The Age of GREED is Over!

MY TWO-CENTS... (comments/opinions) for whatever they're worth!

TURN OUT THE LIGHTS...THE PARTY'S OVER...

During the Stone Age, it was survival of the fittest...and in 2009...it's high-tech survival of the fittest as well. And, if American's don't change their ways, they are going to find this economy and society imploding from the inside if they're not careful, etc.

I don't think American's have a fear from outside the United States...but as the unthinkable events of 9/11 showed us all...that the threat could still be there. So, in 2009, who is America's greatest threat?

AMERICAN'S THEMSELVES...

"Earth provides enough for every man's need, but not for every man's greed." Mahatm Gandhi

It will be the American's themselves, who destroy the country because of an attitude problem...with selfishness and greed leading the way! "Everybody does it...so it's okay." When it comes to selfishness and greed...it's NOT okay! But, there is that "donut-hole" mentality that many people practice...you know the types...the follow-the-leader types!

Psychologists and social scientists are running around trying to figure out why the divorce rate is still so high, and the answer is simple, and you don't have to be a rocket scientist to know the answer...selfishness and greed on both sides! Two selfish people bonding in matrimony...is a toxic mix! The two selfish people produce a couple of selfish kids...and BOOM...anther failed marriage!

Oh...sure, sure...there's a fancy term the court places on divorce..."irreconcilable differences," when in fact, it's selfishness and greed on both sides, etc. There is not a person in the country that's going to admit to being selfish...it's always somebody else!

Everybody knows how selfish kids can be. I helped to raise two kids for over 19 years, and in my family there are ten kids, and the older kids had to help raise the little ones, so I know selfish kids can be. Kids want to be the boss of everything...they want to run the show...eat sweets all day...buy all the toys in the store...they want to rule! Yes...I know selfish kids can be!

When it comes to job losses, nobody's going to tell me how awful it is to lose your job, either! Over a decade or so, I have been laid off SIX times, and all for legitimate reasons such as defense cuts; companies closing; down-sizing, etc. I have never been fired from a job because of attendance problems, attitude or anything else.

During my many job losses, I worked as a temporary employee until something permanent came along. During this time, I worked at over 25 different companies (at one time or another), and I have never seen so much negativity and attitude in my life. Selfishness; gossip; put-down of others; a fist-fight or two; and even gun play, etc.

The analogy I like to use to compare the economy and society today, is a company I worked for after my first job layoff. It was one of the worst companies I have ever worked for, with a bad attitude and bad everything else. It was a company that made plastic parts for imaginable such as vacuum cleaners; sewing machines; computers, smoke alarms, etc. With about 300 employees, there are NO words, that can describe the atmosphere or attitude of employees in this company! These were people who cared about nothing but themselves! A manner-less crowd...of apathy and defiance and of such poor quality of work, that I didn't know how this company could stay in business!

The returned parts was so bad, they would come back in 18 wheelers, and it didn't take long for the warehouse to fill up with rejected parts. Little by little, the pile of returns got larger and larger, and I was assigned to, and worked on the returns for over eight months. Words cannot describe what I saw in all those boxes...burned parts; half of parts were missing; obvious sink holes; contaminated parts; streaks of splay on the parts and on and on! How all these parts got past quality control, was beyond me! The result?

Over a period of time, and one by one, the customers started to pull their molds for the parts...and it included big companies, such as General Electric; Apple; MicroSoft; Singer, Erueka, etc. Eureka had about a third of the floor (machines) and when they pulled their mold...THE COMPANY CLOSED! It was the attitude of the employees themselves that closed the company...with the attitude of apathy and defiance...resulted with the company imploding from the inside! A big, fat attitude problem here!

* * *

Many years ago, my wife and I, saw a movie called, "Wall Street." And, in the movie, the main character proclaimed, "Greed is Good!" And, I can see in this society, that greed is good for some people as well. With a little mix of greed and corruption...and with the attitude of "everybody does it...so it's okay"...provides for another toxic mix, etc.

Therefore, I see many American's this way...with a big fat ATTITUDE PROBLEM...with selfishness and greed leading the way! And, if American's don't change their ways and their attitudes...I see the same thing happening, as happened to the company I mentioned...the society imploding from the inside!

