It's Time

It's time to take a deep breath

It’s time that we all calm down, take a deep breath, and look around the local area. Every morning, we wake up, turn on the Morning News, and hear the latest doom & gloom. It makes you want to pull the blanket over your head and not go out. I know, I’m in sales, selling to small businesses, and I feel that way every day. But let’s look around us locally, and see how bad things really are.

Step one, the stock market, yes I have a 401K, and I’ve taken a huge hit, but I’m not retiring any time soon, and as fast as the investments went down, they can come back. At this point there is nothing left to do but ride the roller coaster and wait for things to go up.

I don’t have any need to get a loan from any of the largest banks in America, and therefore, the fact that the banks aren’t loaning doesn’t affect me. The government is throwing money at these banks and trying to force them to loan, and they will start again soon. Credit card balances may be the next problem, but easy credit and people living beyond their needs should be brought under control. Many credit cards are based on the prime rate which is the lowest that it has been in years, and this should help people with good credit.

There have been layoffs in areas around the U.S, but here locally we haven’t faced layoffs. The local businesses are nervous, but haven’t pulled the trigger on layoffs. Let’s keep doing business locally and keep these people optimistic and keep them open.

Gasoline prices have dropped to the three dollar level and in areas of Northern California down below $2.89 a gallon. OPEC dropped their production and what happened, prices went down even more. The future looks as though, with the economy slowing down, oil futures are no longer attractive. The slowdown has done a better job than windfall profit taxes to put money back in the public’s pocket, and it should continue to be so for a while.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that we need to stop listening to the Morning News before we start our day, and actually look around our neighborhood and see what’s actually happening. The only thing that will bring America to its knees is if we all stop shopping, we stop taking vacations, we stop buying vehicles etc. I’m not saying we need to spend needlessly, but we can’t curl up and hide either, or things will go downhill locally. We are all adults and we can all look around and act responsibly. We need to temper our fear with reality.

GOOD LUCK

               

It's Time for a Cheesburger in Paradise

The economy is tanking, housing prices are down, the market is dropping daily, all is terrible. Everywhere you go people are depressed and upset, that’s everywhere but one place, that was Shoreline Amptheater  in Mountain View last night.

                You have to envy Jimmy Buffet, here’s a guy that admits he’s not a great musician, but he has a catalog of songs that people know by heart, he’s developed a following, called “Parrotheads”, these are people who dress up in grass skirts, coconut bras, parrot costumes and every other costume. These folks come knowing the songs better than the musicians on stage. The only problem is that Buffet changes the words to his signature songs to acknowledge the city he’s playing in or the crowd that he’s performing for.

                Wouldn’t we all like to have a job where you come to work wearing board shorts, t-shirt and flip flops? Better yet, before you enter your office, you kick off your flip flops, and work barefoot. Buffet seems to genuinely enjoy his time on stage; he seems amused by all that goes on in the audience while he’s on stage. He and his band mates appear to sharing a joke. I always feel that the band would be playing together and having a great time, even if there wasn’t an audience there.

                The audience ranges in age from 5 to 75, and no one gets upset, as we all stand up on the lawn for three hours, listening to the performance. There is singing, dancing, drinking, partying and no problems. I saw a party going on, using a colostomy bag as a beer bong, and passing it around to the group.

                One of Buffet’s lines is that we grow older, but we never grow up, and that seems to be the general consensus in the crowd. We were all rocking out, dredging up our memories as we heard each song, and loving every minute of the concert.

                Buffet isn’t a great musician, but he is an old fashioned American Troubadour. Buffet’s songs are musical poems telling the stories of his life. Before he starts a song, he tells a story that gives you the background of the song’s genesis.

                As I said, with things as dark and dingy as they’ve been lately, it was a release that just made us all feel great for a little while. Of course, there was also beer and other enhancements that helped to make the evening special, but I give Jimmy 99% of the credit for the great outlook I woke up with this morning, but of course by the time I’d watched the morning news, the feeling was starting to wear off. Maybe I’ll play hooky this weekend, and head to the Las Vegas show for a booster shot. In the meantime, I’m buying a guitar, learning to play, and write music. It’s never too late. Join me?

