Are You 100% Alive?

Many people live their lives with hesitance, apprehension and fear. Most also lack confidence in their own abilities. They are not showing the world all they have to offer. Without realizing it, they’re only 50% alive. There are also those that constantly talk about how wonderful things used to be in the past. Sorry, but those people are living less than 50%. It’s ok to celebrate the past, but you can’t live in it and expect to get the most out of life. Some people are confident and make things happen, but there is a disconnect in how they communicate with others. They’re up the scale a bit, but cap out around 75%.

So what does it mean to BE 100% alive?

It's about being the best version of you. It's taking all the positive attributes you bring to the table, and then exploiting the hell out of them. It's putting yourself in position to succeed - in whatever you do. It's living life without hesitance or apprehension. It’s knowing what you want and making daily decisions that move you closer to it. It's being confident in your abilities – not arrogant, but confident. It's about accepting challenges, exceeding expectations and making a difference in the lives around you.

Living your life this way is contagious. People will want to be a part of whatever you got going on. They'll seek your advice and/or assistance in whatever they have going on. It's about being the richest person in town. Not rich in the monetary sense - it's about emotional wealth.

Ok, you may be asking - sounds interesting, but how do I get there? Well, it's a conscious choice you make every day you get out of bed. Ask people what they like about you and do more of it. Ask people what they don't like about you and do less of it. Figure out what you want out of life and write it down. This will help every day when you have to make decisions. Just ask yourself the simple question - will this move me closer to my goal or farther? If the answer is closer, then do it. If the answer is farther, then don't. It's that simple. If you don't have a goal, then you're living your life by accident - meaning you just react to what life throws at you. That's like wanting to build a house and never drawing up blue prints - just going to Home Depot, buying materials and start building. Do you know anybody who has built a house in that manner? But we watch people live their lives like that everyday.

Don't live your life by accident. Live your life by design. It's never to late to draw up the blue prints, make decisions on things that are in your control and that move you closer to your goals. Then go out and be the best version of yourself. The residual effects will blow you away and you just might become the richest person you know.

This Is For You.....Dad

Dear Dad,

I can’t believe it’s been over 7 ½ years since I received the phone call on that snowy January day. You left us too soon and you’re still missed by so many.

You must know what I’ve been up to the past several weeks – you would be so excited. I signed up for a class at the Comedy Castle called – “Stand-up Comedy 101.” It is a 6-week class that meets for a couple of hours on Saturday mornings. The class teaches you how to properly write jokes for stand-up and works with you on performing them on stage. After the six weeks are complete, everyone goes on stage to individually perform at a “Graduation Show” at Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle. The class is now complete and we will be performing the evening of October 28.

During the first class, we all went on stage to introduce ourselves to each other. I let everyone know that this was the first time that I paid for the class, but by no means was it my first class. I was incredibly lucky to be raised in an environment where I was taught through your example, how to write a joke, perform it, and most importantly, how to use humor to be a positive influence in the lives of others. I didn’t fully realize the impact of that last part until after your passing. Yes, your funeral is still the only funeral anyone has ever heard of that held an “Open Mike Night” where so many people told stories of how your humor created a lasting impact in their lives. Never has anyone been to a funeral service where a packed room was filled with tears of laughter as each story was told. Since that time, I have continually been reminded of your influence whether I’m talking to relatives, friends or the occasional person I run into that says, “Was Joe Lico your father? I remember when he did…..” as they go on telling some funny story that they some how remember every detail of. Jim Rogers talks about how you were able to use your sense of humor as a healthy distraction after the funeral of his daughter. You had an amazing gift to be able to bring levity to a situation that was so tragic and do it in a way that created comfort. Jim still speaks of that moment with fondness and reverence.

The class has been a wonderful experience and you would have enjoyed it as much as I did. In a way, it was similar to Lico holiday gatherings at Grandma and Grandpa’s house on Alcoy – A bunch of funny people sitting around telling jokes while others shouted out humorous tags to add to the original joke. The laughter and camaraderie that developed in class was not new to me at all. In fact, it was very reminiscent of my youth, so part of me is sad that it is over. The good news is that I’ve developed some friendships that I trust will grow as we continue to meet and collaborate to work on new material. The additional residual effect of this whole creative process is that I wake up every morning with a smile as I seek out the humor in everyday life. In other words, live the way you lived your life every day.

