Other People's (Actually Yours) Money; Their Gain

This from the VERY Dead on and accurate folks at Rasmussen:

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of likely voters found that only nine percent (9%) give Congress good or excellent ratings, while 54% give the legislature poor marks. Just one-out-of-50 voters (2%) think Congress is doing an excellent job.

Since the election when Democrats grew their majorities in both the House and Senate, Congress has been in the news struggling unsuccessfully to pass an unpopular bailout plan for the Big Three automakers.

Even only 14% of Democratic voters rate the performance of the Congress led by their own party as good or excellent, compared to five percent (5%) of Republicans and six percent (6%) of unaffiliated voters. Thirty-five percent (35%) of Democrats say the legislators are doing a poor job, and 69% of Republicans and 63% of unaffiliateds agree.

Men are much more critical than women. While 66% of men give Congress poor ratings, only 43% of women do the same. Eight percent (8%) of men give Congress positive ratings, along with 10% of women.

One-in-three voters (34%) believes most members of Congress are corrupt, while 39% disagree. In last month's survey, 36% saw most members as corrupt.

Forty percent (40%) of Republicans view most Congress members as corrupt, along with 36% of unaffiliated voters and 28% of Democrats. Forty-four percent (44%) of Democrats do not see most members that way, and 38% of Republicans and 34% of unaffiliated voters agree.

A separate Rasmussen survey released last week found that voters view politicians as being more corrupt than CEO’s of major corporations by a 48% to 25% margin. The majority (59%) also believe President-elect Barack Obama should make government ethics reform a top agenda item when he assumes office next year.

With the Blagoveich scandal breaking in Illinois, a plurality of voters (39%) does not know which political party to trust more when it comes to government ethics and corruption.

The latest survey found that just 14% of voters believe members of Congress are more interested in helping people than their own careers, down from 23% in November. Most voters (71%) say the opposite.

Eighty-four percent (84%) of Republicans, 54% of Democrats and 79% of unaffiliated voters say most members of Congress are more interested in helping their own political careers. Six percent (6%) of GOP voters and nine percent (9%) of unaffiliateds think members of Congress are most interested in helping people, compared to 24% of Democrats.

Thirteen percent (13%) of voters say Congress has passed legislation to significantly improve life in America, but 60% say the opposite. Still, 57% say it is at least somewhat likely that Congress will address serious issues facing our nation in the near future, although 39% say it is unlikely.

Toys for Tots Thanks You

A big fat thanks goes out to all the "Santas" who dropped off toys under the tree at my office. (the sloppy image is from a cheap cell phone -- my cheap cell phone). By my count, there were over 300 items ranging from bicycles to cameras to Tonkas and Barbies, to basketballs (some North Pole Hoopster dropped off 6 at one time), Candyland, Monopoly, Risk, Scrabble and other great games.

Your names are not known but your thoughts and generosity are. In a time of uncertainty mauled by loonies blogging about things that need not be bought by folks who cannot affrod to buy them, it is nice to see the smart and generous ones among us coming up with some great toy staples. Wonderful, splendid.

Best of the season to you all.

All I Want for Christmas is Some Real Bad News

Actually I don't, but the writer of the email a few lines below does...Seems she's having a hard time telling the reading public how bad the Real Estate Market is. It seems she cannot find those big drops in prices everyone is talking about.

I have copied the email exactly as shs wrote it on December 10th. I have blocked out whatever information would point it to her copy desk and thus to her and thus to said "her" getting slapped by her editor so hard she winds up on the unemployment line...or the fat lady blogging line:

Here goes:

"Hi. Not sure if you knew this, but I write the XX XXX XXXXX column
for the XXXXX XXXXX -- the one where we take three properties that
have something in common and do a walk-through, with about six lines
of "pros" and one of "cons."

"This week I'm looking for something that has proved harder to find
than I thought it would be: Price reductions of 20 percent or more.
Ideally, my editor would like the properties to be on the lower end,
probably $500,000 or less.

"Do you think any of your brokers might have one? If so, they can
email me the listing sheet and price-drop info directly; the story is
due on Friday so I'd like to see the houses tomorrow.

