DISPATCHES FROM THE GHOST MOOSE

the last day of January....the month flew by.  Supposed to get dumped on by a blizzard tomorrow.  Will winter never end?  I guess it hasn't been too bad so far, and March will be here in no time.  Funny how the turmoil in Egypt now dominates the news.  And now they demand US intervention to calm the chaos.  We should not spend one cent of tax dollars on that mess until our problems here are all taken care of....we have plenty of crime, homelessness, unemployment, and other woes to fix right here in the good old US of A...lets all demand that the government fix those problems now.  we are the shoemakers children...everyone else but us gets new soles, while ours are worn out. the back is still not good....I should probably skip basketball tonight so I don't make it worse.  but who knows.  I really don't do enough on the court to hurt it worse than it is. have a good Monday.  and good luck with the blizzard.

Had only 4 olives last night.  oh well - everything in moderation. February will start on Tuesday.  So, we should be seeing the end of winter before too long.  Supposed to get dumped on this week, if the forecast can be believed.  Today's story comes from the Chicago Tribune.  These stories are infuriating - a pension law so detatched from the reality of the day.  But no action taken to rein in these out of control and unsustainable costs.  Read and enjoy. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-superintendent-pensions-20110129,0,6037500.story?page=2

I am sitting in front of the tv, having a martini, watching the senior skins game.....watching 4 old men play golf for a lot of money.  Is this it...is this what a 52 year old does for fun on a Saturday?  I guess 6:00 pm on a Saturday in January doesn't provide a lot of options, but it seems a bit over-slothy (if that is a word) to be sitting in front of a tv watching this crap.  At least I should wait to watch the NHL skills challenge later, or maybe a Jersey Shore rerun... and I might - after I finish this martini and get up to make another one.  I only drink them because I like the olives.  My doctor said to have at least 10 olives per day, and if I put 2 in each martini........ have a good saturday night.

I did a search for Goldman Sachs, and found a story posted on Jan 27 that said Goldman received $2.9 billion of bailout funds to repay them for losses on their own trades....ON THEIR OWN TRADES.  I lost 30% of my 401k in the meltdown which Goldman played a major role it - where is my bailout? Another story posted on 1/27 said that Goldman tripled the pay of the 5 top execs.  Instead of going to jail, these turds get their pay tripled.  How does that work?  The engineers of the largest fraud ever get rewarded with eternal cash flow while the rest of us are held down so our lifeblood can be forceably siphoned from us.  and yet we stand for this.  How can that be?  because we have been conditioned to accept the fact that the bankers always have one hand in our pockets and the other hand held out for a govt bailout?  here are links to the stories.  read them and see what you think - is it just me??? http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110128/ap_on_b...

25 yrs ago the space shuttle blew up on takeoff.  do you remember where you were?  I do - I had just gotten home from the hospital, my daughter having been born at 3:30 am.  I got to the hospital at about 11 in the morning, and she was born 14 hrs later...I got home and was watching the Price is Right when the news bulletin interrupted the show.  Of course, the day before that fateful event was the Bears super bowl parade down LaSalle street in the loop.  That memory is a bit more pleasant. Friday...long week....I have no plans to work this weekend.  The year end project is wrapping up.  and now on to business as usual.  What is business as usual??? is there such a thing? I have been so busy I haven't had time for my usual rant about the sorry state of everything....I guess I have become an angry old man long before my time.  one of life's indulgences....

Very busy week at work.  Always a good thing - nothing worse than not being busy.  Just when I think my back is getting better, I get a spasm that hits and really knocks me to my knees.  It is hard to believe something can be so painful and is attributable to nothing in particular.  I didn't twist or do anything strenuous.  It's that old age once again.  Parts wearing out.... I see Tiger Woods is playing his first event of the year starting today.  It is cruel to have to watch golf on tv, when we are at least 2 months from playing here.  And those guys get paid to play...life ain't fair. I heard an item on the news about another aspect of the bailout and how Goldman Sachs profited from it.  I will have to read up a bit so I can comment here.  but, suffice to say that when we, as taxpayers, are forced to take pictures of the items we donate to Goodwill or Disabled Vets in order to substantiate our meager deduction, and several billion ...

