Collect Experiences. Not Things. :')

April 30, 2011

On the Right Soon!

ANOTHER DISCLAIMER: I don't mean to offend anybody. But like any OLD person, I find articles and videos that CONFIRM my life choices and post them on this BLOG. If your life choices differ from mine, well that's cool, but I don't have to defend them. I only have to defend mine.

And agreed, my life choices aren't right, however, they ARE "right" for me. But regardless, I respect your life choices - I respect DIVERSITY.

April 28, 2011

Da Birth Certificate

How crazy was that? What was it 20 to 30% of the population and 50 to 60% of Republican that didn't believe Obama was born in the U.S.? Just because Obama didn't show his birth certificate that means he doesn't have one.

What is truth anymore? Does truth mean if other people believe it, then it must BE TRUE! It doesn't have to be true factually, just as long as "IT'S SOMETHING WE WANT TO BELIEVE" and other people believe it's, then it's true.

What a world we live in today! Politco has a great article on this phenomenon "A new era of innuendo"

Fast Food Lasagna - Epic Meal Time

So Cute, So Hard on a Marriage

Even the WSJ joins the craze.
About two-thirds of couples see the quality of their relationship drop within three years of the birth of a child, according to data from the Relationship Research Institute in Seattle, a nonprofit organization focused on strengthening families. Conflict increases and, with little time for adult conversation and sex, emotional distance can develop.

Men and women experience the deterioration differently: Mothers' satisfaction in their marriages plummets immediately; for men, the slide is delayed a few months. Hormonal changes, the physical demands of childbirth and nursing, and an abrupt shift from the working world to being at home with an infant may explain that, says Renay Bradley, the director of research and programming at the Relationship Research Institute.
Study after study concludes that people with kids are less happy than people without kids. Then why have kids? My guess is that it gives people something to do. Or as Woody Allen explains it: many people define their lives by their kids. Which is probably true, especially for the lower class and marginally educated. I'm also guessing people have kids for the sake of having kids or because that's what expected of them. Then again I often hear people complaining about their kids or that's it a tough job raising them. Then why have kids?

April 23, 2011

Move Over Palin, Here Comes Trump

The media darling looses steam after blood-libel comment, but the news hungry media machine found a replacement.

April 20, 2011

Hysterical bubbles!

The cutest thing you'll see all day.

April 17, 2011

Arctic Cruise

Starts in Spitzbergen, sails to Greenland, with lot of kayaking options, and then back to Iceland.

April 15, 2011

"Nothing Resembling Mail..."

"What he left behind was nothing resembling mail..." "Wholly in appropriate..." As for the postman: imagine explaining to your kids why you're on leave from work. As for "News"....says a lot about the average American.

April 13, 2011

Almost A Year

Can't believe it's almost a year ( well really a year less 1.5 months) that I've lived in Stamford, CT. Time lasered by, compared to the last five years that sort of meandered a long. Not sure how much longer I want to be living this laser work life style. Working only half days on Fridays helps. I have more of a weekend and more time for myself. Not that I really need time.

April 09, 2011

Iceland's Dive Sites

The six day dive tour starts in the lower left (southwest) then proceeds north, with plenty of opportunities to see the country, not only sub-H2O.

April 07, 2011

Government Shutdown

The House Republicans don't get it do they? They run one-half of one-third of the government, and they want the other two branches to do as they say. The U.S. political system doesn't work that way. The Republicans don't run the Senate or the Executive Branch.

They are like a kid telling his parent he wants Porsche to drive to school and the parents say no. If the kid keeps insisting on the Porsche, he will get nothing. His parents have a say in the decision. The decision on the federal budget isn't the House Republican's decision alone.

Yes, they won a historical landslide victory in the House, but that doesn't mean they get everything they want. It's a political process. If they want to increase military spending and cut social security/medicare, they need to win the majority in the House and Executive Branch. Stop acting like elitist children.

April 04, 2011

Cathartic Laughing

I wish I laughed once a day like this lady.

April 03, 2011

Newark Museum

I've been living Newark for five year now and never visited the Museum. Last weekend, I decided it was about time. And dang, I was disappointed. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't even close. Having visited some so many major museums and actual sites of significance around the world, I probably should not have had such high expectations. I'm sure to people who never leave NJ or the Northeast the museum might find the museum worth a visit. Yes, I'm being a bit of a highbrow on this one. Additionally, the museum was crowded. They had a live music show and Cory Booker the mayor was there, promoting something, but I'm not sure what. Maybe I need to return on a day that it's less crowded. Who knows

Da Economy

It seems like all the recovery's leading indicators are all gaining momentum, except housing and employment.

Manufacturing, Architectural, and Restaurant Indexes all increased in March, as did Personal Consumption Expenditures. U.S. Light Vehicle Sales also increased. Shadow Inventory declines. Consumer Sentiment is up. Small Businesses are feel better about the future, etc. All indicators are showing the recovery is on it's way, EXCEPT HOUSING and EMPLOYMENT.

But not all housing and employment. Housing in the hardest hit areas, like Florida, California, Arizona, Nevada, etc is having the most trouble recovering Other areas like the Northeast, real estate is starting to pick up. I've noticed houses in my neighborhood that were on the market for over a year are starting to sell. And as for employment, it's the longterm unemployed, the "typewriter" generation that remains unemployed. It's a unique feature that many economist have pointed out about this recession. People who are one or two months unemployed are finding jobs quickly, as are the young. It who have been 26 plus weeks unemployed, who aren't finding employment. It the IPad vs. Typewriter phenomena.

On the bright side, U.S. housing is expected to trough, even in the hardest hit areas, in the fourth quarter of 2011, and that's when employment should start gaining some momentum. Until then expect unemployment to remain elevated, above 8%.

Also on the bright side, the stock market is cranking following consumer confidence. It appears that the 91% of the population that is employed is feeling better and spending. Consumer confidence and the market's performance are linked given the consumer's importance to economic growth.