"Thanks,

XXXXXXXX
XXX-XXX-XXXX"

Well there you have it. My advice to her? Look at her own condo for inspiration -- she overpaid big time for it.

Toys for Tots

Drop off your toys at 161 Mount Auburn St. in Watertown. Yesterday someone dropped off a great baseball glove; we've got two bicycles and lots of dolls...some kool games that all of us will remember...I promise I won't play with anything -- although that Playdough looks mighty inviting...

Open house here 4-8 PM on December 12 -- This Friday night upcoming. Cocktails and Hors D'Oeuves served. Last year I had kids playing floor hockey in the basement -- this year. Maybe this year the old folks will play, too.

CALL ME AT 617.470.8085 FOR INFO.

Sittin' in the Nest Egg

It seems Americans are optimistic about their homes. According to Rasmussen at least. The pollster has put numbers out on his site that show, "Fifty-nine percent (59%) of American homeowners expect thier home to go up over the next five years". Delving deeper into the numbers, the report avers that 10% think thier homes value will go down. 21% think they'll be kissing their sister, as t he saying goes (in other words, getting nowehere. 10% don't know...

It is that 10% where we may well see the smartest home folk in the world. Afterall, who prices a house everyday? Walks home and checks the bid and the ask on the properties on the lining Main Street? Afterall, the homeonwer owns -- a home not a commodity. Anyone who bought the ranch with an eye on the capital gain and not the living room went about it all the wrong way. Best to have invested in stock certificates.

No the home is more than an investment. If it's value drops in dollars, it does not necassarilymean in drops nthe intrinsics of warmth, comradery, and memories developed behind its walls. A home is a place of well being and health, a place to go -- not a place to market...save that for the fishmongers.

No doubt Rasmussen will hatch and other survey in the next few days. You may wish to, after dinner, sit in the ol' easy chair and read before bedtime.

Name, Rank and "Cereal" Number

I guess it shows. All those kids chomping down on cereal and nut bars as they trudge off down the slope to Belmont High School.

The Results are out and will be on the stands this Monday, 12.8.08. Belmont is in the top 100 High Schools as ranked by U.S. News and World Report". The folks at the weekly rag rated 21,069 high schools in the USA and, as I see it, only 2 from Massachusetts made the top 100: venerable (as in pick only the kids you like Boston Latin and Belmont (as in Belmont plus all the shnooks and malcontents Boston can daily export to us under the METCO program).

Readers are welcome to parry and thrust their way through the list by clicking here. Top 100

In the meantime, I wish all the kids well. Now how about lunch?

American Indian Heritage Day

For those if us who did not notice, Friday -- as in the Friday after Thanksgiving has a name...an official name signed by Proclamation of the President of the United States. While I call it American Indian Day, the government in a small slap in the face to the folks at the AMERICAN INDIAN MOVEMENT (A.I.M.) the lobby group of said people who HATE, yes HATE (74% in the most recent poll) the term "Native American", have, nonetheless, called it Native American Heritage Day. You can look it up. It was signed into law about a month ago -- too late for any festivities, but it seems America celebrated appropriately nonetheless:

Take, for example, the killing of that poor soul working at Walmart. Trampled under an overwhelming hoard of folks, who, even after learning of the death, still went on a-shopping. That sounds about right to me: perfectly in tune with "American Indian Heritage".

Let's look about: The day is called, so the news folk tell us, "Black Friday". Bleak indeed at first look, yet in tune with the Indian experience. Ahhhh but take a closer look and you will see the real meaning of the name is more upbeat and commercial -- it is the day retailers "go into the black" for the year. As in, making money, or to get at bit of tie-in to the "new" holiday, "Theyum collectum lots of Wampum --- ugg, Kimmosabie".

When a day is set aside to celebrate and reflect on an ethic/ethnic cleansing situation, one should expect that day should be devoid of other focal points. Of all days to pick, one wonders why the BIGGEST shopping day of the year was plucked from the calendar to celebrate the American Indian.

