January 28, 2010

Do Americans Expect Too Much from Politicians?

In case you haven't heard, Scott Brown won in a blue state. Let's celebrate the emergence of a little common sense, but let's also hold off on the "Brown 2012" bumper stickers.   Are we so starved for a leader that we heap all our...

January 1, 2010

A Bucket List for America

I have been a list-maker for as long as I can remember. My kids used to laugh about Daddy's lists: the notes written on the back of business cards or small notepads I always carried in my shirt pocket. At first the lists were just things to do, but w...

May 20, 2009

Who Are You Calling a Lemming?

I have tried all types of stress reduction techniques since the daily barrage of Obama photo-ops began.  Nothing works.  There is no escaping the media worship. Must I now endure lectures about the end of the Republican Party and how w...

January 24, 2009

Reporter of my dreams

I have a friend who watches old episodes of The Lone Ranger.  He says he does it to get intellectual stimulation after watching what has become mind-numbing, dumbed-down television news. In these trying days, I also long for those thrilling days...

January 16, 2009

The Fear of Doing Nothing

A lot of our economic troubles could be solved if we could just keep our emotions in check.  Seriously. It seems that fear, greed and the thirst for power have swept the country like an airborne virus. The fear of doing nothing rules the day -- ...

December 11, 2008

Everything you want to know about the bailout (but were afraid to ask)

Here are a few questions from a typical man on the street (me) to Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, and the answers I believe he would give, based on his public positions to date.Man on the street question:  How much did you say you needed?Paulso...

October 7, 2008

The Great American Crapshoot

Well, they passed it. Wall Street bailout, Main Street Rescue, or whatever you want to call it, is now law. Now we will roll the dice 700 times, a billion on the table each time. Will we roll all sevens or hit a few snake-eyes? Congress is not w...

October 5, 2008

Maybe Obama Does Not Know How to Use A Computer, Either

Senator Obama's campaign made fun of John McCain for not using email (and by implication, for not knowing how to use a computer). After the most recent debate, I think Obama may not know how to use one, either. I remain undecided about the best way t...

September 30, 2008

The Trillion-Dollar Question: Are the Bookkeepers At It Again?

Why should America attempt an expensive, controversial, and possibly ineffective bailout strategy for the current financial crisis when a virtually costless and simpler change could solve much of the problem?We accountants don't like publicity. Fortu...

September 19, 2008

A Taxpayer Stickup

Bear Stearns, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers, and now AIG, a diversified international company primarily known for insurance. Recognize those names? Boxer Bob Fitzsimmons said,  "The bigger they are, the harder they...

August 24, 2008

Who is Rich in America?

Rick Warren asked the presumptive presidential candidates to define rich in America during the Saddleback forum.  I like to hear candidates answer a simple question with a simple answer.  However, Pastor Rick did not provide enough informat...

July 29, 2008

Meet Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

Who are these folks?  With such nice, friendly, down-home sounding names, I expect they are really wonderful people.  As a native Texan, I automatically like people who answer to two first names.  My parents did not bless me with two n...