It looks like there will be over 300 people in the audience at our graduation show. My years of public speaking experience has me prepared for the crowd. My years of learning comedy under your tutelage has me confident. So I’m ready. I’m doing this for my own personal growth and I’m doing this for you, dad – to carry on your legacy the best way that I can. So when I’m done with my debut I won’t look up for you, I’ll just look to my side – cause I know that’s where you’ll be the whole time. I love you, I miss you and I don’t know when I will see you next, but I promise you this – I won’t die on stage. ;-)

Love,

Tom

Lessons From Getting to the Point - Cedar Point

This past week I had the fortune to take my 9-year old daughter Ellie and her friend Megan to Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. For those not familiar, Cedar Point is west of Cleveland and sits on the shores of Lake Erie. It is also home to more roller-coasters than any other amusement park in the country with 14. They call themselves the “Amazement” Park because their rides are so amazing. I thought it was because you spend most of the day in “a maze” waiting in line to go on the stinkin’ rides. Following are some lessons I learned while waiting in the mazes or just walking around.

DISCLAIMER: Half of the fun being at Cedar Point is “people watching.” And the fun of people watching is making fun of those people. So if any of the following offends you, just lighten up and relax. Just trying to have some fun here.

Lesson 1) “I’m an idiot”

After being diagnosed with a complex tear of the meniscus behind my left knee, what better physical therapy could I do for my knee than to spend 11 hours walking on the comfy concrete confines of an amusement park. And when you do get to sit down, you’re cramming your butt into a compartment that was made to comfortably hold a 14 year old girl. Plenty of leg room too! The corkscrew is nowhere near the highest or fastest coaster, but it is without a doubt the most uncomfortable. The seat and harness on this 33 year old ride has you so confined it makes being in an MRI feel roomy. For dinner I ordered a cheeseburger with a side of Advil.

Lesson 2) “It’s Simple Math”

Let’s get this one out of the way early. When you’re getting dressed to go to the park heed this advice. Take your actual clothes size and subtract from it the size that you just put on. If the resulting number is in double digits – it’s probably not a good idea to wear that outfit. And trust me, the water ride will NOT help your look. So do us all a favor and wear clothes that fit you today, not clothes that fit you when you were 15.

Lesson 3) “The future ain’t what it used to be”

It’s good to see Dippin’ Dots – the ice cream of the future – is celebrating its 35^th anniversary. I still can’t believe it hasn’t caught on past being a novelty treat at tourist stops and sporting venues. It is interesting to note that it continues to sell at futuristic prices though.

Lesson 4) “All Buckeyes are Nuts”

The down side of Cedar Point being in Ohio is all those stinkin’ Ohio State fans. Saw a guy with an OSU shirt that had listed on the back – Commitment, Tradition, Attitude. I noticed that “Academics” wasn’t on the list. God forbid anyone else wear another college t-shirt. If you do, that Buckeye fanatic will be sure to thump their chest and tell you how great OSU is with no less than a dozen F-bombs. As this guy was berating a Purdue fan I wanted to tell him – “Listen you drunken redneck. Go back to your trailer, brush your tooth and sleep it off.” But I kept that to myself because us Michigan fans have more class than that. Not as many wins lately, but more class.

Lesson 5) “Get the order right”

Go on all motion rides in the morning - before lunch. Why? Because the options for lunch are corn dogs, vinegar fries and an elephant ear. You hit the Viking ship after lunch and you’ll be tasting it twice. Simple and important rule – don’t mess this one up.

Lesson 6) “Super Fan”

Alright, we’ve all seen this guy somewhere. He’s got the authentic Peyton Manning NFL jersey, long royal blue shorts, Indianapolis Colts sneakers and matching ball cap – worn backwards, of course. Dude……Come on. Either you lead such an empty vacuous life that you have to live vicariously through an NFL quarterback OR you’re like Robert DeNiro in “The Fan” – a homicidal maniac stalking a superstar. Just so you know, you’re stocky 5’6” frame told me right away that you weren’t the real Peyton Manning. Heck, Manning’s the only one who could get away with actually wearing that and HE wouldn’t be caught dead in that get up. I’m sure you have a dog at home named Peyton. Trust me, if he could talk, he would tell you that you look like a fool too.

Lesson 7) “My Hero”

I salute the guy that has the cajones to wear a Tommy Bahama shirt, cut-off jean shorts, thongs (footwear), a Mexican sombrero, an 8” Civil War soldier tattoo on his calf and a cheesy porn mustache. I couldn’t even make that up. I think the people that welcome you into the park need to hand out mirrors to the people that obviously don’t own one. That’s a great look buddy and when they have the casting call for the sequel to Boogie Nights, I expect to see you there.

