Buy American? Sure. Uhhh...maybe.

As per below, we all seem to be part of a global economy like it or not. E.g., there have been few 'hiding places' (in the world) in this present downturn. Most major economies affected. Inter-connected-ness demonstrated.

Still, in the interest of freedom of individual choice (at least sometimes): http://www.buyamerican.com/

clipped from online.wsj.com So far, most major nations have generally avoided turning to trade tariffs and other extreme forms of protectionism that are widely seen as having exacerbated the Great Depression of the 1930s. Overtly protectionist steps can deliver big blows to international commerce, raising unemployment and reducing demand for exports, key to the economy of many countries. A World Trade Organization assessment, completed last week, found that most countries so far are keeping domestic protectionist pressures at bay. But the report warned that a slide toward protectionism "would only worsen the economic situation for all and diminish prospects for an early recovery in activity." With unemployment in many countries forecast to keep rising sharply, policy makers are becoming increasingly concerned about a potential backlash against globalization and free trade. A number of countries already have moved to curb imports or protect embattled industries

He's angry,and his country practically OWNS the U.S.

1/29/09 - China's "nuclear option"? It goes beyond "the bomb": The possibility of the largest foreign holder of U.S. Treasurys CEASING to finance our country's burgeoning deficit. I.e., Via purchase of large blocks of U.S. government debt instruments. They might, for example, decide to do more selling instead.

clipped from online.wsj.com By JASON DEAN in Beijing, JAMES T. AREDDY in Shanghai and SERENA NG in New York Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao squarely blamed the U.S.-led financial system for the world's deepening economic slump, in the most public indication yet of discord between the U.S. government and its largest creditor. Leaders in China, the world's third-largest economy, have been surprised and upset over how much the problems of the U.S. financial sector have hurt China's holdings. In response, Beijing is re-examining its U.S. investments, say people familiar with the government's thinking.

The Never-ending Show. Today's Scene.

The sickness spreads beyond "Corrupticut", in a particularly virulent form:

clipped from online.wsj.com SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Gov. Rod Blagojevich vehemently insisted upon his innocence Thursday to Illinois state senators preparing to kick him out of office, saying, "I have done absolutely nothing wrong."

State of "Corrupt-icut", Scene 2 (Act : Infinity)

1/27/09 Hartford Courant link to Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez's statement, re his impending arrest.
http://www.courant.com/community/news/hfd/hc-webstatement0127jan27,0,3889896.story

Read the statement. The mayor apologizes (kind of), but it seems that he doesn't quite believe that he's committed any crime.

Incredible. Think the Blagojevich circus is bad? This here is the state of ex-Gov. Johnny Rowland ("guilty to depriving the public of honest service"), ex-mayor Philip Giordano (federal child sex convictions) and MORE.

When will it ever end in this state? Normal, everyday people (like you and me) are doing whatever possible to stay 'on the path', keep jobs, raise children, etc. And then we see these kind of individuals in our high office, "running" things....supposedly in CHARGE. Such paradigms of virtue. If any of us "little people" pulled something similar (as these high officials), we'd be "tossed under a bus"....pronto. (With Judge Cofield perhaps presiding??)

State of "Corrupt-icut", Scene 1 (but certainly not Act 1)

Link to The Hartford Courant, showing part of last year's police booking of Superior Judge E. Curtissa Cofield:
http://www.courant.com/video/?slug=hc-wn-cofield

(May need to turn the sound up.)

No excuse in the world for this "high-level" person's behavior.

(Please also see next post, and also previous (1/24/09) post about DCF commish. S. Hamilton's recent DUI bust.)

Re Browns new GM George Kokinis (originally from CT)

Commentary:

Phil Savage and Romeo Crennel were supposed to be "the guys" four years ago to finally lead the once-proud Browns franchise back to respectability. Fans who've stuck with the team through one failure after another can only hope that the "new kids" from Connecticut, George Kokinis and Eric Mangini will be"the guys" at last.

We'll see. The consistently good Cleveland teams of the past are just last-milleneum legend stuff to most these days. Ya gotta be 50 years or older to have seen any of that. I.e., the championship Browns of the '40's and 50's, the Jim Brown, Leroy Kelly, etc. teams of the '60s. Ancient history.

Good luck, George. It's been a disaster since the team's 1999 resurrection, but at least you've still some loyal fans around. (Who must also enjoy repeatedly banging themselves on the head, etc...) They're the ones who deserve a winner.

Hint ("As if") : Take a good long look at the hated Steelers and how they've built winners for years. Ya hafta beat the Steelers.

