Hillary Clinton and Rupert Murdoch

Rupert Murdoch will be hosting a fund raiser for Hillary Clinton. Talk about strange! New’s Corps Fox News might as well be the mouth piece to the Republican Party, rubber stamping all things Bush on every show it hosts.

OR IS IT???

The tide is turning, and those in the know…well…know.

Bush is Nixon territory for poll ratings. The Republican Party as a whole is on the defensive. Their party has had total control of America for the last 6 years. There is no one to blame for the problems they are in now but themselves! (Iraq, budget deficits larger than the Grand Canyon, out of control health care cost, oil prices global American hatred, etc) I have long wondered what motivated Rupert Murdoch. Being a media titan does anyone really believe he cares about puritan religious values?

No, Mr. Murdoch cashed in big time. The Republicans gained control of the House and Senate in 1994. Fox News was launched in 1996. CNN was well known to be favorable to President Clinton. So from a business perspective, who would this new network appeal to? HMM let’s think about it!?

The republican were in power and you have a new network. Cha Ching!

Now though the tide is turning. People can’t stand the Republicans and the midterm elections are this November. The Democrats are going to pick up additional seats and as a result a majority in one if not both of the houses.

Mrs. Clinton is one of the most powerful of the Democrats. Republicans are losing public favor faster that the Titanic took on water. I would not be surprised if Fox News starts moving closer to the leff.

I am currently reading the European Dream by Jeremy Rifkin. While I have had some strong comments on this blog in regards to European work life, its merely because I’m a bit jealous! This is the first of several posts regarding the European Dream.

The book is a comparison of the American Dream with that of the European Dream. Most people know what the American Dream (AD) is all about, the pursuit of happiness and individually attained economic security. Somewhere, though, the AD has become a nightmare of commercialism. A dream in which ones every material want is fulfilled. Obviously, material wants are endless and thus the dream is just that. The other problem is that the cornerstone of the AD is individualism. Show me a case where uncontrolled individualism did not end in greed and corruption?!

The European Dream (ED) on the other hand is more centered on society. Where people and governments share a common task of providing for all in society. The book relates a rather utopian view of the ED, which may be its only downfall. But, the AD is just as utopian. The author does talk about some of Europe’s shortcomings, such as high unemployment and racism...and these are major problems. The question is, which dream is more sustainable or better to strive for?

As I read the book, I hope to form a better opinion about the European Dream. As an American though, I am disillusioned with the American Dream and its economic system that seems to be on its last legs, totally unsustainable, and completely self centered. Are today’s market conditions with new highs in the stock exchange the calm before the storm?

I was talking to a friend (who is not in the US) about going to Europe. I stated well I could probably swing 10 days. He kept asking…”is that it”. Finally I said….umm I’m from America, we don’t get 6 weeks holiday like the Europeans.

That got me thinking about the European Economy. Since the consolidation of the Euro Zone, the blocs economy has been a powerful force. But, seriously it will never be a super power economy. Not unless their people actually do some work.

The fact remains that super powers and financial success do not just happen while you’re on holiday! Europe’s citizens will never go on holiday for their 6 weeks and come back to their homes to find the world’s most powerful economy.

That brings us to balance. I saw Rebecca Ryan tonight (www.nextgenerationconsulting) . She gave a talk to YPM (Young Professionals Milwaukee). Ms. Ryan is a social consultant to cities. Her job is to help cities attract and maintain top young talent. With the baby boomer generation entering retirement, every city will soon be in a bidding war for replacement talent. We all know that the replacement talent pool is not nearly enough to replace outgoing boomers. Gen Xers though are not swayed by money alone. They look for peripheral perks and benefits. Such as increased vacation, more amenities where they work, both at the job and around town after hours. Diversity is a must, public transportation almost always having a weight in the decision. YP’s (Young Professionals) aren’t usually politically active, but are socially active and vote with their feet. If your city or state or even country do not meet the ideals that YP’s demand they will simply move.

Thus I predict a balancing. Americans will get more vacations. Europeans will have to go back to work after their 50+ year hiatus. And the Chinese will work harder than us all.

This is T-Mobile. With that little jingle at the start of each call to Customer Care you know you’re in good hands. After all T-Mobile has been ranked number one in customer service by JD Power and Associated for three years in a row.

T-Mobile does not have the largest network. That is obvious. But for us folk who live in major metropolitan areas and only visit other metro’s and cosmo’s, T-Mobile is always with you. Frankly who cares if Verizon works in the hills of Tennessee or Cingular works on the plains of Idaho. Does anyone really visit those places anyway? Can you hear me now from Wyoming??? More bars in South Dakota! Who cares!!!

The big joke with Verizon has and still is “They Never Stop Working For You” because your problem is never solved.

