Trader Joe's Pull Chinese Products

Wow. Check out these stories: L.A. Times, ABC News, and the Huffington Post.

I guess a few people have a say in what a grocery store sells. Do you hear people complaining at the big stores? Are people really that afraid? Of course this isn't as bad as the city in Florida that is attempting to ban ALL products from China. ABC News.

Have you really looked at the people that shop at stores like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods? Diet conscious, health conscious, and UGLY! Just goes to show that healthy does not always mean better! I digress.

Is it really that big of a deal? Is China really that "bad" or is it a perception that the media focuses on? We know about the Mattel thing. A couple of other things happen. Does it really mean that everything from this country is bad? I find it interesting to see how cultures collide like this. I also find it interesting the different standards placed on things in each culture/country. I am not overly concerned about products from China. I do believe the Chinese government is aware of the situation and will correct any issues with quality. On the other hand, I bet a study of quality of U.S. goods would show up some interesting results rivaling that of other countries. Let's start with the automobile! ;-)

In a way, as long as there are different cultures and different people, there will always be some sort of conflict. "Can't we all just get along?" This doesn't seem likely.

What do you think?

Super Tuesday: Now Go Vote!

If you are in one of the Stupid Tuesday states, GET OUT AND VOTE!

I really think people do not understand the importance of any election. Even if your person or proposition does not win, those votes against show the world that not everyone is happy. If the candidates who win are smart, they will look at those who did not vote for them and ask, "why?" Most have their own agenda, though. That is unfortunate.

Still, get out there are vote. If you are not registered to vote, make sure you are before the general election!

Planned Faux Paux

So on my web site I referenced McCain as the VP. No one has made a comment on this. Interesting. Are people thinking I'm an idiot? I am at times. We all are.

As for McCain. I cannot believe people think he is the one to beat the Demoncrats. It will be one hell of a race this year. I guess we are in for one hell of a future. Keep your eyes on the Far East on wait to see how nuts those are in the Middle East.

Oh, as for McCain being the VP, at least he is alive and kicking versus Cheney the alive and who knows when he drops.

Pres. Race Update - Jan 3, 2008

Apparently Iowans are pretty dense. Would I, as a Democrat, vote for Obama? No. As a Republican for Huckabee? No. Actually, would I vote for Clinton? No. Iowans did! So much for this country if we go by CNN and MSNBC. Iowa makes or breaks the elections.

Right now I really do not have a "favorite" candidate, but if I had to choose today it would be Mitt Romney. That can change tomorrow, but at least this one has some brains and common sense. I would never vote for Hillary, Obama, McCain, or the rest as I believe they are all fake and bought their way to "power" very similar to how other "democracies" work around the world.

I'm glad that Hillary's "buy out" did not work. I'm talking about the bribes of providing child care and car service. Nice idea, but I consider it a bribe. I thought that stuff was illegal in campaigning.

There's my couple of pennies. We'll make a new Election '08 home page here shortly.

Why Iowa?

I know I need to read up and learn some more, but the question in my mind is: Why Iowa?

I find it amazing how much emphasis politicians in a presidential race place on Iowa and New Hampshire for that matter. Why? Are there not bigger states to catch? One theory passed on to me is that the people of Iowa are so dense that the politicians use them to test which lies work the best, then they can fine tune them for the other less obtuse states. Now that is somewhat cruel to say of Iowans. I never visited Iowa. I cannot judge. I still must ask, "Why Iowa?"

Well?

Loans and Joe Blow

Everyone blames the banks for making these loans that millions are now defaulting on. I am now going to take the banks' side just to stir it up a bit.

Joe Blow goes into a bank and gets a killer loan. "Hey, I got this great ARM for my house. 1% for 3 years. Wow!"

Friend: Wow! That is awesome, dude.

Blow: Yeah.

3 Years Later

Blow: This mortgage blows, man. My payments just went through the roof! I'm paying, like, 8% now. I don't make enough to do it.

Friend: Bummer. Damn banks should not have done that to you.

Blow: Yeah. Maybe the government will help.

Friend: Yeah, dude.


OK, folks. Who signed the loan? Who knew at the time of signing that when the ARM period expired that the payment would go up? In both cases Joe Blow. The bank did nothing to hide this fact. No lender is allowed to hide this fact. Joe Blow is just plain stupid and in a way greedy. I can see the desire to own a home. I am not going to run out and buy one knowing that I would not be able to make payments! That is called common sense. Yet, Blow and family get this great loan for $100K OVER what they need for the house and spend it on things like a plasma t.v. (which will need replacement after 5 years anyways), a new SUV with all the trimmings, and a sand toy for each member of the family including Fluffy the dog (or is that a cat).

Because Blow wants all the toys, he lives outside his means. This is the American way. Inflation would not be so bad, the cost of living would be more stable, and life would be more realistic and balanced with the rest of the world if we crazy Americans would use our brains. Credit for this, credit for that. We live in debt. We do not live in reality. Everything must have a price. The lawyers make sure of that.

Get real. Life within your means. There is no need to keep up with the Jones's on your block because they will probably go bankrupt before you know it. Some people have money, some do not have as much. Live with it. Deal with it. Don't expect the government to take care of you. Only liberals think this way. Take responsibility and work for it yourself. Take care of yourself. Let the government take care of the scary folks trying to bomb the living shit out of us.

Good luck.

steroids in baseball

Football is almost over and baseball is around the bend. All we will hear is steroid use in baseball for the next 4 months. Why the big deal over baseball players using steroids? Do the fans really care or is it for those who love to keep statistics?

I think that the only people who really care are purists and stats keepers. Purists who want the game to be the same as it was in the early 1900's. Statisticians care because it screws up the trend like that really smart guy in class. All these people want is to compare today's players with those of yester-year. Times change. People change. Health change. How we live today is far different from when it was 50 or even 100 years ago and that, itself, makes for unrealistic comparisons.

Why not let these idiots use steroids? They want to kill themselves or came themselves with these drugs so let them. For the fan who wants to watch the game maybe there will be more home runs. Maybe there will be that spectacular leaping catch that some nature boy could not perform. It's entertainment. It is human nature to want to see the biggest and the best. For someone who aspires to be the biggest and the best maybe a little help is necessary. Maybe that child who just wants to have fun in little league is being pushed by his asshole father into being bigger and better. That stress alone makes these kids start to think about these things.

I say let them use steroids. Let them slowly mess with their bodies. It's worth it to me to watch some jerk crash into the outfield wall and his arm pops off because of some steroid side effect. Which leads to the next question, will there be an uproar when the first physically disabled ball player comes out and has a prothetic arm that rivals the $6 Million Man? How many asterisks after that record? Oh, the scenarios abound!

Is This A Just War?

Bomb kills Iraqi children gathered around U.S. troops - CNN.com

After reading this article the more I feel that we should carpet bomb the whole area and let nature take its course thereafter. Or, we pull out and put a fence around the whole area and let the "tribes" do themselves in.

I don't think the latter would work as some stupid country would support one side or the other. (If only there were sides!) The UN would have to police the rest of the world to stay out of that area until the victor is chosen.

Carpet bombing with nukes, making glass our of the whole area, would be a quick end to the mess. Unfortunately it would cause a new mess.

As you can see, the middle east, once know as a center of intelligence and learning, is just a waste of time and a lose-lose situation for anyone interested in "playing" there. I see no good whether we stay or leave. It is so depressing that these people are willing to kill children for their own means. Sickening.

No more, please?