INFLATION!!

I told you this would cause a problem, I told you! But noooo...we are just going to ignore inflation. How long have I been saying this now? Definitely for several weeks when the first bailout was doled out. Well, here you go; now, the world market is fearing US inflation after we pumped in over $1 TRILLION to buy government bonds. Another moronic decision by the Fed (with the help of Congress). Thanks again guys!

"World Markets Mixed on Worries About US Inflation" - Yahoo!Finance, March 20, 2009

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/090320/world_markets.html?sec=topStories&pos=2&asset=TBD&ccode=TBD

Thanks Congress!

Once again, Congress has been spot on. They find something they don't like, then they just pass a bill to tax the hell out of people who they think make too much money. In this case, they decide to pass an ex-facto tax bill to tax AIG executives who received a bonus 90%. For those who think this is fair, because they didn't deserve that bonus, then consider this.

AIG is obligated, under contract, to pay out these bonuses. These contracts may have been signed several years ago before the problems of AIG and the economy were known. How can you pass a bill that will tax 73 people, even though they were due those bonuses? This may be the downside of capitalism, but the government cannot pass a bill after the bonuses have been paid and decide to tax it 90%. You all wanted change from Obama? Well, you are getting it.

Obama and Congress is set to take all of your money if you make too much money in your eyes. They push the Fed to buy $300 billion in Treasury bonds; what a horrid idea. The government is just as bad at being short-sighted as the typical American. Does anybody ever think about a large spark in inflation? We are so wrapped up in deflating prices, that the government is overcompensating by keeping interest rates ridiculously low while flooding the market with cash. What is so difficult about simple economics? Why are we so narrow-minded and short-sighted when trying to fix the economy?

The way to fix the economy is to let the market work itself out. It may take 2 years for this to happen, but what Congress is doing is preparing us for another economic downfall by flooding the market with cash. All we have to do is suck it up for a while, and work to build the industry that will define the United States in the future. The government needs to focus on reworking some regulations that will prevent economic meltdowns like we are currently experiencing. If we don't learn from our mistakes, then we will be right back here again in several years.

Another suggestion: stop bailing out financial institutions and automakers. If these businesses cannot run on their own, then let them fail. Stop using the excuse "they are too big to fail." Maybe if they weren't wrapped up in unprofitable ventures and were not taking extraordinary risks, then they wouldn't be in this mess. Does the government help other businesses who are failing? No. But if you stick out your hand and whine for a bailout, you will probably get one. Just look at the automobile suppliers; they received $5 billion in bailout funds, regardless if they go bankrupt. What crap! Screw Obama's and Congress's thoughts of a trick-down effect. If American automakers are making horrid cars and vehicles, how will additional, cheaper parts help? Maybe they should focus on more fuel efficient cars instead of hoping for a bailout. The government has already handed out more than $1 trillion in cash. $1 TRILLION!!

Americans should stop whining about these corporate bailouts, and should focus on the wasteful spending of Congress. So, learn your economics, stop listening to media pundents, and think for yourself. You weren't whining about bonuses before, so don't whine about them now. Worry about how money is being spent freely by the government, throwing our deficit into a deep hole.

Frustration

Frustrated, as usual. Frustrated with myself and with things that must be done. Renee and I have a presentation to give tomorrow night for class, and I am making the thing more difficult than it should be. Not only that, but I need to finish another paper for my Organizational Behavior class. I don't mind the work so much, but I'm just just tired of school.

I mean honestly, who really wants to do a presentation that was only assigned because the professor does not want to teach the topic himself? Do you know a professor who asks you to put together a "portfolio" with glossary terms and article critiques? I remember who asked me to do that last...my sixth grade teacher. The man actually expects that we will keep these binders filled with crap and reference them after we have completed the course. I don't know who the hell will, but I know that as soon as he hands mine, it is going straight to the dumpster. Maybe I will light it on fire, then throw it away (outside, of course). What a complete waste of time. It is nice not having to take any exams in the class, but when you are assigned busy work in its place, it sort of pisses you off. Sometimes you just want to say, "why don't you take the binder and shove it up your ass??" I'm surprised I haven't snapped yet at Okoboji University. This stuff is just a waste of time, but I don't think the professors care. The only saving grace is knowing that I will be done in May, so I can stop complaining.

