James Kirkpatrick's Not-So-Random Keyboard Strokes

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Posted by: James	5/21/2008 4:48 PM
I’m worried. I don’t care which side of the political spectrum you’re on; we’re in a recession. Jobs are falling by the wayside, prices are increasing exponentially, real estate prices are in a freefall and there isn’t really a light at the end of the tunnel just yet. Obviously our economy goes up and down and these ebbs and flows are a natural cycle but this latest energy crisis affects the prices for everything else in our life. So let’s leave the finger pointing with the hatemongers on radio and TV and point out the stark realities. Our grocery bill has jumped up by $30 or $40 a week minimum. Gas has more than doubled the past year. There isn’t a chance we could sell our house for what it is currently valued at by the county. Healthcare options become more and more stingy each year and cost more and more for those reduced services. And we’re a family that has 2 decent paying jobs! I can’t imagine surviving in this recession if I were making the money I did coming out of college in 1994. Decatur, the town we live in, has been generally immune from a lot of recession; at least until now. Small businesses in the area had hung in there. But all of a sudden they’re dropping like flies. This is concerning on several fronts. One is that Decatur is unlike the rest of the soulless blob I call Metro Atlanta in the fact that it’s not littered with chain restaurants and big box retailers. The only zits in the town square area are a Ruby Tuesdays and Quiznos. The rest of the stores and shops and restaurants are all locally owned. I had a friend in town from Chicago last weekend and while I was showing her around, there were several stores that had just vacated their premises the past couple of weeks which I was not aware of. An English pub, a children’s book store, a Mexican restaurant, a sandwich shop – GONE. I dropped Megan off in the town square this morning for her to report to jury duty (she didn’t get picked) and noticed an antiques/trinkets store that had just put up a giant “Closing Sale” sign that morning. It’s gotten to the point where we are going to redeem a gift certificate (a graduation present of Megan’s) to a local restaurant this weekend for fear it might be closed next week and the gift would be worthless. I worry about a town like Decatur, which gained it’s reputation for encouraging local business, to be desperate to fill these vacant stores with stuff you can find anywhere in Suburban Generic America. I get the standard response from people that I should buckle up like the rest of the country and save money by shopping at WalMart. BULLSHIT, I say. Shopping at WalMart is as un-American an activity you can do as a citizen in terms of everyday habits. Here is a company that has gained market share by crowding out local businesses, shortchanging its employees with shit medical benefits, gets cheap items from China that wind up being of crap quality and dangerous – yet I’m expected to support this behemoth that has crushed countless small business American dreams? To quote the Pope – “Fuck that shit”. Am I being self-righteous and sanctimonious because I’m at a point in life where I can afford more than the basic things? Absolutely not. I know poverty – that was my childhood. I know the value of a dollar. I also know the value of a local business and how that feeds the mouths of American families. Spend your Transparent Vote-Buying Rebate check, I mean, Stimulus Patriotic Everything Is Hunky Dory check, on some local businesses. If not, save it. If you spend it, spend it wisely.

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Re: Falling Hard

By Syl on 5/22/2008 9:52 AM

Those businesses - and others too, of course - are a casualty of folks having less money after necessities. Sorry to say this will only worsen - so very much of our product on shelves is hauled by trucks to the consumer. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... As for Walmart (you left out ingrained discrimination against women by failure to promote to management positions) it is indicative of some of our less lovely ways - buy on the cheap and continue to cheapen the product until you cannot trust it to last an even moderate length of time any longer. [Think to yourself that you're saving money.] Toys exhaust themselves and break readily. There is no savings in replacing durability with crrrrap, but people are pricing themselves right out of quality - no regard for quality or quality workmanship. Far too many disposible purchases. It's gotten to the point where many people cannot even recognize a quality lasting item when they see it. And we really have only ourselves, our mentailty and our short-sightedness to blame. .............................................................................................................................................................................................. One positive of this crunch may be that people actually pay off their car/vehicle loan debt and don't buy a new replacement loan for a few more years. Creating a large (and not considered enough) differential in their disposable income and continuing to maintain and to use their rig until they can't use it any longer. People of North America (specifically us here in the US) please....try to LOSE your car DEBT........................................................................................................................................................................................ The outgoing cash for war machine. We could use that back here again sometime.

