The End Of 2008

All I can say is thank God. Maybe 2009 will be better. Actually, for me that's really just a joke, so far it hasn't been that bad for us. Not economy-wise anyway. I took a pay cut to take my current job and the adjustment has been a little rough but the pay off is we have a normal life. So now I don't know if our hard times are a result of the crappy economy or my crappy pay check.

The USA Today cover story from yesterday was about American's digging deep to save money. Maybe the recession will be good for us. It seems like people are working to pay down credit card debt. It doesn't make sense to me why it's a crisis when the interest rate for credit cards is 27% but people were still charging when it was only 18%. Lisa and I have stopped eating out since we can now enjoy the thrill of making our own food. I guess luxury is a matter of perspective.

In other news Martina McBride will be performing with Elvis in a video. She'll be inserted into his comeback special. I would like to meet anyone that thinks this is a good idea. I would like to know why that person would enjoy it. I assume that there is a demand for it or they wouldn't do it. I saw Celine Dion's duet with the King on the American Idol special and it was disgusting, and it would have been even without Celine. I just don't get it.

They are also apparently killing off Bruce Wayne as Batman for a reboot. There's another term I've grown to hate over the years. Maybe curmudgeons are only people that have been around long enough to see it all come back around and think it was better the first time. Sometimes a reboot works, like James Bond (which made $70 million this weekend) or the Batman movies but now it's just getting old. From the retooled Star Wars with Greedo firing first to the new Star Trek, reboot is a fancified word for retread.

Right now things aren't looking good for the big three auto makers. I remember I was devastated when AMC disappeared in 1987. Do you remember when you were so new it seemed like everything was always there and always would be. I can't imagine that the government will let them go under. GMC has $16 billion in operating cash which they estimate will last until sometime next year so $25 billion split three ways won't help for long. When I was young I also didn't think I would be around to see the fall of the US as the world's financial leader either. Hopefully I'm just over reacting and they'll all be able to turn it around, just like Chrysler under Lee Iacocca and Harley Davidson after AMF Voight did.

And finally the Simpsons featured the New York Times crossword puzzle in last Sunday's episode, which I found odd.

Today We Did Nothing

I work weekends so that's about all I did. I watched an episode of 30 Rock on NBC.com at lunch. I'm sure that's not legal but at least it was on lunch. I got home and Lisa and I ran to the nearest Walmart Supercenter we could find around here, twenty miles away. We got groceries had dinner and now I'm ready for bed. If your Saturday was any more exciting than that I would love to hear about it. Oh and gas is $1.79.

18,000 Views

I hit a milestone of sorts today. I had 18,000 views of my photostream on Flickr today. It's not really much of an accomplishment. I've been on Flickr since 2005 so it was bound to happen but I still thought it was interesting enough to note. I still like Flickr but I haven't practiced photography as much as I had hoped. I don't think I've gotten any better either. Some day I'll pare my hobbies down to a few dozen and be able to concentrate on becoming a better picture taking guy (photographer sounds like too lofty a goal).

Our Monday Afternoon

Lisa surprised me by agreeing to see RocknRolla. I think it was Gerard Butler. She loved his abs in 300 and his soft sensitive side in P.S. I Love You. Well whatever works. It was a good day for a British crime drama, cold and cloudy. I've never seen a Guy Ritchie film before but this one was pretty good. I may have to go back and check out Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels or Snatch.

After the movie we played Uno at which time I pissed Lisa off with my obsessive demand for adherence the rules. The game ended poorly, but thankfully she has forgiven me.

That was pretty much our day, the best parts anyway.

A New Era

Well, I thought I would write some stuff down and check back in four years and see how things are going. I would like to try to look at things objectively and I'm going to start practicing right now. While I'm Libertarian, I'm not blind to the weaknesses of that idealogy. So since this is the beginning of a new, exciting time (for some people anyway) and this is the first time I've had a blog for a new President it seems like a good time to try being objective. I don't remember seeing so many happy people after an election, not even when Clinton won. I've noticed the press has already started stirring it up, accusing Obama's choice as Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, as partisan. It may be true (apparenly he once sent a dead fish to a rival) but do we have to hear about it already?

So for the history record, the unemployment rate is at a 14 year high of 6.5 (which was midway through Clinton's first term). Ford announced a $129 million third quarter loss and gas is at $1.97 at the Qwik Trip on our block. I'm curious to see how much changes. I hope I can keep up my interest for the next four years. I hope things get better, right now I'm feeling a little hopeful myself but I'm sure that'll pass in a few hours.

Congratulations To President Elect Obama

I won't hold P Diddy's support against you. And good luck, you'll need it.

Damn It

It looks like P Diddy is going to get his way. Lisa and I voted this morning at 7:30. I voted pretty much straight Libertarian down the line except where one wasn't on the ballot. Barr for President, Finkenstadt for Governor. I probably won't get my way.

Gas Price Today

Gas is down to $2.11 at the QT around the corner. It's about $2.04 at the Sam's Club.