Pet Peeves, Part III

One thing that really pisses me off are people who do not call you back. I'm not talking about when you call someone, but don't leave a message when they don't pick up. I'm talking about when you leave a voice mail, and then person doesn't return your phone call or reply with a text message.

Lets say that wanted someone to hang out with you that evening, but they couldn't come out that night. I understand that, because people have plans. But when people do not call you back, and you know they are not preoccupied, then that is really irritating. Even if you do not want to come out, that's fine, just say so. At least have the common courtesy to call back and let you know. It really isn't that much to ask; just return the message.

The Worst Holiday of the Year

Tomorrow is my birthday. Though I am turning 24, I almost forgot it was my birthday. I have been so wrapped up with school and work, that I haven't even given the day much thought. Then again, I don't really expect much on my birthday. My parents keep asking what I want to eat on my birthday and what to buy me. But really, there is no reason to do any of that. I know they are being nice and I should enjoy the day, but for some reason it is just another day.

Which leads me to my point: the holiday I hate the most. That holiday, of course, is Christmas. Something about all of the holiday cheer and excitement just rubs me the wrong way. It has nothing to do with the materialism, I just can't stand 2 months of excitement prior to the actual day. Granted, I also had an unpleasant experience 3 Christmases ago where I wrecked Christmas for my family. But it is usually not a good thing when I get let out 3 hours early on Christmas Eve, but I stay at work until the end of the day just to avoid our Christmas Eve party. Things like this have led to my nickname at work: Christmas Hater.

I don't think there is any time I dread more than Christmas. It sticks around for so long, and just refuses to go away. I don't like receiving gifts, because frankly, I can buy whatever I like. I like buying gifts for others, but I really don't need anything. I am satisfied with what I already have. Other people like Christmas, and that's fine. I am going to go out of my way to wreck their Christmas spirit. I just wish people who be respectful enough to let me ignore the holiday.

Is it Christmas yet? Thank god no...I still have 9 months left until that wretched holiday returns. It feels like I'm expecting Freddy Krueger to come and haunt my nightmares. The only difference is I know when he will arrive. I just wish I could sit at home and enjoy a nice sunny day (without snow) and pretend it is just any other day, except I don't have to work. So, let's just enjoy the "holiday" by not celebrating it? Then again, we would be forgetting about Jesus's birth, but we can still go to church on the day. Oh well, enough of this...

When education is a waste of money...

I am currently finishing up my MBA at, what I will call, the University of Okoboji. Ever since my third semester of graduate school, I have felt that the college curriculum is easier than my core undergraduate classes. If I really wanted to take classes that were as easy as my undergrad program, than I would have gone back and gotten another undergrad degree. Okoboji only requires 12 classes to graduate, thus making the program feasible to earn a degree in a short period of time. The only reason I attended Okoboji is because the other colleges were too far away; even the tuition at Okoboji is outrageous for a private school. I am paying, out of pocket, while working full time, $20,000 to get an MBA that has the value of BS in Business.

How frustrating is it knowing that you are getting little out of the program when you are shelling out that much money? I could have transferred schools if I wanted to, but by then I have already wasted by money, since none of the credits will transfer. So, now I'm stuck in a program that offers classes such as statistics and economics which are easier than my core undergrad business courses. How are there still people that don't know what the mean of a list of numbers is, even after covering it for an entire week?? The only useful classes that offered some value were the capstone class and the marketing class. Other than that, it has just been an absolute waste of time and energy.

I know the college is catering to older students who are in their 40s, but there is no reason to dumb down the education and not make it applicable to today's business world. I really don't think it is too much to ask to make things relevant and valuable to furthering our education. If you compared the curriculum of the college to other local colleges, you would see that every other program is set up in tiers, where you are placed in a certain tier based upon what your undergrad degree was in and when you completed college. It allows students who have been out of college longer to get the additional courses they need, then start the real program. Instead, everything at Okoboji is watered down so that everybody can take the same classes.

