Random Observations

I neither like nor trust this guy but agree one thousand percent with his conclusions in this column.

Especially relevant are his observations in paragraph 6, which lists the least-trusted institutions in this country.

Quote from ShortGrub

I didn't think Anderson Cooper would know truth if it walked up and introduced itself to him,

Although your remark about Cooper is correct, Jeff, David Gergen wrote the column.

For the past week, the wife and I have been babysitting a couple of teenage grandkids while our daughter and her significant other took a Caribbean cruise. Sure will be glad when they get back so we can go home and resume our comfortable routines. We've been empty-nesters for 25 years and it's a pain having to deal with headstrong and skittish teens again. Plus, we're much more comfortable sleeping in our own beds and doing our own thing instead of having to cater to our grandkids' needs.

Quote from SXViper

we don't like sleeping anywhere but our own bed.

That's a sign of old age, Todd.

"Stupid is as stupid does"

The truth hurts, doesn't it, Washington?

Seems I have a lot of company. What surprises me is that the percentage figure wasn't about 99 instead of 59.

Quote from H.sanada

I think that the United States today is walking on the same road as Britain of 100 years ago.
Is it aimed at at the usurer in the world, and how was Britain that had thrown away the thing making changed now?
Great Britain that tried to dominate the world by increasing military power and the United States today look alike very well.

regards,
Taka

All great civilizations throughout recorded history have destroyed themselves from within. Looks like the U.S. is well on its' way to doing the same.

I think this guy is a poster child for the Peter Principle.

"Peter Principle
n.

The theory that employees within an organization will advance to their highest level of competence and then be promoted to and remain at a level at which they are incompetent.

[After Laurence Johnston Peter (1919-1990).]"

He was a good governor, which caused me to vote for him in 2000. Mistake, big time.

There's something about the current financial turmoil that's extremely puzzling to me.

As we read every day, this so-called financial "meltdown" has the U.S. teetering on the edge of another Great Depression. And yet we also read that the U.S. dollar has regained strength lost to the Euro during the past few years, and that the price of oil keeps dropping.

To me, these events seem contradictory.

Quote from H.sanada

I want to expext next president to revive the world economy.

Surely you jest, Taka.

Obama is a socialist and as we've seen, socialism just doesn't work as an economic system.

If anything, an Obama presidency is gonna worsen the world economy.

This sounds familiar.

Though the wife and I don't have physical custody of any grandkids, we lay out many thousands of dollars each year to help pay living expenses for the children of two of our three kids.

Our only daughter, who divorced her husband 5 or 6 years ago, has two kids. We buy most of their clothes, have paid for their bedroom furniture, have bought contacts for the oldest, and are constantly sending our daughter money to help out with various expenses. It just seems like it never ends. I've often asked my daughter what the devil she's going to do when we're gone. Wish she'd find a sugar daddy. :teeth_smile:

We also send $700. a month to our second grandchild to help with his college expenses, because his father (our oldest son and whose wife died several years ago) can't afford to pay his room and board at college. Thank goodness he won a full scholarship, so at least we don't have to pay tuition.

I truly believe that "globalization" has had a lot to do with the financial turmoil we've seen in the past several weeks. I've never been a supporter of integrating the world's economies into one. I think each country should strive for self-sufficiency, if at all possible.