GOOD LUCK

It's Time to Stop Bugging Ringo

Ringo Starr doesn’t want to hear from you. The 68 year old Beatles drummer made a video, and posted it on his web site this week. Ringo told his fans that after Monday October 20^th he will no longer read fan mail, sign pictures or objects. Anything sent to any of his addresses will be tossed. Basically, he’s saying he wants to be left alone. I guess Ringo figures he has enough money to last the rest of his life, and doesn’t need the public anymore.

                Let’s face it, Ringo was never a master musician as a drummer, singer, or songwriter. His fame came as the “accidental “Beatle.  Ringo’s charm to the girls of the 60’s definitely wasn’t his looks or his musicality, it was his personality. He was the lost puppy that the girls all wanted to take in and love. He was older than the others, not as cute, and not as clever. After the Beatles. he continued to perform and write songs, but his music rarely seemed to reach superstar status. His concerts are filled with nostalgia loving folks of my age, who are there for the memories of our youth. If the public chooses to lose interest in Ringo, the personality, will he fill concert venues? Will he get more time on Gossip Girls?

                I guess my point is that when someone’s whole career and financial basis is based on personality and not on their abilities to perform; it seems that telling people you’re tired of them is really slapping them in the face. I can’t see Paris Hilton telling people to leave her alone. Most personalities work really hard to remain in the spotlight, they don’t tell people to kiss off.

                This is just another example of something that seems to growing and bugs me; that being, if you choose a career that puts you in the public eye, and you’re paid millions of dollars for that career, don’t you owe the public? I’m not talking about paparazzi chasing your car and putting your life in danger, or chasing you up and down the street, but it seems you should be willing to share yourself. We’ve seen a number of stars make deals with the press for controlled access, charged for the access, and in most instances, than giving that money to charity. Of course, they negotiate and control the access, but at least it’s done and the public gets its fix.

                I guess I have a simple philosophy on life, if you choose a profession where you deal with the public; you need to give the public their due. You can’t be a waiter and expect to not have o wait on people, you can’t be a garbage man and not deal with garbage, and you can’t be a personality and not deal with the public. Shame on you RIngo.

GOOD LUCK

               

               

It's Time to be Concerned

Let’s change that to it’s time to be very concerned. The McCain campaign has opened a Pandora’s Box with the way they have handled Obama’s association with William Ayers. If you listen to McCain, the question that he raises is truth to the electorate and the way Obama thinks, I can buy that as a legitimate question to be raised. What has taken the argument to the edge of the abyss is Palin and the conservative surrogates who have talked about Obama “paling around” with terrorists and getting money and endorsements from foreign terrorists. Uniformed Police Officers are talking about Barrack Hussein Obama to incite the Florida crowds, this is too much.

                I really believe that even McCain realizes this; I continue to believe that McCain wants to keep this campaign on the issues, but his strategists have realized that this isn’t a winner, because they can’t solve the economic issues and keep the conservative, laissez faire base. They also realize you can’t add government and drop taxes; they’re caught in a box. Distraction is the only way out. But this gambit is way too dangerous.

                I agree that Obama starting his political career in Ayers home is a lapse in judgment. I’m leaning towards Obama, but this still bothers me. Reading Chicago papers, it seems Ayers family is Chicago elite, and Ayers has been accepted like a crazy uncle. A very dangerous, crazy uncle, but accepted, none the less. Sitting on a board with Ayers? Not so much. I’ve set on a number of boards with people that I thought had dangerous ideas, but I felt the cause was important, and I thought that it was important to have other points of view represented.

                Here comes the part I am hesitant to write, but I think it needs to be said. There are people in this country who are not enlightened and are upset that an African American could become President. The McCain campaign, with Palin and surrogates, has added the assertion that Obama is also in league with the terrorists, at the least, or a terrorist himself. Add these two factors together and I fear that there may be a “patriot” out there who feels he has to save the country from itself. Who knows how that may manifest itself?

                It’s time that McCain steps forward, makes a speech clarifying the issue, and making himself clear as to his beliefs regarding Obama. He also needs to tell his campaign that he has standards, even if they don’t, and he will no longer stand for this strategy being used in his name. It’s time for issues, not playing on the fears of the fringe, to be the strategy. This election is too critical, and the candidate’s stands too important, to let stuff like this go on.

