few dollars for a bunch of plastic bags. That is downright nuts.
Clearly, we are going to have to think longer and harder about what we take away from our way of living and the implications. First, in a time challenged world, we are spending too much of it on weird garbage related matters. And second, newspapers have always been a way of life, a culture. We always knew that if they were good for nothing else, they were good for wrapping food and waste. And so we have come to a new point in time. Should you wish to wrap a piece of fish, simply stick it between the keyboard and the screen and close the laptop.
June 2, 2009
The Day the Music Died: Musings on GM and America
by Diane Wilson
Many years ago, I listened incessantly to a song called American Pie, and the words stick in my mind, "Drove my chevy to the levee, But the levee was dry. And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye, Singin, this'll be the day that I die, this'll be the day that I die." Yesterday, June 1, 2009, I felt the music really did die as GM went under, as contained in The Huffington Post.
Alright, let's consider American Pie another way: "Drove my Corolla to the levee, But the levee was dry." Or, if we really want to go 2009, "Drove my Prius to the wind turbine, but the blades were rubbing, while top math and science students were drinking lattes, saying I need more credentials." Where's the magic?
I still think the fates of GM and America are intertwined. A quick look at the history of the Dow components provides a fascinating glimpse of the movement of the economy from America to points beyond. Who today has even heard of Dow components American Beet Sugar and American Can and American Car and Foundry and American Locomotive? Today, a good investment manager will weigh AT & T(T) and China Mobile (CHL) and decide the latter has greater prospects for growth. Similarly, as the world tilts towards Asia, Chinese carmakers are aggressively eyeing Hummer and all of the other American leftovers, savouring the tasty treats, according to The Financial Times. Make a note of a company called Geely -- it is looking at Volvo, according to reports.
Clearly the American management of the big carmakers did a terrible job for many years and abandoned defense. While they were up to I don't know what, Toyota and Honda and others scored goal after goal on an open net. Then the housing and credit crises hit and the music really did die. Exit Chrysler. Exit GM. But not until most of the American banks had been rearranged in one way or another. Lehman Brothers -- you do remember that investment bank? How about Bear Stearns? We could go on.
So, now we have Obama in net, which cynics could laugh at, given that his knowledge of the game ranks lower than bowling. However, I think Obama has put in a floor for American industry and said, "Enough. These are our businesses and we are not letting them go. Even if the government must own them, we are keeping them alive."
Which means it might be cooler in the future to drive your Chevy to the place where they make solar panels, and pick up arugula on the way home. You will not want to miss how President Obama puts the economy and businesses back together again. This is fascinating stuff, worthy only of someone with a mind like an Obama or a Geithner. And, I believe this Administration would dearly love to put the word America back into the many companies it now oversees.
Many years ago, I listened incessantly to a song called American Pie, and the words stick in my mind, "Drove my chevy to the levee, But the levee was dry. And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye, Singin, this'll be the day that I die, this'll be the day that I die." Yesterday, June 1, 2009, I felt the music really did die as GM went under, as contained in The Huffington Post.
Alright, let's consider American Pie another way: "Drove my Corolla to the levee, But the levee was dry." Or, if we really want to go 2009, "Drove my Prius to the wind turbine, but the blades were rubbing, while top math and science students were drinking lattes, saying I need more credentials." Where's the magic?
I still think the fates of GM and America are intertwined. A quick look at the history of the Dow components provides a fascinating glimpse of the movement of the economy from America to points beyond. Who today has even heard of Dow components American Beet Sugar and American Can and American Car and Foundry and American Locomotive? Today, a good investment manager will weigh AT & T(T) and China Mobile (CHL) and decide the latter has greater prospects for growth. Similarly, as the world tilts towards Asia, Chinese carmakers are aggressively eyeing Hummer and all of the other American leftovers, savouring the tasty treats, according to The Financial Times. Make a note of a company called Geely -- it is looking at Volvo, according to reports.
Clearly the American management of the big carmakers did a terrible job for many years and abandoned defense. While they were up to I don't know what, Toyota and Honda and others scored goal after goal on an open net. Then the housing and credit crises hit and the music really did die. Exit Chrysler. Exit GM. But not until most of the American banks had been rearranged in one way or another. Lehman Brothers -- you do remember that investment bank? How about Bear Stearns? We could go on.
