Author: luken7

So I’m listening to NPR and a discussion about Soul music from the UK. And it struck me, we (America) invented Soul and exported it to Europe. The new artists coming out of the UK are soulful, write their own music and play instruments. While here in the US, we’re just recycling recorded beats, running vocals through a synth, and sending them to iTunes.

Not just a couple of years ago, a similar discussion took place, except it was about Jazz. Sure, there’s still Jazz in America, one note wonders disguised as smooth jazz. Even jazz is being recycled now. But in France, where we exported classic and standards based Jazz, it reigns supreme. Even eastern Europe, Prague and the stretches of Georgia, Jazz is very, very popular. But in America, if we depended on the support of the descendants and relatives of those that created Jazz, it would starve. Think not? go to a real Jazz concert and look around the audience. Those that should be there are not, and those that are there are there because it’s on par with driving a Lexus or Mercedes. Maybe I’m just over-reacting.

I just stumbled across this. The Toyota Camry…in NASCAR? MIllions of dixie flag waving, beer chuggling, Skynard worshiping rednecks are upchucking last nights barbeque. What the hell is this country coming too when good ‘ol red white and blue has to include a yellow sun in it. First Toyota is taking over the reigns as the number one auto manufacturer from GM, the true leader in mundane vehicle design, now Toyota is taking over Nascar? What’s the point. It will no longer be team effort. The damn pit crews will have nothing to do but change tires and add gas. No blown engines to repair, no Ford transmissions to replace. No rattling parts. Think Nascar is boring now but just going fast and turning left, wait till these Camry’s just use cruise control and average 50 mpg, the pit crews might as well go home. And no, PlayStation Portables are not allowed in the cars.

Toyota Pitpass

Or the title should read: "Ford to rename their way back to success". Ford’s bringing back the Taurus, their once high and mighty seller, to the mass majority of bland people. But wait, it’s not hte Taurus, it’s the underselling Ford 500, to be renamed the Taurus. It will work, because Ford knows what many other companies know, the American consumer will settle for anything.

Strategy: the 500 isn’t selling, change the plastic label on the front to Taurus and hope that Americans will think that the middle America Buick competitor is back !!! Meanwhile, I just bought a ton of Toyota stock, and am seriously looking at a Camry. Why? Because all it needs is gas and oil and a routine checkup. That’s what Ford doesn’t seem to get. People want a headache free vehicle. A Ford dealership shouldn’t have a service department that is three times the size of their showroom….

New York Daily News – Business – Ford brings back Taurus DETROIT – Troubled automaker Ford is reaching back to better days, resurrecting the once-mighty Taurus name to help put lackluster sales in reverse. Ford will rename its slow-selling Five Hundred model the Taurus, a name Ford previously used for a car that became the nation’s top-seller, two company officials said yesterday, speaking on the condition they not be identified.

Bush Creates New Military Command for Africa – New York Times The Pentagon will establish a new military command to oversee its operations in Africa, President Bush and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced today. Creation of the United States Africa Command, which had been expected, will “strengthen our security cooperation with Africa and create new opportunities to bolster the capabilities of our partners in Africa,” Mr. Bush said. The president said he had directed Mr. Gates to have the command established by the fiscal year that ends on Sept. 30, 2008. The location of the new command will be determined after discussions with Congress and officials of countries on the continent, Mr. Bush said.

Ah yes, since there are untapped proven oil reserves there, especially Nigeria, where production could be enhanced. I guess this is our contingency plan when we fail in the middle east. Interestingly, it will be staffed by the usual types of folks, culturally deficient in knowledge of other people and their countries. We’ll go in, not understand, screw up our relations, and loose to various radical religions. Interestingly enough, fanatical Christianity, like other religions, is on the rise, especially on the African continent, and we haven’t seen nothing yet. Because there’s nothing like a religion that can justify anything by just saying "because", and plowing ahead. Baptist and Evangelicals in this country will be jaw-dropped.

But if the US really intends to "create new opportunities to bolster the capabilities of our partners in Africa", then I hope this new African command will commit resources to stop the crisis and genocide in Darfur and other parts of the continent, or else they’re just blowing smoke. As we know what the real purpose of the new African command is for. But funny though, I didn’t know the Bush administration had partners in Africa, what are they partnering over?

While this article is about the latest suicide bombing in Baghdad, a sentence in the article did catch my eye.
Star-Telegram | 02/04/2007 | Bomb at market kills 121, injures hundreds On Friday, 16 American intelligence agencies made public a National Intelligence Estimate that said conditions in Baghdad are perilous.

Wait a minute, we have 16 intelligence agencies, 16 ?!?!?   I lost count someplace.

The Iraqi conflict will soon be the most financially expensive war ever. We’ve already spent over $500 billion. The president is for an additional $300 billion, and that’s a projected figure based on current troop levels if maintained through 2009. But we know that cost will go up. Wow, it’s a good thing our medical and educational system is up to par, so we have some spare change to burn.

Honestly, I didn’t know fighting terrorism was that expensive. How exactly did we end up in Iraq from Afghanistan again?