Re: Falling Like Dominoes

By Ian on 5/22/2008 11:12 AM

This article and the above comment are way off the mark- recession depends upon where you live. Here in VA, and across the river in Maryland, unemployment is low, and the market is strong. In Montana, the democratic governor says he has one of the best economies ever. Not to mention that the economy continues to expand. The states that are suffering most are the bubble states- but that's due to poor management and lack of free trade, which President Clinton worked so hard to sign NAFTA, GATT, the Arican Trade Agreement, and PNTR. The above comment cites women not being promoted to management positions, but that might be one company having problems. My manager is female, her boss is female, and my boss of my agency, Dr. Rice, is female and a member of a minority group. (And dynamic in my opinion!) I don't deny that there is discrimination in the workforce, but we've come a long way, and we are way ahead of many countries with opportunities for women. And if the economy is so bad, why is the video game industry doing so well? Where is all that discretionary and disposable income coming from? Why are the fast food restaurants doing so well? As for the loan crisis we're in, I'm not ready to completely blame the government for that one. Here in DC, I don't need to use my car that often, but I don't see how my parents could lose their car living in the sticks where I grew up!

Re: Falling Like Dominoes	By James on 5/22/2008 11:34 AM
Ian, if the party is hanging their hopes on MONTANA's economy as a selling point that the country isn't in bad shape, they need to find another selling point. :) That's like saying Iraq is going awesome based on the reduced amount of bombs going off in the Green Zone as compared to the rest of the country.

Re: Falling Like Dominoes	By KB's on 5/22/2008 11:56 AM
I didn't know Rush (or is that Hannity) goes by the name Ian in the "grogs".<br><br><br><br><br> Recession or not, our family budget is stretched really tight the last couple years and the economy as a whole and certain policies of many people with infinite/god-given wisdom have caused this situation.

Re: Falling Like Dominoes

By Ian on 5/22/2008 11:59 AM

True, and good comment:) But it's more than just Montana. WY, UT, NM, NH, VA, MD, the list goes on. Sure, there are economies suffering miserably, especially your home state of Michigan. My points above were that they make it seem like the entire country is in recession. And what they blame as the reasons for the recession, I disagree with them. I agree with you about the food prices, but the question is why? Government policies! The failure of the trade talks in Cancun and the Doha Round! The ethanol dilemma, thanks to "tree huggers." All it does is raise consumer prices, and subsidizes them- and as you learned in Flunking Flanagan's class- subsidized supply,in many areas, destroys demand. I admit I lean to the right on economics, so not everyone will agree with what I write, but I really believe in increased competition in the food and health care sectors.

Re: Falling Like Dominoes	By James on 5/22/2008 12:04 PM
Flunkin' Flanagan!!! AHHHHHH!!!! Bad memories!!!!! That evil smile he had!!!!!

Re: Falling Like Dominoes	By Ian on 5/22/2008 12:07 PM
LOL! Might be bad memories, but you passed;)

Re: Falling Like Dominoes	By James on 5/22/2008 12:09 PM
That is true, which is more than I can say for Dr Bush's accounting class which I had to drop. Me and numbers do not mix.

Re: Falling Like Dominoes	By Ian on 5/22/2008 12:15 PM
I'm with you on that- I took accounting in high school and failed- I would have dropped his class as well- not everyone can be like Drex who walked around telling people "His class isn't as hard as people say!"