So, now we have Obama in net, which cynics could laugh at, given that his knowledge of the game ranks lower than bowling. However, I think Obama has put in a floor for American industry and said, "Enough. These are our businesses and we are not letting them go. Even if the government must own them, we are keeping them alive."
Which means it might be cooler in the future to drive your Chevy to the place where they make solar panels, and pick up arugula on the way home. You will not want to miss how President Obama puts the economy and businesses back together again. This is fascinating stuff, worthy only of someone with a mind like an Obama or a Geithner. And, I believe this Administration would dearly love to put the word America back into the many companies it now oversees.
May 13, 2009
Miss California: Check this out!
Apparently, the oldest depiction of a woman has been described today by archaeologists in southwestern Germany, according to The Globe and Mail. The little figurine, which was carved from the tusk of a mammoth 35,000 years ago, is X-rated and lacks a head.
According to archaeologists from the University of Tubingen, the figure is quite sexually explicit. The dishy little figurine joins an important group of finds from southern Germany, including mammoths, horses, cave lions and two creatures that are half-man, half-animal.
According to archaeologists from the University of Tubingen, the figure is quite sexually explicit. The dishy little figurine joins an important group of finds from southern Germany, including mammoths, horses, cave lions and two creatures that are half-man, half-animal.
Barack Obama: Déjà vu or New and Improved
by Diane Wilson
A country spots a young, telegenic leader who campaigns on the concept of a just society and the spirit of change. He has been influenced by John Kenneth Galbraith and is a deep believer in Keynesian economics. Always the outsider, he developed his unique world view as a student at Harvard. He was an associate professor of law, whose views tilted towards a liberal position in favour of the rights of an individual.
He captivates actors and statesmen alike. His campaign wins the hearts and minds of the media and mobilizes youth, who see him as a symbol of change. He is quickly labelled a socialist, while his own personal motto is "Reason before passion." Some praise him for his keen intellect, while others simply bash him for arrogance, economic mismanagement and favouring the authority of the federal government. (Wikipedia.) He leads his country through a rough period in history, and is often the centre of attention.
His name is Pierre Elliott Trudeau, and he was Prime Minister of Canada from 1968 to 1984, save for a few unfortunate months.
A country spots a young, telegenic leader who campaigns on the concept of a just society and the spirit of change. He has been influenced by John Kenneth Galbraith and is a deep believer in Keynesian economics. Always the outsider, he developed his unique world view as a student at Harvard. He was an associate professor of law, whose views tilted towards a liberal position in favour of the rights of an individual.
He captivates actors and statesmen alike. His campaign wins the hearts and minds of the media and mobilizes youth, who see him as a symbol of change. He is quickly labelled a socialist, while his own personal motto is "Reason before passion." Some praise him for his keen intellect, while others simply bash him for arrogance, economic mismanagement and favouring the authority of the federal government. (Wikipedia.) He leads his country through a rough period in history, and is often the centre of attention.
His name is Pierre Elliott Trudeau, and he was Prime Minister of Canada from 1968 to 1984, save for a few unfortunate months.
Good Diversions: More Heroes
Former FDIC Chairman Bill Seidman who died Wednesday in Albuquerque, N.M. at the age of 88, reports The Huffington Post. The affable Seidman held a Harvard LLB and an MBA from Michigan, and served in the US Navy during World War II. While Chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation under the first President Bush, Seidman headed up The Resolution Trust Corp (RTC), which efficiently cleaned up the Savings and Loan mess. Recently, due to his success with the RTC, Seidman became the go-to guy to discuss the current banking debacle. Seidman was always straight forward and calming in his assessments. In no particular order, he was also Managing Partner of BDO Seidman, biked to work because he liked to be around young people, consulted with many corporations, wrote, and was a regular on CNBC. A prince of a guy!
Pilot Pilot C.B. "Sully" Sullenberger who not only decided to ditch his bird-burdened plane in the Hudson River, but actually succeeded in doing so, without harming anybody or even losing his cool!
Jennifer Figge, a 56-year-old American woman who dreams big, swam across the Atlantic Ocean, a 4,000 km. journey from the Cape Verde Islands off west Africa to Trinidad, a 24 day trek that had her swimming in a shark cage and finishing unafraid.
