If anyone has been following the recent news, we're all aware that long time friend and show-pal of Howard Stern, Artie Lange stabbed himself 9 times and was rushed to the hospital in what was an apparent suicide attempt. What's astonishing about this event, aside from the fact that Artie Lange stabbed himself 9 times, it's the outraged reaction we got from Howard Stern himself regarding the suicide attempt after the news got out that it had happened.
Howard Stern told the press on Thursday, "I would love to know who the scumbag is who releases that to the press, because this is a private matter. I don't know what to say. I work with Artie, I love Artie. Everyone has their demons, including myself, but he's wrestling with some serious stuff. When I heard the news it was too much to bear."
According to reports, Artie Lange had 6 hesitation wounds and three deep plunges, obviously indicative a man who is suffering deep emotional problems in his life currently.
But even while I firmly believe everyone is entitled to privacy, and certainly this is a very personal and private matter, Artie Lange is still in the public eye. Howard Stern went on to comment that he was pissed off that someone got paid some money to talk to Page Six of the New York Post about the whole thing.
News would have gotten out anyway. And this is definitely a newsworthy item. All matters are personal when it comes to the lives of celebrities, but it doesn't necessarily mean that certain details will not wind up in a newspaper or on a news program. When Tiger Woods goofed up it was a personal matter between Tiger Woods and his wife, until something was triggered to put it wide in the open—like driving his SUV into a tree at two o'clock in the morning.
In this case it was Artie Lange arriving at a hospital with 9 self-inflcited stab wounds.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
AIRPORT PROFILING IS NECESSARY
As a society we've gotten way too touchy-feely. Political correctness is all the rage, but frankly it's a dangerous path to be on. Since the last terror attempt that happened on Northwest Airlines in Michigan, we are of course revisiting the topic of profiling in our nation's airports. It's a topic that stirs up a ton of emotions, and it continues to be a heavily heated debate. You are either for profiling or against it. There is no real middle ground there.
I get all the ideology surrounding people's rights. I understand that no one wants to be singled out for the color of their skin, or for their religious beliefs, or for any other reason. Still, I think we have to at least do something. Because the reality is that there are groups of people out there who are hell bent on killing us. Those groups happen to be of the Muslim faith, or are from Middle Eastern descent. So, you have to take a closer look at these individuals. It just makes sense.
But I'm not just talking about profiling based on skin color or religion. There are myriad factors to consider in the profiling of someone before they board a plane. Obvious markers should stand out. Is the person originating from a place where there is known terrorist activity? Does the person have a one-way ticket? Are they not carrying luggage with them on the flight? Are they behaving in a suspicious manner; are they sweating, do they have darting eyes, trembling...any number of these things could indicate a problem passenger.
We simply cannot afford to take chances is what I'm saying. The consequences of being too complacent, too touchy-feely, too politically correct will lend itself to more Americans being killed. This last incident was unsuccessful. It should also be a wake up call. The next time we may not be so lucky.
I get all the ideology surrounding people's rights. I understand that no one wants to be singled out for the color of their skin, or for their religious beliefs, or for any other reason. Still, I think we have to at least do something. Because the reality is that there are groups of people out there who are hell bent on killing us. Those groups happen to be of the Muslim faith, or are from Middle Eastern descent. So, you have to take a closer look at these individuals. It just makes sense.
But I'm not just talking about profiling based on skin color or religion. There are myriad factors to consider in the profiling of someone before they board a plane. Obvious markers should stand out. Is the person originating from a place where there is known terrorist activity? Does the person have a one-way ticket? Are they not carrying luggage with them on the flight? Are they behaving in a suspicious manner; are they sweating, do they have darting eyes, trembling...any number of these things could indicate a problem passenger.
We simply cannot afford to take chances is what I'm saying. The consequences of being too complacent, too touchy-feely, too politically correct will lend itself to more Americans being killed. This last incident was unsuccessful. It should also be a wake up call. The next time we may not be so lucky.