Is it because it falls right after Thanksgiving and the tie-in was needed? Or was it because, like the American Indian Cultures, it was all meant to bury it under the weight of the dollar?

It is not worth asking. After all, "White Man Speak with fork tongue". So sayum Bigum Chiefum Broken Wind.

Style Boston

Not long ago, a social print outlet in this part of the world published its "25 Most Stylish" People list. Not one to take a particular interest in the delicacies of lingerie or, for that matter, jockey shorts, I took little note of the event, until, buy third party, it came to me that an associate of mine IS on the list.

I called said associate to discuss the issue: "How," I asked,"could you be on such a list. I mean, look at yourself, you look like; you look like Bozo without hair orange dye -- a fat Bozo, a Woodstock reunion of Bozo; and you have a pot belly, and, for crying out loud, that tie is a throw out from TJ MAXX!"

"Sour grapes," he replied.

"Nonsense," I said, "I'd never make a list like that. It's not on my radar..."

"It should be," he retorted, "You almost did make it. They let me see the 'competition'. You were in the top 50."

I was shocked. Now mind you, I do not exactly buy my clothes at K Mart, but that's only because they closed the joint down on Western Avenue. I am a Target man now. So how is this possible?

My associate explained: "Style is not what you wear. It is who you are and what you are and have been. It is what you say, how you say it and what people think you will say. It is not about selling or telling someone to buy something. It is about the statement. YOU were seen speaking before a group of stuff shirts, about the time of the Mortgage meltdown. You were making a case for a way out of the mess. You brought the guys to tears -- sort of... What you said, and how you said it, did the trick."

So there you have it. Me in my Modells jeans and button down from Target, an arbiter of style. Ain't that a kick in the pants...

Oh Bumma

Personally I would have preferred John Edwards. What with the dark ages before us, it would have been fun to have had a little levity in the White House -- you know, John Edwards being a, well, a John. The whole "first lady of the night" thing going with that "grrl" friend of his. Failing that, I thought Clinton would have been fun -- Bill in an apron whipping up a batch of cookies while madam President serves up the social welfare.

McCain would have been nice, but not for himself. With the election results this morn, a whole industry was wiped out. How many "Nailin' Palin" movies would have made it direct to (Adult) video had the election turned? The morons in Hollywood (the less fashionable sections) missed an opportunity here.

I guess we are stuck with these folks in the White House and there is nothing funny here.

One wonders how the bostonmamas site is doing. You will remember that bostonmamas was once a porn site for "women of color". Perhaps searchers have gone there for a look-a-like for Mrs. Obama. Sad to say -- at this version of BM (not bowel movement here, bostonamas, but the same stuff is coming out), our searchers will find naught but housewives of the fat lazy constitution telling other housewives of the same constitution how to waste the husband's money without lifting a finger -- USE PEAPOD GIRLS -- WHY STRETCH OUT THE GIRDLE WALKING THE AISLES..., YOU CAN GET THE LEFT OVER SHELF LIFE CRAP DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR AND NOT MISS A BLOG OR SOAP OPERA BEAT.

After all, hubby does not need the money -- there won't be any "Nailin' Palin" videos to buy.

The Elect

On the voting line to throw my voice early this morning; the bloke behind me had his daughter and was explaining to her the process unfolding:

"Well," he said, "today everybody will vote for President, well sort of, I mean not exactly but somehow somebody is getting a vote."

"Why is it so crowded?" the girls asked.

"Well, these people are coming early because they have to go off to work and..."

"Who will be here later?"

"I guess," he thought for a moment, "I guess, old people, students and people without jobs who have no place to go...you know, like well, like, Auntie Claire, who's a Real Estate Broker. She can vote later...she's got nothing to do."

Well, there you have it folks. In this the dark times, we have an "on the street" opinion of Real Estate Brokers -- homeless souls with naught place to go, no job, no life.

Maybe Aunt Claire is one of those 30 percenters who have cashed in their chips, and cashed out of the business rather than face the hard work.

As for me, I am here before anyone else hits the office. I've voted and I am ready to do business.

GIve me a call.