Lesson 8) “Water Rides Rock”

Cedar Point has 3 water rides for the price of 2. Thunder Canyon is ok – it’s hit and miss. Snake River Falls gets you drenched. Then the bridge as you’re exiting Snake River Falls is the bonus baby where you get nailed again. Be smart enough to bring your swimsuit to change into or else you’ll spend the rest of the day understanding the meaning of the word “chafe.” Also, nothing is more invigorating on a hot day that being drenched by the refreshingly unfiltered waters of Lake Erie. They tell us that the water was at the acceptable fecal level of 0.5 and that anything over 0.8 is unacceptable. Don’t know about you, but a fecal level over 0.0 is unacceptable to me. For 5 bucks they have stand-up driers to quickly dry yourself off. I’d pay 10 bucks for a de-tox chamber.

Lesson 9) "T-shirts are cool"

It seems like many visitors like to show off their humorous t-shirts at the park. The most common one I saw last Tuesday said, "It wasn't me." Now this looks clever on a middle aged man or even a teenage boy. But when you see a 35-year old woman who's 5'2" and pushin' the scales at a buck ninety - it looks like she's actually pleading her case. Not cool. Here's a tip - leave the evasive fart jokes to the guys. It's expected of us.

Lesson 10) “Watch it buddy”

There are all kinds of prizes for being suckered to play those stupid carnival games. A common prize I saw people with was the classic pair of fuzzy dice attached with string. Didn’t think much of it till I saw an attractive woman in shorts and a bikini top wearing the pair of dice around her neck. Yes, I’m a guy, so a couple of jokes raced through my mind. Just then, some Buckeye fan standing right behind me shouts to her – “Nice pair babe. Looks like snake eyes to me.” She turns her head and looks sternly at me. I innocently replied, “It wasn’t me.” I bought the t-shirt on the way out.

Michael and Madoff - What A Pair

For those just getting back from Mars, Michael Jackson died. It's been close to two weeks and its still a top story across all streams of media. The nice thing about being a sports fan is that I get to avoid much of the hoopla. While working around the house on Sunday, I was able catch a great Wimbledon final, a Tigers loss and a Tiger (Woods) win - and nobody mentioned Michael once! Yes, he was a great entertainer and yeah, he was probably a pedophile too. Neither of those are stories to me. Nor is the ensuing soap opera regarding his estate. What astounds me about Michael is how this guy completely lost touch with reality. Being that I was born in 1965, I've had the opportunity to follow his entire career. Love the old Jackson Five stuff when he sounded like a girl. Then he became an adult and sounded like a woman. I still think the "Off The Wall" album is second to "Thriller," but just doesn't get the press. He still looked like a regular guy on that album. Then "Thriller" came out and we all said, "Hmmm. Looks like Michael had some work done." Then he started to look like Diana Ross, then his sister LaToya. It was Letterman that said, "Only in American can a poor black boy grow up to be a rich white woman." Then by the 90's he looked like Diana Ross....... if she was abducted by aliens. What the hell was up with that nose anyway??? And some how he managed to have white children to match his ebony-to-ivory transformation. One thing that isn't under dispute - the dude was weird.

Bernie Madoff got sentenced to an unprecedented 150 years for his role as the "Fonzi of Ponzi." The press tells us he ran the greatest Ponzi scheme of all time by stealing billions from unsuspecting and trusting investors. For those that don't know, a Ponzi scheme is where you collect money and use it for other things. As investors want to get out, you just pay them from new money coming in. This continues as long as you have a much higher ratio of money coming in than going out. Madoff's scam fell apart when the market collapsed and too many people wanted to withdraw and nobody wanted to invest. The money wasn't there so the jig was up. Then I'm reading a story about the concerns of our Social Security system collapsing in the not-so-distant future. The problem? The money used to pay out Social Security to seniors comes from the people paying into it today. The trend shows that more people will be collecting than there will be people contributing. But what happened to all the money put in by those seniors? Uh, um....the money was used for other things. Is it me or does this all sound familiar? You see folks, the goal was not to pay out Social Security. When it was drawn up as part of the New Deal during the Depression, the pay-out age was 62 and the life expectancy was 58. Pretty sneaky, eh? The pay-out is still in the 60's, but we're living into our 80's. Oops. So who's gonna get 150 years in prison when this one blows up?