Falling Like a reality rant without line breaks

By Syl repeats on 5/22/2008 10:42 PM

Um yeah, well. I was specifically referring to Wal Mart's failures to be fair in promoting the females - proven in court. (Stanford Grad Ms.Condi Rice ?! please -- this particualr non-inspirational woman takes advantage of preferential treatment for her personal education and then wants to deny others who are like her the same opportunities she had to get where she is. That makes her selfish and arrogant at best, just another mouthpiece to the women of the US. Let's just say she's not quite a Harriet Myers....not really. But she is also not even close to an Elizabeth Dole, a truly inspirational woman in her own right. Ms Rice couldn't touch Jackie Speier.) And, if I could MAKE a proper freaking line break around here you'd read that the word after car is DEBT. Lose your car DEBT Americans. ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Seriously, if you don't believe that the price of a barrel of oil going to it's current level in such a rapid fashion is raising prices of trucked and shipped items from food to clothing to checked bags at the airport - you are burying your head in the sweet sands of ignorance. Take a look at the states that have the size to impact the nation's economy on their own - the leaders of the place - Texas, NY, California, Michigan etc. Utah and new Mexico -- do they even have a population to impact the country individually a drop in the bucket. Are they hiring the 20 or 200 people they need, good for them, but not many people go to Montana, Utah, or Wyoming to get a job and live - for the most part they were born there and didn't move away. Fast food restaurants are cheap and when you don't have money you buy food...fast food that doesn't serve your nutritional needs is purchased because it is cheap - fast food chains are no indicator of a strong economy. They may be an indicator of improved menus and selling different types of goods (hello Dunkin Donuts - this is lunch, hello McDonalds, this is salad - that is better coffee), perhaps. An indicator of minimum wage opportunity and disposal workers perhaps. An indicator or tough times for the poor - yes, they are definitely that. ................................................................................................................................................................................................. If you don't think the national debt is worth mentioning, you must not remember the effort it took to get the thing with a plan on track to zero and then forget that effort. Oh hell - let's just send folks money as a tax cut and reprise the damaging tactic in a few more years. Brilliant, and done! ................................................................................................................................................................................................. Sigh. Let's go get a drink and continue this interesting discussion - :^) I wish!! Tree huggers - sigh. They don't subsidize the corn crops, do they. They are looking for alternatives and answers - I am glad SOMEone is - instead of just kowtowing to US manufacturers and blocking my state from dealing with their own pollutants with stricter emission measures that actually do work for our state. Separately, I read an interesting article about new plants for the energy-making switchgrass and others...they scare me as any invasive weed should scare thinking people that understand invasion. What was it - the plant, kudzo there in Atlanta? Wild hyacinths clogging waterways....eucalyptus trees crowding out locals... Sigh. Let's go get a drink and continue this interesting discussion - :^) I wish!!

Re: Domino points are added on perimeter	By sigh on 5/22/2008 11:03 PM
Lordy, that is/was so long... sorry...................<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br> ................ RE: fast food reference [see paragraph 2, subparagraph 17 or so] I meant to type 'disposable' workers instead of disposal workers. glug glug glug. Cheers! glug glug.

Re: Falling Like Dominoes	By GRAMMAR POLICE on 5/23/2008 10:04 AM
Hello Syl - we will be sending you a cease and desist order regarding the overuse of "." and the persistent use of <br> despite knowing full well that this blog no longer supports this functionality. Failure to comply with this order will result in your immediate expulsion from the BHLFTSFG fan club (Bleeding heart liberals for the San Fransisco Giants). Thank you ;)

Re: Falling Like Dominoes	By James on 5/23/2008 10:11 AM
Great comments, everyone. Love it.