Bush to seek $300 billion for Iraq, Afghanistan through 2009 – USATODAY.com WASHINGTON — President Bush will propose on Monday spending nearly $300 billion more through 2009 for the war on terror, which is dominated by the war in Iraq, a senior administration official said today. The funding, sure to be closely scrutinized by Congress, will include: •$100 billion for the 2007 fiscal year ending Sept. 30, which when added to spending already in the pipeline would bring the year’s total to $170 billion. •$145 billion for 2008, a figure derived from this year’s troop levels and expenditures. •$50 billion to get started on 2009. More funds likely will be needed. This marks the first time the administration has estimated war costs so far ahead or been as specific about how the Pentagon and State Department intend to spend the money. The added detail is a response to past criticism from Congress. The senior official has direct knowledge of the budget plans and did not want to be identified because the fiscal blueprint has not yet been officially released. WAR SPENDING: Experts worried about budget’s scope Since 2001, the United States has spent or will spend at least $504 billion on the war on terror — including $334 billion on Iraq, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Hmm, so what shall it be ….

And all they pay is a measly .32 cents per quarterly dividend? Chevron’s (CVX) is trading just as week regarding price, and their quarterly dividend is almost double …

ExxonMobil has best year ever for any U.S. company even as Q4 profit falls – USATODAY.com ExxonMobil (XOM) on Thursday posted the largest annual profit by a U.S. company — $39.5 billion — even as earnings for the last quarter of 2006 declined 4%. The 2006 profit topped the previous record of $36.13 billion, which Exxon set in 2005. Revenue from the world’s largest publicly traded oil company rose to $377.64 billion for the year, surpassing the record $370.68 billion that Exxon posted in 2005. For the fourth quarter, net income slipped to $10.25 billion, or $1.76 a share, from $10.71 billion, or $1.71 a share, a year earlier. Excluding one-time items, ExxonMobil, the world’s largest publicly traded company, earned $1.69 a share. The average forecast of analysts polled by Reuters Estimates was $1.51 a share. Oil prices in the fourth quarter dropped from the record levels hit in July but were still robust, hovering around $60 a barrel — roughly in line with year-earlier levels. Natural gas prices, on the other hand, were sharply lower than in 2005. According to Reuters data, the average U.S. natural gas price was about $6.61 per million British thermal units in the fourth quarter, down from $12.77 a year earlier. Since the end of the 2006 third quarter, ExxonMobil shares are up 10.4%, outperforming the Chicago Board Options Exchange’s oil index, which has risen 8.8%.

One of the best DIGG comments ever !!!

Digg – ABC NIGHTLINE: Atheist fights God from his basement Why do atheists care so much about disproving God? Because believers in God want to teach ID in schools. Because believers in God are against stem cell research. Because believers in God teach that condom use is a sin, when millions are being killed each year by AIDS. Because believers in God are against a vaccine for a virus that is the leading cause of cervical cancer. Because believers in God have no incentive to protect the environment when Jesus is going to show up and rapture them to heaven before it gets really bad. Because in some states you can’t buy beer on Sunday.

So that’s why Bush doesn’t care about global warming, the environment in general, out stance in the world community, the state of our union, or anything. We’ll all be out of here soon anyway….

Congrats to Airtran. We have two kids and have flown with them. Simple rule: sit in your seat and don’t move around or be loud out of respect of other passengers. I guess it’s a cultural thing. You see, white kids embarrass their parents, while black parents embarrass their kids. Now don’t get me wrong, our kids aren’t perfect and have their moments, but there’s an acceptable limit to their "outbursts" before "corrective" action is taken. Now this child is 3 yrs old and is climbing all over place, even under seats, while hitting and screaming at her parents. Wrong answer. And to think, the bay area is proposing a no spanking law for children under the age of four. I guess this kid must have heard about it.

I applaud Airtran, and I don’t think Airtran should have given the irresponsible parents the cost of the tickets..and additional tickets. I think those parents should be compensating the other passengers. And to think, the father says that they’d never fly Airtran again. Thank you, I definitely will be flying Airtran knowing that your bound-to-be-teenage-pregnant-trick and yourself won’t be. I can fly in peace.

Oh, and the general concensus is 92% that agree with Airtran’s decision, based on the overwhelming email sent to Airtran. Amazing, but expected, 92%. I truly hope that this family is pondering their parenting skills before this child turns into a complete brat, and grows up expecting that she is entitled to do anything, ending up as another jail bound CEO.

AirTran Grounds Screaming Toddler And Family, Literally – Consumerist AirTran is defending itself today for removing a screaming toddler and her family from a flight bound for Boston. "The flight was already delayed 15 minutes and in fairness to the other 112 passengers on the plane, the crew made an operational decision to remove the family," AirTran spokeswoman Judy Graham-Weaver said, " [The toddler, a three year old named Elly] was climbing under the seat and hitting the parents and wouldn’t get in her seat." The family was compensated to the tune of "$595.80, the cost of the three tickets," and "flew home the next day. They also were offered three roundtrip tickets anywhere the airline flies," but the father said they’d never fly AirTran again. This, of course, means we are suddenly more interested in flying AirTran for the no psychotic toddler policy. There are other people on the plane, and if you can’t control your kid you need to be removed rather than ruin/delay the flight for everyone else.—MEGHANN