For more on Jim's take on the profiling debate read Jim Bauer's Hub,
"Profile of a Patriot," and drop a comment; Profiling is not about alienating
anyone's rights or singling anyone out. It's about patriotic duty to one's
country.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
ENTERPRISE IS NOT JUST A STARSHIP
Between 1992 and 1996 I served in the United States Navy aboard the real USS Enterprise. The aircraft carrier Enterprise. It was an interesting time for me, to say the least. Especially considering that when I arrived for duty at the ship it wasn't even in the water. Instead it was sitting in dry dock at Newport News Shipbuilding And Drydock Company in Newport News, VA, undergoing a complex refueling and overhaul. Everything onboard was getting a facelift.
Reflecting back, I took the time to write about my experience and provide a little history on what I would say is probably the most recognized ship to ever set sail in U.S. naval history. I think, especially if you are into military stuff, you may enjoy having a read.
You can find the article at http://www.hubpages.com/hub/ussenterprise.
Reflecting back, I took the time to write about my experience and provide a little history on what I would say is probably the most recognized ship to ever set sail in U.S. naval history. I think, especially if you are into military stuff, you may enjoy having a read.
You can find the article at http://www.hubpages.com/hub/ussenterprise.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
YOU'RE AN IDIOT RECAP
On October 19, 2008 I wrote in a blog, "stocks are on a blowout clearance the likes of which we have not seen for at least a couple of decades." I went on to say, "this, the great economic crisis of 2008, will have historically proven to have made the riches of those who dared to proceed contrary to the current sentiment." I was referring to the natural tendency of people to panic in a crisis and throw in the towel. I was saying that it was time to buy stocks. Not to sell them. And then I wrote another blog on November 14, 2008 entitled, "In Judge Judy's Words, You're An Idiot." And of course followed that title up with "if you are selling stocks right now." I didn't want to get anyone's panties into a bunch before they even got into my first paragraph.
I think, if you look back, the stock market has rocketed since. If you bought shares in nearly any company you'd have made money. And in my "You're An Idiot" blog I mentioned 7 stocks in particular that I liked, and that I thought would do rather nicely. And so I thought I'd revisit those to see how things went. For each of them I've assumed the value at the close of trading November 13, 2009 had you invested $1,000 on the day I recommended them. And in the interest of full disclosure, I have since sold all of my shares in these stocks with the exception of WSBF.
I think, if you look back, the stock market has rocketed since. If you bought shares in nearly any company you'd have made money. And in my "You're An Idiot" blog I mentioned 7 stocks in particular that I liked, and that I thought would do rather nicely. And so I thought I'd revisit those to see how things went. For each of them I've assumed the value at the close of trading November 13, 2009 had you invested $1,000 on the day I recommended them. And in the interest of full disclosure, I have since sold all of my shares in these stocks with the exception of WSBF.
- WSBF $431.19
- JPM $1,244.56
- MCD $1,132.73
- MCS $1,038.56
- WWE $1,247.18
- MRO $1,298.33
- FMX $1,549.69
Considering the year we've had, and that during the period of time in which these stocks are being evaluated, we had higher levels of unemployment, the banks still haven't gotten their act quite together, the credit crunch is still on to some degree and consumers haven't loosened their wallets, these stocks performed rather well. WSBF is, of course, another issue.
What stocks do I like now? Ford Motor Company (F), Sony Corp. (SNE), Brinker International (EAT), Nuveen Equity Premium Opportunity Fund (JSN), Amazon.com (AMZN), Apple Inc. (AAPL), and I still like Marathon Oil (MRO). I do not currently own shares in AAPL, AMZN or MRO.
And for a speculative play, I like a bulletin board stock that presently trades for around 90 cents a share. China Tel Group Inc. (CHTL). Definitely one to watch. For full disclosure, I own shares.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
THE DEMS ARE BARKING UP THE WRONG TREE WITH H.R. 4314
There's a bill before Congress that will be voted on soon to allow for the government to increase the debt ceiling to nearly $12.5 trillion, and while I fully understand the gist of the bill, which is to allow for the Federal Government to continue to fund the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, to continue to fund veterans hospitals operations, and to continue to afford payments to be made to social security and medicare recipients—among other things, of course—the fact of the matter is that we do not have any more money to spend.