GOOD LUCK

It's Time to Look at Our Schools

It is interesting that the Board members of the Fairfield- Suisun School District are writing articles for the Daily Republic. This usually means an initiative is about to start that will need the public on their side to get done. It will be interesting to see what they need from the public. Since they are speaking up in defense of the District, I want to raise some issues that I feel could make the District better.

Susan Heumphreus recently wrote an article in support of the District teachers. The article was a noble effort, and I applauded the attempt, but let’s be honest, the teachers of this District are like the employees of any organization, there are great employees, mediocre employees, and employees that need to find a new career. I feel that the real issue is the lack of recognition and support for each of these groups. The great teachers and the poor teachers are all treated the same. We need to demand that the administration of each school in the District take the time and make the effort to be objective and supportive of all of the staffs. Reward the good, train, and improve the mediocre, and remove the poor performances. It seems this is what an administrator should be doing. We need to demand that the District actually does their job. I know a number of Administrators feel that they would be wasting time because they won’t be supported by the District if they try to make changes that needs to be made. The District must demand and support a strong accountability program.

Chuck Woods recently wrote about how great the District’s High Schools are, and I agree with his premise. The High Schools do have great programs, great classes, and great extracurricular activities. My concern is that with all this available we are still only graduating less that 45% of our students who are ready to move on to a State University. In point of fact, in 2006-2007 43.5% of the graduates of Rodriquez High, 30.1% of the graduates at Armijo High School and 37.7% of Fairfield High students completed the classes needed to attend California State Schools. Why is this happening?

After over 15 years in the District as a parent and an activist I feel that one of the things that would help to raise these numbers is to spend the time and effort to develop counseling programs that can help and reach out to all students. I have heard from a number of students that they didn’t know the classes that they needed to go to a State College, and therefore ended up at a Community College. Nothing wrong with a Community College, but they could have moved on to a State school and streamlined their education, saving time and money. If we had Counselors who could pair up with students in Middle School and mentor them through High School, they would then have the info and could make better decisions.

The District wants us to be proud of our schools, and they have improved a great deal from the past, but we need to dig down, look at the numbers beneath the façade, and continue to prod the District to do better.

GOOD LUCK

             

It's Time to Choose

The Jet Pilot vs. The Professor   

                As we watch the campaign count down to the final days there have been clear indications as to the personalities of the two Presidential candidates, and how they’ll react to crisis as President.

                John McCain is the classic fighter pilot. He has shown time and again that he quickly makes a decision and then moves forward, like a bull to do what he thinks is right. He doesn’t seem to listen to advisors, or if he does, he chooses to go another way, in spite of their guidance. Case in point is Sarah Palin.

                It was clear to all that McCain wanted to reach to the other side and put in Joe Lieberman, or to go with Gov. Tom Ridge, who didn’t toe the line on all of the Conservative ideals, but he and McCain are friends. The brain trust says no, you can’t do it, a fight ensues and then McCain says O.K., let’s go with Sarah Palin. The Hail Mary pass of a Conservative woman who will ignite the base. Does John care if she’s ready? Of course not, he’s said all along that a VP has two jobs in any administration, to ask about the health of the President, and to attend the funerals of foreign leaders. He’s got total control of the situation and he doesn’t a Vice President. The financial crisis again shows McCain’s temperament. His first swing is to try to paper over the situation, the basic economy is sound, and it’ll all work out. Second swing is to fire the people who were in charge when things went bad, strike three is to rush to Washington to solve the problem, and then get blindsided by his own party, who have another idea and haven’t even shared it with him.

                Obama is the classic intellectual. Any time there’s a problem he calls a group of experts around him, seeks their guidance, works with them to formulate a plan, and then presents that plan. As we saw, his VP was chosen by a committee which vetted all the candidates and then presented their info, and out pops Biden. On the financial bailout, Obama calls together his experts, holds meetings and then they came forward with a plan. Obama stays above the fray in Congress, he calls Paulson and the White House and monitors the situation waiting for the final plan to come to the Senate, and then he goes to vote. Of course, he was called in to the White House meeting, and attended but said little.

                I think this is probably the best way to decide on who is going to be the President. We have seen both styles in former Presidents and we have seen how that picture comes out. Think back and make your decision.

GOOD LUCK