Ouch.  For anyone who has had lower back problems, you know what I mean - the twinge...it starts as a small pain that doesn't go away, and keeps getting worse until it is unbearable.  I can hardly get out of a chair today.  Not sure what I did to bring this on, but hopefully it will not progress beyond how bad it is now.  Old age....I now get pains for no reason.  I remember being able to play basketball for hours with nothing worse than a blister on my foot.  I knew I was falling apart when I got sore from playing golf.  but, if this is the worst thing I have to complain about today, I am doing ok. I'll have to read up on the financial pages so I can work myself into a tizzy about govt spending.  stay tuned.

I am beat...making dinner.  long day at work.  Not much on tv, so I guess I can read the Tom Clancy book I got a few weeks back. Hard to believe Christmas was a month ago.  I got a real kick out of the furor about Jay Cutler not looking hurt enough to have been taken out of the Bears game on Sunday.  I guess that only a Joe Theismann-type gruesome leg break is enough for the slobs who know nothing about sports to pass judgement on a player.  Give the guy a break.  oh well... and so, Super Bowl is next weekend.  I am more excited about the menu for the day than I am for the game.  Let's see....40 wings from Sports Page, hot dogs in cresent rolls, taco pizza...maybe I'll fire up the grill too.  then sit back to watch the commercials.  because the game I could not care less about...unless it is at quarter end when we all pull out the grid of numbers and hope we have the winning combo.  Four people will.  may as well be us, ...

The winter marches on.  the excitement from yesterday's bears game has been obliterated by another Monday.  Good to have a job to go to though.  So many people still don't - and that was the reason I started writing this blog two years ago.  Wrapping up the year end project here.  It will be good to get back to business as usual, and launch a few projects that will make things better, more efficient, etc.  I am fortunate to have a role where that approach is encouraged.  There is something comforting, or secure, about having a routine, and some predictable, manageable workload to do.  but, it keeps things fresh when there is an expectation of change, of improvement.  Setting a benchmark and making changes that improve upon that benchmark.  so, now there is no more football in Chicago, I have some creative energy to channel into something.  I have no excuse but to have a good answer to "what have you done differently to expect a d...

Bummer...well kind of a bummer. Went to the bears packers game today. Game of the century. But the bears lost. went with my son and some very good friends. Got down early, had breakfast at a nice place before the game. My son and I really had a good time, and it occurred to me that I never went to a game with my dad while he was alive. No games..baseball, football, basketball...I guess that is one of the reasons I like going to sporting events with my son as much as I do. When I was my son's age, my dad had already passed, and I was on my way to being old before my time. Funny thing...as we were walking to Soldier field, I wasn't always watching where I was walking...and my son grabbed my arm when a curb or pothole was approaching...my son...watching out for me... So, it really was the game of the century...and I had the best time I have had yet this century. For me, it was the day of the century. Because I was where I should have been with whom I should have been ...

I read a story the other day on DrudgeReport that said the fed govt was exploring ways for states to declare bankruptcy in order to get out from under the financial commitments they have, like pensions, contracts, etc.  Look at the order of magnitude:  we have had a tidal wave of individual bankruptcies, followed by the onset of commercial real estate and business failures and moving on up the chain to the state level.  What's next?  For years there has been mention about how exposed the US is with the soveriegn debt from China and the Middle East.  Our leaders response has been to wage expensive wars and borrow the money from China and the Middle East to fight those wars.  Our national debt is over $14 trillion.  with a T.  Like the proverbial drug dealer, countries line up to loan the US money to satisfy our insatiable appetite to spend.  to consume.  to waste.  to throw money at lost causes.  What happens when the US declare...

A cold one this morning - minus 5.  and what have you done differently...oh wait - that was yesterday's thought. I got a kick out of the Chicago visit of the China's president.  Daley kowtowing to him....I wonder what other Chicago assets he can sell to China - he sold the skyway and parking meter revenue already.  He still has O'hare and Midway Airports yet to unload.  We are well on our way to indentured servitude to the rest of the world.  Sloth and corruption cost money, and since all but about 5% of the parking meter revenue has been squandered spent already, time to have another garage sale.  or tax hike.  We have been looking to get airfare to Phoenix.  It is alarming how high the airfares are now.  I read the airlines are looking for other ways to rip off travelers increase their revenue.  Besides selling a 3 inch can of pringles chips for 4 bucks, they propose an infant fee (even though they ride on the parents lap, the airli...