Hey Detroit! Get Small, It's The New Big

As we’ve witnessed with General Motors, getting smaller is required to survive. Over the past 100 years, GM grew to match the burgeoning demands of a growing country. But just as an ailing senior citizen pays a price for hard living, GM has been ailing for decisions made decades ago. Now it has the opportunity to wipe the slate clean, regroup and get smaller to meet the new demands of the consumer.

Is Detroit any different from this? As the auto industry boomed, our city grew in unison. City borders were expanded, while schools, churches and stores were built to match the increased population. By the 1950’s, Detroit’s population peaked near 2 million around the same time GM’s market share peaked over 50%. They’ve both been in sharp decline ever since. GM is able to eliminate brands, factories, employees and dealerships to get smaller. How does a city get smaller? So far, it doesn’t. We have a city that has capacity for 2 million people, but has less than a million. A plethora of vacant schools, churches and stores have created an urban graveyard. So Detroit needs to do what GM is doing and get small.

Radical? Yes. Possible? Maybe not. But I never thought I would see GM and Chrysler simultaneously in bankruptcy, so I don’t know what’s too radical or not possible anymore. Detroit, Flint and Saginaw have become modern-day ghost towns. They grew in a boom of auto gold, then tapped of its resources, were left to decay. Having so much empty land in this country is a blessing and a curse. The curse is – if something gets old and tired, we can walk away and build new somewhere else. It’s time for our local, state and federal politicians to think completely out-of-the-box and ask the awkward question-- How can we make a city smaller? Why expand further out in the suburbs when we can expand inward. Is it too radical to propose to cut Detroit in half, relocate people to one half and wipe the slate clean with the rest? Keep the historic and still populated neighborhoods, but completely demolish the decadence that permeates throughout. Bring much of it back to the farmland it was 100 years ago, ready to be expanded when necessary. Reincorporate these cities with new charters, city governments, school boards, etc. A fresh look at a newer, cleaner and more consolidated city is intriguing.

I’m not so naïve to think this wouldn’t require massive federal aid. And we all know that the federal government would never take the gamble to throw billions of dollars at problems without guarantees. Or do we? It’s worth a “small” conversation.

69 Years Ago Today......

If studying history has given me nothing else, it has given me perspective. And perspective is a gift. It allows you to relate to current events in your own life without overreacting – good or bad. If things are going well, perspective can give you humility. If things are going bad, perspective gives you solace.

So on June 18, 1940, Winston Churchill (the Prime Minister of Britain) gave a speech to Parliament. It was the first year of World War II and Germany had just rolled through France and took over the country – completely unprovoked. Churchill knew that Britain was Hitler’s next target and they we’re going to be in a fight for their lives - literally. Here is an excerpt from one of the most famous speeches ever given:

What General Weygand has called the Battle of France, is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization. Upon it depends our own British life, and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this Island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be freed and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves, that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, "This was their finest hour."

Less than a month later, the Germans starting bombing England incessantly. People in London were forced to live in the subways for fear of the bombings in their neighborhoods. The battle lasted a year and England never gave in. Some historians believe this was the turning point in the war. If Hitler got Britain, he would have their airfields to help fly bombers to North America.

So when you feel things are tough out there, go on-line and find an 80 year old from England to chat with. Ask them what it was like to live in a subway while their home was being decimated for being in a country that Hitler needed in his quest for world domination. Ask them what it was like to know that any given day someone they knew and loved would get killed – completely unprovoked. Or that they themselves could be in harms way by simply running outside to get their food rations for the day. Then ask them how they’re handling these “tough” times we’re faced with today. I bet you might just get an LOL.

Yep. History sure does give you perspective.

Goin' to Miami

I'm very fortunate that I am able to attend conferences that have taken me throughout the country.  But through all my personal and professional travels, I've never been to southeast Florida.  The conference was in Miami and was taking place on Tuesday and Wednesday. Looking for a nice day off,  I scheduled my flight for early Monday morning so I could rent a car and spend the day in Key Largo.  I had the 6:45 am flight that was filled with Newlyweds and Nearly-deads.  I WAS the average age even though no one was my age.  

I made my car reservation only a day before I left, so all the "cool" cars to rent were not available.  As I'm standing at the Hertz counter at the airport, she said, "We have a Grand Marquis available."  Perfect.  If you didn't know, the average age of Grand Marquis owners is 72, so they made me join the AARP before I could take it.  I get to the car and notice it has Pennsylvania plates.  Great. Now I look like the stereotypical northern retired snowbird down for the winter.  I already had shorts and sandals on and was worried that they would make me wear black dress socks with my sandals and send me to a shuffleboard tournament at the Driftwood Mobile Home Park.