When I was a member of a singles club, I sat next to a woman at the bar one night. And, for over 30 minutes, this woman talked about nothing else but herself...her kids..her students...herself...herself...her kids...her students...herself...herself...and when she wasn't talking about herself...she talked about herself...WHEW! Thirty minutes was enough for me, and I got my drink and headed for another part of the club. There are people in this world, that can't even share a conversation! Whatever happened to sharing? Whatever happened to give and take? Ever wonder why the divorce rate is still so high?

"It is greed to do all the talking, but not want to listen at all." Democritus

To get out of this financial melt-down, American's are going to have to take some pretty bad medicine and take it down NOW! When you go to your hair-cutter, you get your hair thinned out, and the rest of your hair will be strengthened, will grow thicker and thrive. The same holds true, when the gardener thins down the plants and trims down the branches on the trees; bushes...and the plants grow thicker, are more productive and thrive as well, etc.

Question: In respect to the economy and in business...what does the "thinning-out process" mean?

Answer: It means taking out the weak players.

For as long as I can remember, there were two newspapers in Albuquerque, New Mexico (where I live), but the evening newspaper went belly0up about a year ago. (2008) There used to be three large shopping centers of more than 200 stores each. But, Winrock Center (Winthrop Rockefeller) went belly-up about five years ago (2003), and today it remains a ghost-town.

This is what's happening all across America..as the "thinning out process" continues to take hold, and it's going to be painful and many tears will be shed over the coming months and years, etc. What do I think will happen to this economy, you ask?

- two or three greedy auto-makers will go belly-up; (they've taken American's for a ride long enough; poor babies)

- two or three greedy airlines will go belly-up; (no more friendly skies!)

- several greedy retailers will go belly-up: (we'll miss them on Black Friday...our national day of greed)

- dozens of greedy banks will go belly-up; (they were not happy working banker's hours...now they won't be working at all)

- many greedy grocery stores will go belly-up; (don't sell all the tissue, because you're going to need it)

- many greedy shopping centers will go belly-up; (consumers are tired of dealing with these pirates)

- to the delight of American's, many gas stations will go belly-up; (they'll know what it's like running on empty)

- many greedy insurance companies will go belly-up; (you're in good hands with who?)

- many greedy hotels/motels will go belly-up; (they made their bed...they can sleep in it)

- a few pharmaceutical companies will go belly-up; this industry is right up there with Big Oil in greed, so I don't think the American people care if a few of them go under.

And, because all these pirates are so greedy, they deserve to go under! I have no sympathy for any of these pirates!

MY TWO-CENTS CONTINUES...

Should the U.S. government bail out General Motors and other car-makers with tax dollars? My answer is NO...because General Motors and others are being miss-managed. The government should let them go under, and America will survive the ripple-effect of job losses it causes.

This is another example of what I call the "thinning out process," and other companies will have to go under, including the arrogant General Motors. Trust me...the world is not going to come to an end, if General Motors goes under. It's about time, the people there get a REAL job...as they have been on the gravy train too long!

AMERICA IS MUCH TOO FAT...TO BLOATED...AND THE DOWN-SIZING OF AMERICA WILL CONTINUE AND IT WILL BE PAINFUL FOR MANY! IT'S GOING TO BE UP TO THE U.S. CONGRESS, TO ENACT LAWS TO KEEP COMPANIES IN THIS COUNTRY, SO THERE CAN BE MORE JOBS FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!

The future of America: I see the future of America, as all this reckless spending of years past will come to an end...replaced with more saving for the American people! This important change in attitude and lifestyle, will cause the greedy corporations/stockholders (who don't care about the American people) to be "thinned out," and go out of business as we know it, etc. Many work places will suffer as a result. It won't take long to get rid of these pirates!

HATS OFF AND THUMBS UP TO THE AMERICANS WHO MANAGE TO SAVE MORE IN THEIR LIVES!

