A few quips about "what's what"...

Wow...you stay off the computer for a few days, and the world turns faster than you can think. There's been a lot of action both locally and nationally, so here's what I think about what's been going on lately...

The demise of General Motors was more than inevitable. Even more so the fact that when President Obama (along with President Bush starting the bailouts in the first place...he gave the auto makers $25 billion to "keep this from happening") said government bailouts were the only way this car-making "icon" could stay afloat...that's when I knew this company was heading down the crapper. It seems like our Commander-in-Chief has turned himself into the "Car Maker-In-Chief"...as his plan to nationalize the auto industry is well underway. Now...he did say in the statement from the White House that he nor the government intend to take over the auto industry. However...he laid out a plan that pretty much outlines quite the opposite. In other words...General Motors is now GOVERNMENT MOTORS. The government has a 60% ownership stake in the company thanks to the bankruptcy plan. And...with new government regulations enacted that would force car makers to make "fuel efficient" cars and such by 2016...we can pretty much say the government has taken over. Not to mention, the United Auto Workers (UAW) Union has 17% of the stake in this company, and any private investors have been basically told, "screw you". Oh...did I mention all the jobs that will be lost and the plants that are closing as a result of this? According to the June 1, 2009 Wall Street Journal...

"GM said Monday that it will shutter 17 factories and parts centers by the end of 2011, including seven factories in Michigan and plants in Ohio, Indiana and Tennessee, and cut an additional 5,000 salaried jobs.

The closures will reduce GM's U.S. facilities to 33 from 47 by 2012. Between 18,000 and 20,000 workers will be affected by the shutdowns, Tim Lee, GM's vice president of North America Manufacturing, said during a conference call Monday."

So much for "hope" and "change", huh? To quote blogger and TV/radio commentator Michelle Malkin, "We've been sold a lemon for life."

Sing with me..."Have you driven a Ford...lately?"


I want to be one of the many pro-life supporters out there to not only condemn the killing of Dr. George Tiller, but to also extend my prayers and support for the family. There's no question that many people who are on my side of this issue feel the same way, like him, her, and them. There are millions and millions more who agree that although we disagree with "pro-choicer advocates" on the views of abortion, there is NO JUSTIFICATION for the murder of someone who performs abortions. Yes...our views against abortion are passionate, and I can understand why some people think all of us are like the alleged suspect, Scott Roeder, but I can say with certainty that although there were those who were crusading against Tiller's actions...no one with a halfway sane mind would even crusade for his murder. George Tiller's murder was wrong, and Scott Roeder should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.


Judge Sonia Sotomayor is also on my radar, but I'll elaborate on a future post on her and how Democrats are being hypocritical about her nomination as opposed to how they acted when President George W. Bush nominated Hispanics and Blacks to various positions on his cabinet. In short...Republicans need to stand up and fight, and Democrats need to stop using the "race card" to their advantage. This is all about POLITICS...and race is only being used as a diversion.


Until next time...keep enterprising.

A few quips about "what's what"...

I thought it was the economy, stupid...

...or at least I thought President Obama's Stimulus Package was supposed to fix it.

Now here's a question...why hasn't the media been asking about this story. Actually, I think I already know the answer...it doesn't want to. You see, I've been paying attention to how the press has been covering our 44th President, and it's pretty easy for me to assess that this media is more than "in the tank" for President Obama. In other words...unless it absolutely has to, the main news reporters and directors at ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, NPR, PBS, and other major news services for the most part won't report on anything that makes the President looks bad.

The crux of this story is that our esteemed leader is quoted as saying all the spending this current "stimulus" will lead to long-term debt the nation can't handle. That's a pretty interesting observation considering all those who demanded this overblown, government-spending, pork-funding budget be passed as soon as possible, or else the country as we know it would go into oblivion. It was President Obama, along with his counterparts in Washington, who insisted this economy would never recover unless his budget package be passed...and it better be passed quickly. I watched politician after politician repeat the same mantra over and over again..."We need to pass this stimulus package now, or else the nation will end up in a financial crisis that we'll never recover from." Critics often said those who either sponsored and/or voted for this stimulus package either never read the bill completely, or they were passing their own "pork" into the bill President Obama vowed to leave out in the first place. According to the Bloomberg story, the Obama administration predicts the overall defecit for this year to be $1.84 trillion, which is 5% higher than the original February estimation. Also, the White House Office of Management says next year's budget will be higher than originally projected...$3.59 trillion as supposed to $3.55 originally predicted. The President cut a "meager" $17 billion from the budget...which seems like a lot at first, but that's only 1/2 of 1% of the overall budget. In other words, while President Obama is planning on cutting or reducing 121 federal programs, there's still enough wasteful spending coming from Washington to make up the difference.

That's one thing that really gets my goat about this...we've been told over and over again by this administration that:

1) This whole mess is President Bush's fault,
2) The only way we'll make it through is if we all "sacrifice", and
3) The only people who can fix this mess are based in Washington, DC.

However...it looks like those who vowed in the name of "hope" and "change" are only making the problem worse instead of making it better. If there's one thing I know, it's that anything that comes from Washington will always come with strings, catches, and other schisms that will only make the country worse off rather than better. In this case, all the hype about needing to spend like crazy in order to restore the economy, and needing to give the President time to make this right since "it can't be fixed overnight", isn't worth it. Several politicans from all over are benefitting from "pork projects", however there doesn't seem to be much either now or in the future for "stimulus"...at least for common folks for me and you.