Re: Falling Like Dominoes

By Ian on 5/23/2008 8:22 PM

Typical bias and spin to take my comments out of context- Hello Air America, (or Berkeley). I never said that I didn't believe that oil affects raising the price of shipping and food costs. In fact, that was my argument. That's why we are in the dilemma regarding ethanol. It affects tourism, food, affects spending, which affects trickle down! Also, I argued that they don't talk about the real reasons- like lack of using our own natural resources, the refinery dilemma (thanks to tree huggers, and yet you say THEY are looking for the answers) the civil strife in Nigeria (which is hardly ever mentioned about how that affects oil), the ongoing politics in Venezuela, the threats of terrorism, on the Straits of Malacca,- we don't hear about those too much on television- all affecting the prices. And just look at that comment about UT and NM. That's the principal reason why I support the electoral college- the founding fathers wanted equality- two senators, no matter what the sizeof the state. It's typical for some people (including some of my friends and family) from NY and CA to think that only five states matter- What about Kansas, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Louisiana? I'm from NY, but I love the people of Muskogee, Oklahoma(yes, I've been there) just as much as the people of NYC, and their economies as well. I wear my American flag on my sleeve! Iowa may not be the largest state, only under three million, but they are #1 in corn, soy, and hogs, and they're important! Where do Californians get their corn from? Newport Beach?!? Fisherman's Wharf? Catalina Island? So much for liberal love and living in harmony! As for the economy in NY, the state has serious problems, but NYC is booming- look at the prices of real estate there. Cali has its problems, but what can you do when the state doubles its population, but doesn't increase its energy base? I take issue with you that McDonald's is cheap. Breakfast alone is $4 or $5. That was a couple of weeks of oatmeal while I was in school. So much for eating there because people don't have money to buy food. My grandparents grew up poor, and they will tell you, they rarely ate out. In Guatemala, the people told me that I was rich because I had one Sunday lunch at McDonald's there. In many poor areas here in the USA, many people aren't dying of starvation; they are dying of obesity. Tennessee had Tencare, a lot of money spent on medical needs, but do they rank high on the list for good overall health? Costa Rica spends far less, and their life expectancy is on par with the USA. You're right about malnutrition. Many in poverty don't get enough potassium- I always ask myself how that can be possible if bananas are only 50 cents per pound? During the Clinton administration, one official I had listened to estimated that we spend only $1.67 per day on fresh fruits and vegetables- very different from other industrial nations I've been to. Fast food and video games are both an indication of where money is being spent. And Condi Rice? A woman who grew up in Alabama during segregation,but later became a Soviet expert, and Secretary of State, is kudos- Didn't realize how long this was, I was so busy at work today, but couldn't wait to type all of this- and I'm definitely up for a drink, especially wine from Sonoma, to continue this interesting and very important discussion!:)

Re: Falling Like Dominoes	By Ian on 5/23/2008 8:30 PM
Hey KB, I looked at my pay stubs- I don't seem to earn anywhere near what Limbaugh and Hannity- the Kirkpatrick Daily doesn't financially compensate me for my all-American ideas:) But if I did, I'd treat Syl to an entire bottle of wine and a solar panel- and a Pete Wilson t-shirt:)

Re: Falling Like Dominoes

By SF...always talking/talking back on 5/24/2008 12:05 AM

Hi folks. Hee! Please note that is not grammar of any sort, please (?). Yeah, you really should consider slapping me for is the overuse of ellipses (...). Just be ready for the slap back. [grin] I was not trying to disrespect the smaller state, I was trying to note that the larger states impact our entire country more than smaller states. Just because that is true does not negate the fact I appreciate the brilliance of our Senatorial representation. But when you reference Tiny towns in your examples, I will bring up Big City life. It is my special way - even though I grew up in Tiny town my-own-self. I've been a few states, if you think Johnny Cash tune, not Everywhere, but -- I've been to Iowa/Oklahoma/Idaho/Omaha (ellipses here). And many in between, and on the sides of them and stuff, too. I love my country very dearly as well, my friend. It's obvious we both do. ..................................................................break break break.................................... (it's not any better is it.....)...... "So much for liberal love and living in harmony!" That one cracked me right up - thanks! Okay - you have $1.67 to spend, you're hungry and on the street. What do you do - head over to the grocery store for a few bananas or to $1.00 dollar doublecheese burger at McD's? What's on the Dollar Menu for breakfast? (I don't know.) But when (the hypothetical me, when) I spend my two or three dollars for dinner there, it makes me fat. -------And no one wants me to look fat in a Terminagovernator Tshirt.---------- Yes, we may have had Petey Willlllison and Ronnie (smile! chop wood! spray paraquat on Mexico and Northern California!) Reagan in a local sense, but we also toss our electoral love to the other guys in a very regular way. I don't want to sound too much like the youngest in my family - ha, I'm the baby - but my folks lived through the Depression. (Um - take that!) I am a practical person and if I had taken advantage of the opportunities in my life (the hypothetical me again) that our current Sec'y of State had, I would want the young people currently struggling to get a similar education to have the SAME or BETTER opportunities than I my self did. From a distance, sure, I like a woman in the office, but I'm talking about the person, not the sex of the person - her personal achievements were subsidized, and that's okay with me. But the desire to deny others the same support she enjoyed is not her current position. So fooey on her, okay? My opinion. And I rock. I do like a good glass or two of wine, thank you for offering - but can we share the bottle? As oil prices rise there is about a ton of official interest in ethanol, maybe two tons. So should we blame liberals for the shortage in hybrid vehicles as well as solar panels (?) no, they already have theirs! Now what about the corn subsidies - is corn not subsidized? Help me understand the rice shortage/price increase - are they subsidized? Why so short now - weather changes? It's true about corn being diverted but what is up with rice? <Back to you Ian, or any other interested party> Thanks!