I am being mocked....as I sit here, it stares at me....it's hard to relax with it staring at me like that.... a year ago we bought a treadmill.  A nice one too, from the look of it.  lots of buttons and colored lights.  I used it once the week it was delivered, and not once since.  Walking in place just ain't my thing...sitting in a rocking chair with the back massager running is my thing.  If I spent 10% of the time I sit in the rocker on the treadmill, maybe this diet would get some traction.  who am I kidding?  I sit about 4 feet from the treadmill for about 15 hours a week....maybe more....that is about as close as I'd like to get to it. but, that begs the question....What have I done differently to expect a different result?  I started the new year with a plan to diet, and was diligent for a week, but not so much now...so when I step on the scale and look at the number, I need to ask "what have I done differently to expect a different...

Winter tedium has certainly set in.  At least Fox is now running commercials for the Daytona 500, which is kind of on the front end of spring...it is late February anyway. I get a kick out of listening to the pregame hype for the Bears/Packers game.  Each team talking about how they hate the other.  Except for each team standing in the other's way of making it to the Super Bowl, why would they hate each other?  A storied rivalry, certainly - but hate?  Reminds me of the movie "Rollerball" (the original, with James Caan, not the remake which I did not see).  The entire world ruled by one government, and the frustrations of the general populace channeled into an increasingly violent game.  The game was a diversion for the masses to not realize how they were being manipulated.  Hey...kind of like how we are being fleeced by our city, county and national governing bodies, and all we have to focus on is how the Bears and Packers hate each other. Next...

After my rant yesterday about pensions, my friend sent me a link of showing the teachers salaries in a local township.  There was a driver's ed teacher making $149k/yr.  Makes sense to me...... here is a link that underscores the issue with pensions...the net of it is that in total, states face a $2.5 TRILLION underfunding problem.  Now, how many times did you hear pensions mentioned in the election that just took place in November...zero.  nobody wants to touch this issue lest they anger those voters who are pulling in these bloated pensions.  Take a read: http://www.cnbc.com/id/41129099 Also, it occured to me that I did not write of our booking at the outdoor show on Saturday.  But it also occured to me that for a non-outdoorsman reading about a fishing trip is about as exciting as a non-golfer listenting to 2 golfers talk about their recent round....nobody really cares.  so, I will spare you that tedium, but we are all set with the week, a...

The news of the day shows some interesting fun facts: - the amount of public pension debt per Illinois citizen is $3800.  That means that (assuming you are in Illinois) every person you walk past at work today, every person you drive past today, every kid in school (ok - since they are off for MLK Day, tomorrow) owes $3800 for the bloated pension commitments that Illinois has on the books.  No plan to reduce that - just borrow more, and kick can 4 yrs down the road. - the amount of national debt per American citizen is over $25,000.  this is for what has already been spent, not what we have yet to spend.  this is for the foreign aid to countries that hate us.  this is for the bailouts to the bankers that ended up as obscenely large bonuses.  this is for the tbills that were printed and then bought by the banks with the free bailout money that the banks were supposed to lend to us, but did not since they could get a better return buying tbills with money g...

5 1/2 hrs to kickoff.  The NFL games yesterday were pretty good.  If the Bears win today, they play the Packers at home next week.  4 of us went to the All Canada fishing show yesterday.  Talking to the outfitters shows they continue to be affected by the bad economy.  Their bookings are way down.  The premium on the US dollar vs. Canadian was a big thing for the Canadian outfitters.  Now that both currencies are about even, that profit has dried up.  No one is immune from tough times, I guess.  I was thinking back on my own career - I earn less than I did 11 years ago.  All those hard fought gains given up in this downturn.  But at least I made up for it by losing 30% in my 401k over the past few years.  You have to laugh, right?   When I picked up my son from basketball practice yesterday, he was still excited about a play he had made in a scrimmage.  He made a play...That is usually the first sign that you c...

I think I read somewhere that statistically the average temperature starts to increase after Jan. 15.  Of course, the weather forecast that calls for sub-zero temps in the coming week belie that.  But, it is January.  Busy day today...work, then the fishing show, then 2 football games with the Bulls and Hawks as well.  I have my spot on the couch staked out. Read an interesting article buried in the Tribune.  Because of gross mismangement and malfeasance by the board, the former head of Metra was able to embezzle millions of dollars, and was only discovered when he committed suicide.  so the board of directors has scrambled to explain how they were duped, and has engaged an outside audit firm to help them implement controls to prevent this from happening again....and the contract with the audit firm will go from its current $100 grand to $900 grand per year.  Honestly, you can't make this stuff up.  Rather than replace the board, who has shown n...