* * *

In sports...10...20....30...or 60 million dollars for a player is a disgrace and insanity in this country! There is NO athlete or entertainer worth this kind of money...and who are the FOOLS in all this? The fools who buy the tickets, that who...the fans who pay these jokesters that kind of money! These sports and entertainment people are certainly worth the 60 million dollars they get...60 million dollars of arrogance they display! These people are NOT worth what they get paid...and as a nation we have left the Age of Greed...and entered the Age of Insanity!

The government and the American people can't have it both ways. The American people are part of the problem, in this financial melt-down, because they are saving more, and I salute them for that! What's wrong with that? When they save more...they don't help to manufacture the knick-knacks and people get laid off from their jobs, etc.

Historically, American's are the worst savers of all the industrial countries. I saw a news story recently, whereby, Americans have gone from saving a paltry 1% to saving 6%...and good for them. American's have to save more in this greedy society we live in...which is led by greedy corporations and their stockholders, etc.

When I got my $300.00 check from the government, I put it in my savings right away. I'm not in the business of spending recklessly or creating jobs...I'll leave all that to the politicians in Washington. A applaud the American people who can save...recession or no recession.

The headlines in the Albuquerque Journal dated March 9, 2009 reads, "Mayor Halts Double-Dipping; Drawing Salary AND Pension Will Cut Practice" As the reader can see...greed is everywhere!

I live in a one-horse town in Albuquerque, New Mexico (USA) with a population of more than 500,000 residents. The president of the University of New Mexico makes $585,000 per year, which is a disgrace and he doesn't deserve it, in my view. Recently, the University of New Mexico Regents and the UNM President got an overwhelming "no-confidence" vote from the facaulty/professors at the university.

The governor is involved in all this, because he appointed all of the Regents to the Board. Many of the positions (vice-presidents) were created by the president of UNM, and those people are making $250,000 a year. Suspicion has it, that all the vice-presidents are cronies to the governor! (sounds like government as usual...screw the taxpayer!)

WANTED; (Under-achievers)

In 2009, jobs are scarce...so if you want a job, you can apply for the following position; (several positions will be available)

Position title: Puppet I; (entry level); for the governor;

Requirements; Applicant MUST be an under-achiever and loyal to the governor and his cronies;

Pay: $250, 000 per year; (the pay is low, so you must sacrifice)

Job Description; Do nothing; (if you have a problem with this...do NOT apply) WARNING: If you are caught doing anything during your term...you could be fired)

Skills required: (Multi-tasking); under-produce or don't produce at all; able to rest all day; Yawning often will get you points with the governor; act like you're doing something;

Termination bonus: Upon leaving the employment of the State, you will be given tens of thousands of dollars for doing nothing; You will also receive a certificate of appreciation and a thank you for being loyal to the governor and his cronies;

And, this is what I'm talking about...a BIG FAT ATTITUDE in America...cronyism...the selfish and the greedy...the "ME FIRST" attitude...I'll scratch your back...if you'll scratch mine!

The World Famous "Pit." In Albuquerque, New Mexico, I live walking distance to the world-famous "Pit" which is the University Arena at the University of New Mexico. It's called the "pit" because, when it was built in 1966, it was carved out of a hole in the ground...meaning that all the seats for basketball are underground, over 15, 000 at the time. The basketball floor is several hundred feet underground. Later, in the 1970's, the arena was expanded with more seats (above ground) and it now seats over 20,000 fans.

I had not been to the "pit" in years, and I wanted to see the New Mexico/BYU game more than anything, and so for my birthday, I bought a ticket for $12.00, and I went and enjoyed the game, with BYU winning an over-time thriller.

In 2009, Utah came to town, and New Mexico and Utah were fighting for the lead in the conference, and I wanted to see this game, too. When I called about tickets to the game, I was told, that they now cost $19.00! WHAT?

There's a line in the sand for everything, so I said "NO"...I will NOT pay $19.00 for a ticket, so I had to settle for listening to the game on radio. And the GREED continues...and it doesn't matter if it's led by a greedy corporation or a university in sports! I am NOT going to contribute to those greedy coaches, who don't deserve what they make in the first place.

"Hell has three gates; lust; anger; and greed!" Bhagauad Gita

Prepare for the Worst...and Hope for the Best!

Since I've had SIX job layoffs in a little over a decade, I think I'm qualified to give a little advice on the subject of jobs, etc.