Re: Falling Like Dominoes	By TSAC on 5/25/2008 9:20 PM
Why can't we all just get along?<br><br>Someone please find an alternative to Oil so we can stop being at the mercy of the Middle East!

Re: Falling Like Dominoes

By Muuurph on 5/27/2008 9:37 AM

Ian wins the head in the sand award for his "We're not in a recession" rant. Every 7 years our economy hits a recession, the severity of which depends on how the government handles it. .......................................................................................................... *Quick note on ethanol. We've been trying it in our mini-van. The mileage has gone down 3 mpg. Figuring this over 1000 miles a month shows our gas cost is $208.67 with gasoline and $216.27 with ethanol. This is the early results and we'll continue to alternate filling up with the different fuels to get a more definitive result. But as of now it looks like we need another alternative, and Ethanol is a scam perpetrated by the corn lobby.

Falling Like the opposite of oil prices	By Syl on 5/27/2008 10:46 AM
That's one of the things, Saints. We can and do use some alternatives to oil/gas but they don't necessarily cost less (or save arctic areas or California seashores from future drilling when things get tighter) they just reduce our external dependencies. Murrph - does restaurant-grade waste (fry) oil work in your set up? Where do you get your supply?

Re: Falling Like Dominoes	By Muuurph on 5/27/2008 9:55 PM
Syl: I mis-spoke (mis-typed?). What we've been trying is actually E85, which we get from the local gas station. Some cars can burn this some can't. We've discovered our van can and our car definitely cannot. Besides I think you are confusing ethanol with bio-diesel, which is what you need to modify your engine for and you can get by refining vegetable oil.

Re: Falling Like Dominoes

By Ian on 5/28/2008 12:34 AM

Typical for some Americans to spin what I said. I am not buried in the sand about a recession. I'd just like to know how they define recession. Explain to me how the Virginia housing market was strong and solid in 2007, with continued construction ongoing, and it's not just in the DC area? What about Austin, Nashville, and Charlotte? Where is the money coming from? Who is buying personal computers, an industry which is doing extremely well? Why is the economy still continuing to grow?Certain states, as I stated above, have hit recession, but that's all you ever hear about. I was trying to point out the media. There are times when we have actually been in recession, like in 2000, with the dot com bust and my friends would tell me " Ian, we are not in recession, because I watch television, and everything is fine!" That was my point; I wasn't denying that we are at risk for nationwide recession. How is it that most key sectors are doing well, aside from autos, etc., and exports are booming because the doller is low- people want to buy our American products. As far as corn, that what I had evinced all along from the beginning of the blog- the ethanol dilemma. If biofuels are taking up our harvest from maize and corn, then that affects the food markets. And it forces farmers to switch to other crops. It's made gasoline so much more expensive, and I don't see how it's helped the environment- except to raise food prices around the world. And yes, to answer your question, rice is the same regarding subsidies. Japan bought up imports of rice to protect their own farmers.

Re: Falling Like Dominoes	By James on 5/28/2008 8:59 AM
Want to know why I have an issue with the corn/ethanol mafia? Because of the demand for ethanol, farmers are abandoning crops like barley and hops to plant corn and soybeans. What are the two of the four main ingredients in beer? You guessed it! THE FARMING LOBBY IS MAKING MY BEER MORE EXPENSIVE!!!! :)

Re: Falling Like Dominoes	By Ian on 5/28/2008 10:00 AM
Should have taken that trip to Utah last year to stock up on Polygamy Porter:)

Mmmmmmmm....bee-err.	By Syl on 5/28/2008 10:31 AM
You're right Muuurph - I want to find someone whose car exhaust smells like french fries and I was hoping it was you -- hee!

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