It has been a long week...long weeks with working last weekend.  I am tired....more than tired - I am weary.  You get tired from working too much....you get weary from getting tired too much.  I suppose there are lots of factors.  Jogging on the endless treadmill makes one weary.  We seem to get nowhere.  Endlessly trudging forward, only to stay in the same place.  Our monotony broken up only by the occasional fishing show or round of golf.  I am at the age now where I remember my mom voicing the same sentiments.  She was left a widow with 6 kids, the oldest was 18, the youngest was 10.  She had no choice but to dig in and do the best she could for us....but it made her weary.  Now, my own lot is probably 2% as difficult as hers was.  But nonetheless, a bit of introspection has pointed out some things I need to do to recharge, refresh my outlook.  I suppose everyone should do that from time to time.  Maybe this w...

I was watching the news today about the 66% income tax increase here in Illinois, and couldn't help but think how it is we the little guy get screwed at every turn.  No talk of spending cuts, or pension reform.  Just how to take more of our money.  I remember back to 1985, when I was living in Osage, Iowa, a farming town of about 1800 people.  As I would drive in the country, I would more and more see farm houses where it looked like they were having a yard sale.  but, it wasn't a yard sale - it was a farm foreclosure, and all of their worldly possessions were out on the lawn for sale.  Farms that had been in families for generations being taken by the banks.  Why did it happen?  Back then, farmers were incented/coerced into taking out big loans against their land ("buy land...they ain't making any more of it").  Land prices went down, farmers couldn't afford their loans, lost their farms, banks sold the farms to big conglomerate food compan...

Well, 1/1/11 passed without much fanfare.  now we have to wait until 12/12/12 for the next cool date number day.  I can't wait.....maybe I'll drink a 12 pack that day..... sure feels like a Wednesday.  Knee deep in a ton of issues - weather delays on the east coast have wreaked havoc on my shipments.  and in the payroll business, people want their checks when they want them.  because weather should never affect THEIR shipments - everybody else's ok, but not theirs.  I walked by the door at 4:45 and it was still daylight.  little by little we are pulling out of winter...wait, what?  we are only 3 weeks into official winter????  oh well.  at least the earth is tilting the right way...if I remember 8th grade science class correctly.  they had pizza for lunch at work...so much for my diet today.  but, the best time to start a diet is always tomorrow.  and so I shall.

We had snow overnight and that made the commute slippery.  Very busy at work, and no end of the winter in sight.  I guess this is how Seasonal Affectation Disorder (SAD) creeps over you.  Between the weather and workload, it always seems like more of the same.  I would imagine I am not alone with that mindset.  I guess the cure is to just plod ahead - put one foot in front of the other and keep going.  Reminds me of the days when we used to canoe in Quetico.  You'd be carrying an 80lb canoe over rocky, slippery terrain with a swarm of mosquitoes in your face, and you couldn't stop to swat them off.  Since you had a good distance to cover, the only alternative was just to put one foot in front of the other until you got to the end of the portage.  Standing around complaining would only block the trail for the guys that had not quit.  Life's lessons..... On a positive note, the fishing show is Saturday.  a mid-winter respite.  b...

I worked yesterday and am working today.  Year end for us is like a lot of places - plenty of work.  we are producing W2s - will probably print 300,000 this weekend and over a half million in total.  Lots of tax payers. I saw the jobs report on Friday - it seemed an improvement, but was then roundly criticized that it was either not enough job growth, or that many job seekers have left the job market.  so, who do you believe.  the economy is still not good, no doubt. In Illinois, our state income taxes are being increased by 75% - which pretty much negates the cut in the social security tax.  It is expensive to live in the most poorly run state in the country.  the increase in the business tax will surely chase off a fair number of companies currently operating in Illinois.  and they add a dollar to the cigarette tax to boot.  I haven't smoked in many years.  In fact, when I quit, smokes were 65 cents a pack.  now t...

End of work week 1 for 2011.....the college bowl season is coming to an end (Monday) and the NFL playoffs are just starting.  I saw on espn there is some pga event in a warm sunny locale.  Next month comes the Daytona 500....a few harbingers of spring on the horizon.  I finished one book I had started on spring break, and had put down for months...and started a new one.  Actually, I had read a number of books in between, but that one unfinished read was annoying, so I read the last 100 pages and can now put that tome on the shelf.  or give it away.  Week 1 of the new year.....some success....looking at it from a positive standpoint...diet going well, but that is just a start....one week is but a skipped meal, the results I am looking for require a lifestyle change.  But, I am looking forward to playing hoops on Monday to get the metabolism going.  If I had the results each week that I had this week, I would reach my number by golf season - April....