I shouldn't complain, since an MBA will help me later on. But I can't hold back the fact that many professors have no outside knowledge outside of an academic setting. How can any of us learn anything useful if we can't apply it to anything?? In the end, I have not given positive reviews to my friends who are thinking of applying to Okoboji. If you want to spend $20K on an undergrad education, then Okoboji is for you!

Pet Peeves, Part II

I didn't think I would get to Part II so quickly. However, I got really pissed when 3 people decided to jay-walk across 4 lanes of traffic during rush-hour in Mentor. Granted, Mentor is not a huge metropolis, but it is one of the biggest Cleveland suburbs. How can anybody think it would be smart to jay-walk across 4 lanes of busy traffic, especially when the crosswalk is only 50 feet away? Stuff like that just really pisses me off, especially when people have no regard for traffic. So, of course, I yelled out the window "Learn to you the fucking sidewalk!!" and gave all three of them the finger. Next time, I'm speeding up the car...(just kidding)

How are you helping the economy?

Each day we hear or read about the demise of the economy. As the news gets worse and worse, we get more fearful of falling into a depression. Let me just say this now: We are not in a depression and we will not be in a depression. Yes, the outlook is bad, but that is the way all recessions are. Several financial institutions controlled by the government protect our economy from falling into a depression. The thing we need to worry about, as members of Generation Y, is inflation and deflation.

Currently our economy is facing mass deflation due to the significant decrease in spending by consumers. Consumers are so fearful of an economic collapse, that they have stopped spending money, and have all of a sudden decided it was a good time to start saving. Why were these same people not saving when times were good? Why were they not socking away cash when most people were employed? The main reason is because consumers, in general, are stupid when it comes to personal finance. People live way beyond their means, and rack up enormous credit card debts on items that they cannot afford. How pathetic is it that the average college graduate comes out of college with $2000 in credit card debt? This is not the fault of the credit card companies who patrol college campuses trying to get students to sign up for credit cards by handing out free stuff. It is the fault of students, who are naive, and know little about their own finances.

Now that people are losing their jobs or on the verge of losing their jobs, they have stopped spending money. I can understand people who do not have jobs that they are not spending as much money, but there is no reason for other employed consumers to stop spending money. These people still have jobs, they just need to live within their means. Continue spending money, because if you don't, products and services lose their value, thus deflating the prices of many goods we buy each day. When you stop spending money, you are helping to drive companies out of business. How do you expect them to make money and continue employing people when they aren't making any money? It is time for people to stop being so selfish, and look start supporting the economy. You don't have to go out and buy as much, but don't completely cut yourself off where you are hurting other businesses.

Generation Y, my generation, is filled with stupid people (but not everyone) who refuse to control their own finances and expenses. They just pull out the "spend, spend, spend" mentality without ever thinking about how much money they are going to owe. Do they ever think of keeping a damn budget?? Heaven forbid you can't spend all of mommy and daddy's money, or the additional money you have. Try using your credit card like a debit card; know that you can't spend more money than you have. Is that really that hard of a concept to understand? But instead, we go out and spend more money than we have on stupid things that we can live without. For instance, who spends $100 a month on a cell phone bill?? Do you not think that that is crazy? Must you live on your cell phone and feel that you must be in reach of your email?? If you are not working for a company that demands that kind of communications access, then you don't need all of that crap!

In short, don't stop spending money because things look bad, but make sure you don't spend more money than you have, and then wonder who's fault it is when determining how you got into your current financial mess.

Let's Take a Step Back...

As I left class tonight, I stopped to talk to a few friends of mine outside, and then prepared to go home. I had a 20 minute drive ahead of me, but for some reason, I had a brief moment stillness and peacefulness. Granted, it is relatively cold outside, but I didn't mind. I just stood there a moment and thought, "Am I satisfied with where I'm at?" "What do I have to look forward to in the future?" Now, I don't want to get all sentimental or anything, but do you just take a moment and think of where you are in life, and how you got there?