Bonus Guide: Real AFC North division team nicknames (alphabetical):

Bungles
Clowns
Ratbirds (or just 'Rats')
Stoolers

"Stand on hills of long forgotten yesterdays...."

Progressive rock. A music genre ('type').... not for everybody. One that usually employed trained musicians, who actually knew how to play various musical instruments. Complex song structures. Instrumental passages. Concept albums. Etc.

A nice sampler collection is currently up on YouTube, from 'LoveProgressiveRock'

(Poor screen cap, but 350+ videos available....)

Kinda rich, sorta fast, very quiet "American" car

If it's finally built and actually functions, at least the Chevy Volt should blow away the 'Prius set' at the stop light. (Electric motors usually provide instant and even torque, so it's said.)
May blow away wallets too at almost $40K before any tax breaks.

Drink-in the Kool-Aid:





2011 Chevrolet Volt Production Show Car. X11CH_VT048 (United States)

Re: CT DCF Commissioner Charged with Drunken Driving

Link to 1/24/09 Hartford Courant news article: http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-dcfdui0124.artjan24,0,4975040.story

Commentary:

OK, DCF Commissioner Susan Hamilton writes (the governor, etc.) that she's really sorry about this, and maybe she actually is. She should be. She's only the head of the state's Dept. of Children and Families, in addition to being a mother herself. And despite the numerous excusing comments attached to the Courant's story (and, also) re this incident, there is NO good excuse for Ms. Hamilton's alleged crime, nor is there for anyone else who drives while impaired.

I happen to reside in Connecticut and assert that this reasonably progressive state still seems a little soft about drunken/drugged driving.

It's important first to say that I greatly appreciate the efforts of the police officers who've (for high-profile example) recently stopped Connecticut officials like Ms. Hamilton, Judge E. Curtissa R. Cofield , and Henry J. Pawlowski Jr. It's good to know that there are some dedicated officers performing an important law-enforcement duty.

According to recent statistics that I've seen, there are U.S. states "worse" than Connecticut when it comes to alcohol-related fatalities. Primarily relying upon MADD's (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) 2008 'annual state progress report' , however, Connecticut ranks 44th out of 50 states, based on percent of total traffic fatalities that involve a drunk driver. CT's percentage was 36.5. The 2007 national average for this statistic was 31.7%. (Note that the neighboring states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island also feature similar (poor) rankings. I.e., a percentage in the upper third of all states.) These statistics of course, don't reflect all reported (including non-fatal) accidents involving at least one impaired driver.

I'll close by moving away from statistics and talking a bit from of personal experience. I regularly drive a Connecticut state highway between two "upscale" suburbs at around 10pm-12 midnight, both weeknights and weekends. (Mostly on the weekends.) I've been traveling this route at these times for about fifteen years. I don't drink and drive. I wish that I could say the same for the weaving and wandering drivers I've observed on this road. They may not all have been impaired, but some had to have been. (FYI: There's a popular restaurant/bar located on a major feeder street for the state road I'm talking about.) My main point is that I've never encountered a police sobriety check point in operation at any time on this state roadway in my years of regularly driving it. I'm familiar with the landscape and I also rarely see police at night on this major road through town. (E.g., a police car visibly monitoring speed or similar.) Out of well over 100 trips per year at nighttime, I might see a police vehicle perhaps five times. (And it's usually driving the other way or something.)

Including the recent rash of high officials getting busted for drunken driving, all of Connecticut needs to get serious about impaired driving and its enforcement. (Perhaps using anticipated federal support/funds.) Also check out the MADD site for a few good ideas.

P.S. At some point I'll talk more about Ms. Hamilton's personal vehicle, a GMC Acadia. I believe that I read that she has a husband and two children. (PLEASE thoroughly read through the MADD site, Ms. Hamilton.) Why does she need a combined 18 m.p.g. SUV? So we'll talk further at some point about why there should be a green or luxury "offset" tax (or fee) on large, "medium"(what?), and, especially;"humongous" SUV's, excepting certain legitimate users such as emergency personnel, large families, construction operations, farmers, etc. The Acadia "crossover" is far from the worst example, but I bet hers carries only one or two people and little cargo the vast majority of the time - like so many others. And this particular Acadia likely goes "off-road" only when a certain driver "has had a few".

Briefly remembering the newly-departed....

Quotations:

"So?" —Vice President Dick Cheney, responding to an ABC News correspondent who cited a poll showing that most Americans do not believe the Iraq War was worth fighting, March 19, 2008 (Source)


"So what?" —President Bush, responding to a an ABC News correspondent who pointed out that Al Qaeda wasn't a threat in Iraq until after the U.S. invaded, Dec. 14, 2008 (Source)