Anyway, I get in the car and it has a GPS system with a sexy female voice (it is Miami, you know).  I named her Sophie.  I figured that if I was going to have a woman on the passenger side of the car telling me where to go, I would need a name to yell back at.  She was to me what "Wilson" was to Tom Hanks in Castaway.  So I typed in  The Fish House in Key Largo and off I went.  Now Sophie was putting me on the turnpike right away, but I noticed it wasn't too out of the way to take the Don Shula Parkway.  For me, if I had a chance to drive on a highway named after a hall of fame NFL coach, I'd take it.  It was only fitting that it is a toll road.  I had to pay to see him coach and I had to pay to drive on his road.

I made it to The Fish House around noon and ordered Stone Crab - market price for the day was $29.  Btw, that's only an appetizer.  Crab cake sandwich and a couple of beers and I spent $50 for lunch just for me.  Always heard about the "Florida Keys" and wanted to see them for myself.  Now I know.....nothing fancy.  It's a nice place if you like to fish, scuba dive and drink. There's no beach, just coral.  Didn't have time to fish or dive, so I had my beers, drove around a bit and headed to my hotel in the North Beach area of Miami Beach.

Now Miami's nice because it's ALMOST the United States.  I'm glad I had Sophie with me because asking for directions wasn't an option since I don't speak Spanish or Long Island.  Of course my car came with a complimentary handicap plate so I could park anywhere I wanted.  I once again avoided Sophie's suggested path and decided to route myself through historic South Beach.  Judging by the Porshe's, Maserati's and Bentley's lining Collins Avenue, South Beach residents seem to be doing just fine.  I think the local plastic surgeons are doing well too - if you know what I mean.

Finally made it to my hotel and the conference was great.  It wrapped up Wednesday afternoon and since I only had a temporary visa, I had to rush to the airport to get my flight. Until next time...........  

Laughter - Still the Best Medicine

I'm sure we've all heard stories from our parents or grandparents of how challenging it was during the Great Depression.  Many of those that lived through it had emotional scars that lasted a lifetime.  If you read my previous blog post (New to Us, Doesn't Mean it's New), you will see that this is another down cycle in our economy.  Not new, but not easy either.  History tells us that unemployment doesn't peak until 2 years AFTER a recession hits.  It's the delayed domino effect of a contracting economy and the layoffs that ensue.  This means unemployment will peak in 2010, then gradually come back after that.  

That is just how it is and we can't change that.  What we can change is our own behavior in reaction to the reality set before us.  So if you haven't already started, you need to adjust your lifestyle now to prepare for the economic hurricane that is here for a while.  Here are some seemingly simple tips that our society got away from over the past few years:

-- Stop keeping up with the "Jones's"

-- Don't charge - pay cash (what a novel concept).

-- Set a family budget.

-- Last time I checked, laughter is still FREE - so start laughing more.

Did you know that children laugh 10 times more per day than adults?  Why does that change?  You're born with laughter, its being serious that you learn.  Here is a list of ways that laughter is good for your health:

--  It boosts your immune system.

--  It relieves stress & lowers your blood pressure.

--  It increases blood flow & oxygenation of your blood which makes you heal faster.

--  It actually increases your intellectual performance & boosts your information retention.

--  And.......it makes your cheeks sore.

So get more laughter in your life.  Google words like "laughter" and "jokes" and see what comes up.  Read a humorous book.  If you're going to the movies, see a comedy or go to a comedy club.  When you hear a funny story, share it with five people.  It won't bring you good luck like the e-mail chain, but it will help five more people smile.  Whatever you do, don't take yourself too seriously.  Enjoy yourself, and if you can't enjoy yourself - enjoy somebody else. ;-)

Obama's sound stands out more than his look

Much has been made about Barack Obama being the first person of color to get elected President.  To me, what has stood out more are his skills as an orator.  He's arguably the most charismatic speaker in the White House in my lifetime.  Believe me, I'm a fan of "The Great Communicator" Ronald Reagan, but Obama has a more youthful exuberance that the 70 year old Reagan just couldn't have.  Perhaps Obama's oratory skills shine due to the sharp contrast of his predecessor's skills - or lack thereof.