Pilot Pilot C.B. "Sully" Sullenberger who not only decided to ditch his bird-burdened plane in the Hudson River, but actually succeeded in doing so, without harming anybody or even losing his cool!
Jennifer Figge, a 56-year-old American woman who dreams big, swam across the Atlantic Ocean, a 4,000 km. journey from the Cape Verde Islands off west Africa to Trinidad, a 24 day trek that had her swimming in a shark cage and finishing unafraid.
May 12, 2009
GM and GE: The importance of staying relevant
by Diane Wilson
Poor, poor, poor GM, which as of Tuesday had a market cap of $690-million, making it the littlest company in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, according to The Globe and Mail. I am mixing apples and oranges but you'll get the point when I tell you that Canada's own George Weston announced sales of $34 billion and earnings of nearly one billion and yet, many people could not tell you what that company does. Weston has a market cap in excess of $8 billion.
It would appear that GM may be turning out the lights now that its executives have been busy dumping their stock in the company, sending shares to $1.09, a level last seen in 1933. This is the company whose products your parents really, really wanted. This is the company, that save for a short stint, has occupied a prestigious spot in the Dow. How many people dreamt of Cadillacs and Camaros and Firebirds? Lots. This was definitely the top car maker, as anybody who grew up on Pontiac Parisiennes while aspiring to Sedan deVilles will tell you. The moment -- the very moment -- that a person had achieved the latter meant that he had arrived. (This was more of a he thing than a she thing, back then.) It was not a debt ridden moment but a signature event in the life of an individual because Cadillac was the very hallmark of wealth and success.
So the Dow is going to soldier on in all likelihood without GM. General Electric will now be the lone link to the past because GE is the only original component of the Dow, dating its inclusion to 1896. It will be interesting to see where the Average meanders over the next few years by way of components. It was exciting when Intel and Microsoft were added because it indicated tech was more than a passing fad. Perhaps the Dow will go for a biotech next?
The Dow provides a nice reading of America and progress. It is at once a graveyard for companies that fail to adapt and a prism through which to analyze corporate success.I am going to toast Thomas Edison's General Electric, and congratulate Jeff Immelt for keeping his company relevant 119 years later, as he has built up infrastructure and wind energy and medical technology and water treatment, and tossed out the old. As Immelt and others were redefining their companies, what the heck was going through the minds of execs at GM? I would really love to know.
Poor, poor, poor GM, which as of Tuesday had a market cap of $690-million, making it the littlest company in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, according to The Globe and Mail. I am mixing apples and oranges but you'll get the point when I tell you that Canada's own George Weston announced sales of $34 billion and earnings of nearly one billion and yet, many people could not tell you what that company does. Weston has a market cap in excess of $8 billion.
It would appear that GM may be turning out the lights now that its executives have been busy dumping their stock in the company, sending shares to $1.09, a level last seen in 1933. This is the company whose products your parents really, really wanted. This is the company, that save for a short stint, has occupied a prestigious spot in the Dow. How many people dreamt of Cadillacs and Camaros and Firebirds? Lots. This was definitely the top car maker, as anybody who grew up on Pontiac Parisiennes while aspiring to Sedan deVilles will tell you. The moment -- the very moment -- that a person had achieved the latter meant that he had arrived. (This was more of a he thing than a she thing, back then.) It was not a debt ridden moment but a signature event in the life of an individual because Cadillac was the very hallmark of wealth and success.
So the Dow is going to soldier on in all likelihood without GM. General Electric will now be the lone link to the past because GE is the only original component of the Dow, dating its inclusion to 1896. It will be interesting to see where the Average meanders over the next few years by way of components. It was exciting when Intel and Microsoft were added because it indicated tech was more than a passing fad. Perhaps the Dow will go for a biotech next?
The Dow provides a nice reading of America and progress. It is at once a graveyard for companies that fail to adapt and a prism through which to analyze corporate success.I am going to toast Thomas Edison's General Electric, and congratulate Jeff Immelt for keeping his company relevant 119 years later, as he has built up infrastructure and wind energy and medical technology and water treatment, and tossed out the old. As Immelt and others were redefining their companies, what the heck was going through the minds of execs at GM? I would really love to know.
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