My post comes from a call I needed to make about my bill. I had over $20 of text messaging charges because someone forgot to add the bulk rate message plan to my account. I talked to one person, I am still shocked this only took one person, who added the service to my account and back dated it to remove the erroneous charges. No runaround, no long holds while they talk to a supervisor, just action. The call took about 10 minutes of my time. Why can’t every company be like this?

Want to Move to Vulgaria?

I was flipping channels on Sunday night and stopped at CBS 60 Minutes where the story was housing. Average Americans are building 10,000+ square foot homes in what has long been labeled, McMansions or Starter Castles.

A couple who had just built a 15,000 square foot home was being interviewed. The subject turned to the custom wood floor which the owner went on to describe as a design borrowed from another home, a home in Versailles. The interviewer gave a slightly surprised look and interjected, “you mean the Palace at Versailles?” In which the owner said “yes that one, the house at Versailles.”

I immediately became sickened. First, if you don’t even know the name of the world famous landmark which you are “borrowing” designs from you don’t have the right to use it. Second, this is yet another example of globally retarded Americans who have way too much money wasting yet more resources. No one needs a 15,000 square foot home. No wonder we have terrorism! This uncontrolled capitalist consumerism centered on sheer self centeredness cannot go on. I do not have a problem with people who have money, but this does not give you the right to ruin our planet in your quest to fill the endless void in your life with endless materialism!

The show went on to describe how old homes, and were talking in multiples, have to be torn down to accommodate these new super sized single housing structures.

Finally here was my favorite statement of the entire show, “Paul Knox, the dean of Architecture and Urban Studies at Virginia Tech, sums up the endless tracts of overweight houses as a new national suburb he calls “Vulgaria.”

I could not agree more, it is vulgar!

References:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/11/22/60minutes/main1067145_page2.shtml

How Low Can They Go

American politics are very interesting to watch. At the same time, it’s a bit sickening to watch people debase themselves the way a politician must to keep his/her job.

Iraq:
The pendulum is swinging on this issue and it’s not in Mr. Bush’s favor. Is that a surprise to anyone? The American people were lied to when it comes to this catastrophe of foreign policy and the only people left standing with Mr. Bush are the extremists, now polling in at 36%. How many more people will defect before the storm is over?

The senate, which is still Republican Controlled, is getting really nervous. It’s almost election season for them. They must answer just as much for this war, after all the blank check was signed by the senate. Humans have a built in defense mechanism, as all animals do. Save yourself! The senate is doing just that. At first the pace was a walk, now were up to a run/walk away from Bush. Remember last months elections, New Jerseys Republican governor hopeful is blaming Bush, who visited the state at the last moment, for losing the election. OUCH! Politicians took note.

I read the papers and everyone talks about the end of the Bush Fantasy. It’s extremely entertaining to watch what is happening to Mr. Bush. The real tragedy is history is all to kind to even to the worst of presidents. Bush should be held personally responsible in criminal court for lying and killing his own countrymen (so far over 2000 soldiers in Iraq) not to mention the scores of people in Iraq. Of course that does not happen. That is the injustice of living in this world.

The American Party

The Republican party represents the ultimate in American Individualism. This party envisions an Americawith a much smaller and limited government. Forget nationalized health care, if you can’t afford it well God just doesn’t like you. When times of crisis hit don’t look to a Republican Party, only lazy heathen are poor and again God just doesn’t like you. Do away with all taxes and let the average person fend for themselves. The wealthy one percent have the resources of small governments so nothing affects them. These people forget very easily that their wealth exists and grows only when the social infastruction paid for by taxes is in place to keep the slaves healthy and working.

The Republican Party has been monopolized by two very interesting groups. The first half you have ultra conservative Christian organizations that easily qualify for the title “Militant Christianity”. The second half consists of the wealthiest one percent of Americans. This group is so out of touch with reality they simply don’t believe things like New Orleans really happen. Have you ever heard of an Administration that simply doesn’t watch the news? If they don’t hear about it then it didn’t happen. The current administration flies high above a flooded city in plush helicopters and says “It’s not as bad on the ground as those liberal pigs in the media report”. Forget that the rescue workers on the ground report back that it’s worse than the media is showing. There are some in the government that know how bad it is, these are the ones that requested that the Media not take pictures of the body bags. This way when President Bush talks in his folksy voice and says “Everything is going great” people will actually believe it. SHOCKING. Why, in the information age, can so many people be so ignorant and naïve about the Regime of Mr. Bush?!

The South voted for Bush and he left them to die. It’s shocking to watch such indifference from a President. Compassionate conservatism never existed in Mr. Bush’s mind; it was a mere empty tag line that sounded good. Could Karl Rove sell dog crap if he called it "holy" and down right a heck of a deal? Well we know half the country would buy it!