"Good things happen to those who hustle." Anais Def

1) Start preparing NOW! Don't wait until the layoff notices come down, and then you rush off to school to get the skills you need. There's no free lunch...

When I was 43 years old, I completed three writing courses to try to improve my writing skills; the Writers Digest course; the National Writers club course; and a creative writing course at the University of New Mexico. All this cost me a couple of hundred dollars at the time, and took me about 18 months to complete. It's one of the best things I've ever done for myself.

When I was 48 years old, I completed my real estate broker requirements, which in this state, is 160 hours of classroom study. At the time, I had no interest in entering real estate, but I did it for my future.

When I was 51 years old, I completed three computer courses; Windows 3.1; Word 6.0; WordPerfect 5.0 and several tutorials. It cost me about $150.00 at the time, and took me about 18 months to complete. This gave me the much-needed computer skills and now I could work almost anywhere in the 1990's and beyond.

2) Flexibility; Because I worked for an engineering company for over ten years, and I got much of my office skills at the University of New Mexico, I could now work on either side of the fence. On the blue collar side in production and assembly OR I could put on a shirt and tie and work in an office environment. The key for me was to get those computer skills...once I had those...I was on my way, etc.

3) Take what you can get: Some people are too picky as to where they work, etc. If you lose your job, don't be too picky as to what or where you work. It might not be what you want, but at least you're bringing in a little bacon, etc. The more types of work you can do, the more you can fatten up your resume and the more experience you gain.

4) Temporary employment resume: Because of all my job losses, I worked as a temporary employee longer than I wanted. Because of this, I decided to put together a temp resume, which was in addition to my regular resumes, so I could show my potential employer that I had experience in different jobs. It worked out well for me. You might work at one place for several months, and all that experience is not wasted...if it's placed on a resume be itself.

5) If you lose your job, don't be a crybaby: Nobody wants to hear you whine or sob because you lost your job! There are millions of people out there losing their jobs everyday, and you're all in a sinking boat, and the last thing anyone wants to listen to is a crybaby! Preparing yourself for the worst is the key!

One of my bosses used to play cards at lunchtime everyday for years. When the layoff notices came down, he rushed off to take a class at the local school. DO NOT DO THIS! Start preparing yourself NOW! As I outlined earlier, everything takes time and money to prepare yourself and you can blame nobody but yourself, if you don't start NOW! DO NOT WASTE TIME!

6) Avocation: If you have a hobby such as painting; glass; pottery; leather, etc., make up a separate resume and list your achievements, skills and talents. At one time, I had been a woodcarver for over 30 years, and I had an artistic resume. When somebody at the engineering company said they wanted somebody that was good with their hands...and I AM good with my hands, to do small and delicate work...I got the job! Interesting, eh?

7) Website: If you have a website, like I do, list it on your artistic resume. If you don't have a website...get one! You have more space on a website, to list all that you can do, and use it as your expended resume and make it optional for your potential employers. Your potential employer will see your skills and talents in putting your website together.

8) Think positive; Negativism will get you nowhere! Always have a positive attitude and have confidence in yourself. People will notice it right away. If you start crying and sobbing that's wrong in your life...it will be noticed, too! Believe in yourself, and don't go over the line of arrogance! The more knowledge and experience you get for yourself...the more confidence you get for yourself!

"What you lack in talent...can be made up with desire, hustle and giving 110 percent all the time." Don Zimmer

9) Swallow your pride: If you lose your job and and you need help from the State, in the form of food stamps or welfare...take it! That's what it's there for! It will help you get back on your feet, until you find permanent employment, which may take a while. Swallow your pride...because the most important thing in so feed yourself and your family! I lived in a homeless shelter for over 6 weeks; I stood in a soup line for over 6 weeks, and if I can swallow my pride...you can too!

And finally...I know what it's like to lose your source of income...that awful frustrating and empty feeling in your stomach, along with many sleepless nights, etc. Believe me...I been there...I've done that! With a world economy and so much competition coming from everywhere...it can be frustrating and agonizing! So, my best advice is to fatten up your resume...and get started right away...hope for the best...and hustle like you never have before! GOOD LUCK!

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