Granted, Congress asking for more money is nothing new. We've been here too many other times in the past to even begin counting, republican and democrat alike. The government spends money, introduces programs, entitlements, and all sorts of other things. And then the bills come in. The bills have to paid. In short that's how the current democratic leadership are framing their argument—and oh yeah, old ladies will starve, troops will die...here we go again. We asked for all this stuff and now that the bill has come in, somehow we have to be able to pay for it. And the sad truth is that without passing H.R. 4314, we can't do it.
Let us keep in mind that the bill will pass. Poor little old ladies will still get their medicare and their social security checks will still arrive each month in the mail. American troops won't be left to defend themselves with guns but no bullets.
That aside, we have got to come to a very logical conclusion now, don't we? It's because of that fact that I brought up just a couple of paragraphs ago. We do not have any more money to spend.
I side with the republicans on this issue that H.R. 4314 is not the right direction. I also side with the democrats that we have to pay our bills, and so long as the charges have been made and the programs are in need of funding, we're simply going to have to do it. But now is the time for everyone in our Congress to finally sit down and get to the heart of the matter. We cannot continue to simply spend, spend, spend, and then keep on coming back asking for more and more debt to be allowed. We have to form a committee to take a look at government spending, period. Because unless we address the issues of the spending, raising the debt ceiling time and time again will do nothing to help us. It will serve to put more debt onto the backs of each and every American, and it will serve to stunt our continued growth as a nation. This is nothing more than maxing out your credit card bill and then asking the bank to raise your limit so you can keep spending foolishly.
I say the democrats are barking up the wrong tree because they have not included in the bill, a comprehensive examination into current spending, and how we can begin the process of reducing it. There's plenty of room to include the language in the bill. The recent health care bill proves there's no shortage of paper available in Washington. Republicans have several bills that can't even make it to the House floor that at least offer up alternatives to spending. I'm not saying they are the solution or that they are not contributors to the problem, but until someone has a better idea, H.R. 4314 is just more of the same old crap however necessary it may well be in the near term.
Granted, Congress asking for more money is nothing new. We've been here too many other times in the past to even begin counting, republican and democrat alike. The government spends money, introduces programs, entitlements, and all sorts of other things. And then the bills come in. The bills have to paid. In short that's how the current democratic leadership are framing their argument—and oh yeah, old ladies will starve, troops will die...here we go again. We asked for all this stuff and now that the bill has come in, somehow we have to be able to pay for it. And the sad truth is that without passing H.R. 4314, we can't do it.
Let us keep in mind that the bill will pass. Poor little old ladies will still get their medicare and their social security checks will still arrive each month in the mail. American troops won't be left to defend themselves with guns but no bullets.
That aside, we have got to come to a very logical conclusion now, don't we? It's because of that fact that I brought up just a couple of paragraphs ago. We do not have any more money to spend.
I side with the republicans on this issue that H.R. 4314 is not the right direction. I also side with the democrats that we have to pay our bills, and so long as the charges have been made and the programs are in need of funding, we're simply going to have to do it. But now is the time for everyone in our Congress to finally sit down and get to the heart of the matter. We cannot continue to simply spend, spend, spend, and then keep on coming back asking for more and more debt to be allowed. We have to form a committee to take a look at government spending, period. Because unless we address the issues of the spending, raising the debt ceiling time and time again will do nothing to help us. It will serve to put more debt onto the backs of each and every American, and it will serve to stunt our continued growth as a nation. This is nothing more than maxing out your credit card bill and then asking the bank to raise your limit so you can keep spending foolishly.
I say the democrats are barking up the wrong tree because they have not included in the bill, a comprehensive examination into current spending, and how we can begin the process of reducing it. There's plenty of room to include the language in the bill. The recent health care bill proves there's no shortage of paper available in Washington. Republicans have several bills that can't even make it to the House floor that at least offer up alternatives to spending. I'm not saying they are the solution or that they are not contributors to the problem, but until someone has a better idea, H.R. 4314 is just more of the same old crap however necessary it may well be in the near term.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