His last couple of speeches were more on the "doom and gloom" side, which was a little disappointing.  I'd been looking to see something more reminiscient of FDR's "We have nothing to fear, but fear itself".  I think we got that tonight.  Whether you agree or disagree with his position on things, I don't think you can deny that he comes across confident, inspiring, intelligent and in-touch with the situation.  The political debate comes in the policies put in place.

He seemed to "promise the world" on his set of initiatives, which sounded inspiring.  I think he got so good at campaigning, he doesn't want to stop.  Which is why we heard great rhetoric without specifics.  But he's smart enough to know the public is bored with specifics anyway, they just want a guy in charge who has some kind of vision he's working toward.  That's the essence of leadership.  It doesn't really matter what he promises anyway since you're ultimately judged on what you actually accomplish as President, not everything you promised.  

Can he accomplish all he promised?  Personally, I'm struggling with the math.  Not sure how you can increase government programs while simultaneously cut spending to go along with declining tax revenues from a contracting economy.  But that's for the political pundits on Fox and CNN to debate.  In times of crisis, action in any direction always wins out.

New to Us, Doesn't Mean its New

As I watched President Obama pitch the Stimulus Bill to the country, I noticed he said we were in "unprecedented times."  That's when I realized he was more of a salesman at that moment, trying to get the country behind the bill.  I also learned that night that the Stimulus Bill wasn't Bill Clinton's nickname, as I originally thought. ;-)  So I decided to take the whole "unprecedented times" phrase and do some research and I found the following paragraph:

"The causes of the economic crisis lay far deeper than in the complex processes of banking or in the faults of Federal administration of the finances.  But, as a man suddenly ill prefers to find for his ailment some recent and obvious cause, and is not convinced that its origin lay in old and continued habits of life, so the greater part of the American people and of their leaders believe this extraordinary crisis to be the result of financial blunders of the President's administration.  They believe that the new president could with a few strokes of his pen repair, if he pleased, those blunders and restore commercial confidence and prosperity.  This crisis became, and remain, the subject of political and partisan differences which obscure its real phenomena and causes."

Sound like they're talking about today?  This was written in 1888 and they were discussing the "Panic of 1837" which, at the time, was the worst economic crisis to hit our country.  The sitting president was Andrew Jackson and the new president was Martin Van Buren.  What were the causes?  There was an increased level of available credit which allowed states to fund the building of canals through the use of state-issued bonds.  Credit restrictions were gradually loosened and the speculative fever created a bubble that burst in May of 1837.  The Panic was followed by a 5 year depression, with the failure of banks and record high unemployment levels.  Kinda eerie, isn't it?  The Panic of 1873 had a major Wall Street brokerage firm go under that created panic in the markets.  The Panic of 1907 required a monetary bailout of Wall Street banks to ensure liquidity in the marketplace.  Human nature, if nothing else, is consistent.

Here is the list of Panics, Depressions and severe Recessions in our "boom-bust" economic cycles:

Panic of 1819, 1837, 1857, 1873, 1893 and 1907 (the Federal Reserve was created after this one)

Great Depression - 1930 (lasted 12 yrs, followed by 4 yrs of WWII)

Severe Recession 1980 (milder recessions in 1958 & 1974)

Severe Recession 2008 (milder recessions in 1991 & 2001)

As you can see, the Panics were like clockwork.  Things got spread out once we started putting different things in place, but they'll never go away.  As far as the Stimulus Package that's getting all the hoopla right now.  It's just the new, New Deal - government funded projects to help ease some pressure until the markets can correct themselves.  Government can't get us out of it, they never have and never will.  They have to tell us they can, so to keep us convinced of their importance.  How do I know?  Because these are VERY precedented times.

Weather got you down?

So I'm checking the local weather on Channel 4's website to see how freakin' cold its getting tonight.  As I'm quickly ticked off at the minus sign in front of the number, I noticed that they have a box with the current weather of the North Pole (true story):

Temperature: - 35 degrees (ouch!)

Wind Chill: - 50 degrees (just so you know at -75 below your spit will freeze before it hits the ground)

Dew Point: - 40 degrees (wouldn't that be called the "frost" point at that temp?)

Humidity: 70% (its not already uncomfortable, it has to be humid and sticky too?)

And this was the best part..................

Sunrise: 11:59 pm

Sunset: 12:01 am

Yes, that's right folks - that's only TWO minutes of daylight.  And I thought we had short days.   And to make it worse, the two minutes of daylight are at midnight.  You can't even enjoy it.  Talk about depressing.  You'd think Santa would try to get out of town more than once a year.  Geesh!