And now there's a story coming from the USA Today that says because of the bad economy, that even the IRS tax revenue is falling. How about that for a connection...people lose their jobs, people spend less, the tax grabbers make less money. Still...this story is an interesting read mainly because of one particular quote...

"The White House thinks that tax revenue will increase in 2011, thanks in part to the stimulus package, says the report from AIER, an independent economic research institute. But it warns, "Even if that does happen, the administration also projects that government spending will be so much higher each year that large deficits will continue, and the national debt held by the public will double over the next 10 years."

So what we're being told is that even if all this "stimulus" stuff works, the economy he campaigned and swore to fix will definitely get WORSE before it gets BETTER. He did say that in subsequent press conferences after signing this much-ballyhooed bill into law, but I don't even think the most ardent Obama supporters anticipated this...at least those who pay attention to the numbers.

All this rambling on about the economy leads me to one conclusion...my non-support for President Obama was justified in this area because, among many reasons, he always believed that "bigger government" is the answer for life's problems, and that those who "can afford it" should "pay their fair share" in funding ways for the "little guy" to make it. I don't believe in the "Robin Hood" way of politics, where the premise is supposedly taking from the rich and giving it to the poor. In reality, government does "take from the rich" alright...with higher taxes and a bunch of rhetoric about how the little guy's getting "screwed". But instead of giving the money to those who support politicians who put out such ilk, the politicians who "fight for the little guy" only end up keeping the money, or putting it into some bureaucratic-filled mess never to be seen again. What's even more startling is...once the money's dolled out, and the people who need it the most don't get it...President Obama and his supporters will come out with a very familiar refrain...more money is needed for "roads, schools, health care, jobs, energy, etc.", and they'll be looking for more and more ways to take it from those who produce.

I thought it was the economy, stupid...

Before I rant about politics...a lot of thanks are due...

Hey everybody...

I'd like to take this chance to express some thanks to some people who helped me get on this "blogosphere" I'd been so reluctant to get on for a while. Let's face it...when you've been formally educated in a medium that's been changing so much in recent years, you're less likely to adapt unless you get some encouragement. I'll mention some people by name as to who helped me get to this point, but first, let me tell you a little about me and how I got here.

I have a degree in radio and broadcast journalism from Columbia College in Chicago, Illinois, and I've been trying like mad to get into the radio broadcasting world on a full-time basis since graduation. I've worked at several local radio stations here in the area, ranging from local affiliates of national networks, to independent stations. I'd like to say being here in Chicago that the radio world is on stable ground, but the radio world's been a-changin' a lot...even while I was in school. For example...analog equipment gave way to digital equipment, reel-to-reel machines gave way to computer software, and the local radio scene is giving way more and more to a less personal, "nationally-syndicated radio world." Even as I write this, many local, and somewhat iconic figures in local radio here are becoming more of a rarity instead of the standard because of stations being run by corporate interests with no local ties. Just a few days ago, WGN Radio's "The Girlfriends", Kathy O'Malley and Judy Markey, and WNUA's morning host, jazz legend Ramsey Lewis, were each given their walking papers. O'Malley and Markey were a duo who entertained listeners on WGN Radio for 20 years, while Lewis loses his local morning show and nationally-syndicated gig as his former station is now a Spanish-pop music station. In short...just when you thought the market couldn't change, it does. And just when you get used to the changes, something else changes...and so on, and so on, and so on.

So with all that, along with counsel and encouragement from my wife and friends, I've decided to enter the "wave the future", and go into podcasting. Many people I've listened to and listen to now are into podcasting, and are doing quite well. I'd like to be a part of that group, so I'm starting now, and I'd like for you to come along for the ride.

My first "thank you" goes to my wife, Kendra, for first encouraging me to get into podcasting. Like I said before, I was reluctant, but her perseverance helped change my mind. In fact, she set up this blog site for me so I can write about topics I'll record podcasts about. She also studied radio in college, so she's very aware of what's been going on in the radio world as I am.

Another "thank you" goes to my former pastor, Dr. Ray Pritchard. Dr. Pritchard, or "Ray" as he likes to be addressed as, podcasts on his website, and right before I decided to do this, I dropped him a note to ask his opinion. He was more than supportive of the idea, saying current surveys indicate today's youth aren't into radio as prior generations were. Kids today are more into iPods , mp3 players, and other technology that was considered "science fiction" a generation ago. To summarize his view, if I am to reach out to people, I need to use technology that people are using today. Radio is great, but it's becoming somewhat of a dinosaur. Soon, it may end up being as extinct as the Tyrannasaurous Rex.

My final "thank yous" go to many people in the broadcasting industry here in Chicago that also encouraged me to try podcasting. Many local radio and TV personalities have their own websites, or at least Facebook and MySpace pages, and they link podcasts and other audio/video clips to their media. They're only doing what's considered the smart thing to do in this day and age of electronic media...put their product out in a way as many people as possible can access. Thanks again for your influence...you each have a part in the success of my broadcasting career thus far, and you'll each have a part in what happens in the future.

And with that...it's time to begin a new journey. It's time to begin taking my first step in a "1,000 mile journey" of new horizons in media. I'm not doing anything groundbreaking, but I'd like to believe I'll be doing something that will entertain, inform, and inspire you. Some of what I write and say will resonate with you fully...others will make you madder than you've ever been. I can't please everybody, so I won't even try. All I can be is myself, and you'll get to know more about me in future blog posts and podcasts.

Buckle up...place your trays in the upright positions...and prepare for takeoff.

Before I rant about politics...a lot of thanks are due...