I think my whole thought process started in class, where two students were presenting on personal finance. Their presentation made me think about my own finances; do I know what I am preparing for? I know that I spend most of my money paying down debt, from school loans to my car loan. Once I get into a thinking perspective, something about the peacefulness of the night draws other thoughts. I think I'm starting to get redundant...

Anyway, do you think about your childhood, or about things that you wish you could change? I can personally think of several, including a defining moment in my childhood that would eventually shape my current personality.

When I started the 4th grade, my family had just moved, and I was going to a new school. I knew nobody in my classes, and it was a very awkward situation for me. During the first several weeks, I thought I had made a friend at school, but I was wrong. My "friend", who I will call "Tim", started picking on me. For some reason he thought I had an enormous head, similar to that of Mr. Mackey on the show South Park. Tim found a creative name for me would be "Big Head". Well, for a while, this didn't bother me. However, after some time, it became pretty told, and very irritating. Since I didn't have much self-esteem at the time, I became depressed, and became relatively introverted.

Several years later my personal thoughts of myself were still low, until the point where I had another opportunity to change my current situation. After my freshman year of high school, I transferred to a private Catholic school. I decided that I wasn't going to put up with the same crap I did before, so I took on a new outlook. Over time, I gathered a satirical sense of humor, turning any negative comments towards me into a joke. My sense of humor rubbed off well on others, and I regained confidence in myself.

The point of all of this is that sometimes we forget what events have shaped who we are. We are always focused on the present and the future, but don't think about the past. I'm not saying dwell on the past, because we can't change it. We can, however, learn from it and create a future that is invigorating and filled with hope.

...By the way, I'm not going to keep writing about sentimental moments like this in the future...

Pet Peeves, Part I

What is so confusing about this sign? When you are driving down the road and you see it, do you say to yourself "Ahh screw it, this doesn't apply to me. I mean look, there is no traffic coming the other way!" If that thought process goes through your mind, and you turn left, you better hope I am not behind you. I will roll down my window, rain or shine, honk my horn at you, and give you the finger. Why would you turn left? The reason the sign is there is so that you don't impede traffic, regardless of what time of day it is.

Am I being over-dramatic? Maybe. I am probably complaining about something that has little impact on anybody's life. Unfortunately, it is a huge pet peeve of mine.

Where I live there is a Lowe's at a large intersection. The entrance to the parking lot, if you are going eastbound, is on your right after you pass through the intersection. Common sense says you should continue going eastbound and make the easy right. Too bad for the rest of us, there is another alternative. If you turn right at the intersection, there is an exit out of Lowe's on the left-hand side of the street. Some people decide it is a fantastic idea to turn left there, even though traffic is backed up on the other side of the street, preventing that person from turning in to the parking lot. Instead of going in the right way, these people decide they will sit there and wait for traffic to clear, block traffic behind them at the intersection. Why would any person do this?? There is a sign that says No Left Turn! So, don't turn left! Why must people be so inconsiderate and think that laws do not apply to them!

If you ever see this sign, please obey it. Don't sit there and block traffic for everyone.

End of Earmarks?

Why should anybody believe President Obama says? The man promised, during his campaigns, that he would go line by line through any financial bills to rid them of unnecessary earmarks. In the end, taxpayers get to foot an almost $800 billion stimulus package filled with unnecessary items that will not fix the current economy.

How could any congressman be able to go through that bill in time? Republicans were given 90 minutes to read the entire bill and then vote on it. No one in their right mind would blindly sign off on a stimulus bill that large without reading it. Since the Democrats were able to pull a fast one and scare the public to think that our country will fall into a depression, taxpayers will be paying for wasteful projects that do little to help the economy. Over $400 million was spent on small side projects around the country that do not benefit the overall economy. All one has to do is stick out their hand, and Obama will thrust cash at you. What a joke.

It just gets more and more ridiculous, as the President tries to handle too much at one time. He needs to look towards the long-term health of the United States, and not just the next year. The United States has no defining industry that will take it into the next 20 years. Jobs will continue to be outsourced around the world, and little money is being given to stimulate jobs for the future. It may require the United States to remain in a recession a bit longer, but if policies and funding are properly distributed to help the nation in the future, then our country will be on the right path to recovery.