I had dinner with a friend/colleague from my last company.  He has gone on to be CIO for a large consumer goods company.  I had always seen how his good business sense and approach were very effective, and it was not surprising to see him land this position.  We had not met face to face in the 2 1/2 years since I was downsized.  Again, makes you realize just how quickly time flies.  Lesson learned - make an effort to stay in touch with those who you would like to stay in touch with.  Also, in the last few weeks, a very close friend started his own company.  Again, this guy has always been a high achiever, and was willing to take a chance and just do it.  and he did.  We all know our strengths and weaknesses, our preferences and those things we would prefer not to do.  the trick, I suppose, is if you are doing what you would prefer not to do then act like it is your preference, and also try to reposition yourself so that you are playing t...

Day 3 of the strict diet.  How does anyone do it?  I wish I had eaten all the candy and junk food last week so that it is not in the cabinet beckoning me.....but, maybe in a week or so I will see the improvement (weight loss) that will motivate me to do it for one more day...and a day after that....and so on.  Funny thing - I am not hungry, but feel I am cheating myself out of eating chocolate or some other non-nutritious junk food.  anyway, 30 lbs from now I will be glad I did.  improvement (remember that?)...one pound at at time... the month is moving right along - Jan 5 already...weather has not been bad.  at my age, I hate winter more every year.  so why do I stay in Chicago?   I suppose it gives me something to complain about.  wouldn't want to give that up and have to find a new gripe. Fishing show next weekend.  always a winter highlight.  walking a big hall full of Canadian Outfitters...nice pictures in each booth, ...

And so onward we go into the new year.  Still very dark even at 7 am.  It will probably be a few weeks before we notice any increase in the amount of daylight we see.  I enjoy getting the gardening catalogs in the mail - the pictures of flowers in full bloom let us know that the nice weather is not too far away.  I plant those plants every year and don't ever achieve those beautiful results that I see in the catalogs - but I continue to plant year after year.  So - herein lies the challenge....to achieve my goal to improve, I have to understand my baseline and set a goal against that.  For health, it is my weight, so lost pounds is a pretty clear indicator of success or failure.  for personal job reward, I suppose it is in salary.  but for overall job and career satisfaction....I have to work through that one.  Going back to 1995 when I started graduate school because I did not feel prepared for the tough job market that was to come, I ...

Here I am.....back to work.  ready to start improving on all those things that I said I would improve upon.  Tall order.  but I am ready to do it. Like most people I see at work, I am a bit tired.  Kind of glad the Holidays are behind us, and ready to look forward to the end of winter.  But since it is Jan. 3, that is a bit far off.  Can't wish time away like that.  anyway, time to buckle down and get started.  Happy new year, and good luck to all.  If you are in the job market, may your search reach a successful conclusion quickly.

well, I'm off today and doing some housekeeping - deleting old emails, files, etc.  It is amazing what you remember when you go through old notes - the person who sent it to you, the context of the situation, etc.  I hesitate to delete some of them because of the memories they evoke when I open and read them.  I was looking at the blog history where it lists the posts by month and year.  This blog goes back to 2008.  there are now posts in 4 calendar years......of course, the the blog itself is only a bit over 2 years, but the 4 year window is amazing....4 years is about 5% of our expected lifetime.....makes you realize how precious each day has to be.  we don't get enough days on earth, and a day spent in frustration, anger, unhappiness is a day wasted, and a day you don't get back.  I know that I personally have to focus on not tainting my days with those negative elements.  and I will start today.  enjoy the bowl games today.

Well, we made it to another new year.  2010 went by in a flash.  at this point, they all do.  didn't do too much last night - at this age, those days are long gone.  I did work yesterday, so no 3 day weekend for me.  A bunch of football games on tap for today, which is a good thing. I now need to make that list of resolutions and actually keep them.  Like most people, I need to look at those things that I really have to do, and do them.  At 52 years old, priorities change.....things we once took for granted are no longer a given.  I used to jog 20 miles a week...it has been years since I have run.  My attempts at playing basketball are futile at best.  but, I did just sign up for the next 7 weeks, so hopefully that works out.  so, my list of resolutions is: 1. Improve and that is it. Improve my health, my job, my financial status, my outlook, myself. a tall order, but certainly one that is within my control.  and so, that ...