Roenblog:


Voting in the City

Posted in Misc by Jenny on the November 4th, 2008

You might be a country bumpkin if you take pictures of the voting line. This was at 6:45 a.m. this morning.

Chris and I had to make two attempts, but I did get to see the mayor of Milwaukee this morning. Hint: Go in the middle of the afternoon if possible.

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Keep talking…

Posted in Misc by Jenny on the October 20th, 2008

Only YOU can prevent being ignorant!

“Americans with less than a high-school diploma have the greatest diversity in political discussion mates. Those with the most narrow political lives are Americans who have suffered through graduate school.”

- Diana Mutz, Hearing the Other Side

Fashion escapism

Posted in Misc by Jenny on the October 19th, 2008

What stock market woes? My new addiction is watching fashion shows via podcast. I’ve logged countless hours in front of my computer letting the craziness sashay down the runway.

It started with a desire to find some free video to better utilize my iPod. Since, I’ve become addicted and subscribe to six free, fashion podcasts that flow in the runway shows as the models put the clothes back on the rack. It surprised me how quickly the fall shows turn into spring with sometimes very little to distinguish either.

The best part is that you must suspend reality, at least for a few minutes. No one ever asks, “who in the heck would actually wear this?” Although — after the hundredth unrealistic outfit — you really just have to let it go. Everyone gushes over the designer, often for no reason, which makes it real escapism. There is no downside. There is no bad review.

As we enter a recession, I invite you to hideout with me. It’s a free escape for now. At least until these crazy designers realize that we can’t afford it anymore.

Louis Vuitton Spring-Summer 2008
Will Naomi Campbell and Stephanie Seymour put on nurse costumes with “Silence of the Lambs” face grills? Yes! We shall call it fashion.

Lanvin Spring 2009
Seriously, how did this round little man get into fashion?

Michael Kors Fall 2008I’d like to think this is a cheap habit but this helped fuel a higher-end shoe purchase. I’d probably buy most of this show if it were possible.

Lehman Update

Posted in Misc by Roenblog on the October 6th, 2008


THE LIES BIDEN TOLD

Posted in Misc by Roenblog on the October 4th, 2008

 The NY Post:

For all the focus on Sarah Palin’s graceful performance in Thursday’s vice presidential showdown, a more significant spectacle was taking place behind the other rostrum.

That’s where Joe Biden, speaking with the pompus self-importance befitting his 36 years in the Senate, told one baffling fib after another.

Some, of course, were just Biden being Biden. He smeared Dick Cheney as “the most dangerous vice president we’ve had probably in American history.”

To which we must take specific offense: After all, the founder of this newspaper, Alexander Hamilton, was killed in a duel by then-Vice President Aaron Burr. (Certainly Burr was a better shot than Cheney.)

But that’s a matter of opinion.

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Nothing’s the Matter With Kansas

Posted in Misc by Roenblog on the October 4th, 2008

 

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Here in the heart of Kansas, the sky isn’t falling and Chicken Little isn’t running around without a head. Community banks like mine are still making loans and serving the needs of customers.

 

I used to worry about competing in the world of mega “too-big-to-fail” banks. But now I know community banks offer something the monsters can never offer — real personal service. Many financial-type businesses say they offer the same thing, but they usually don’t list personal numbers in the phone book and probably aren’t driving the volunteer fire truck. My father always told me that character repaid many more debts than collateral ever would. Community banks form long-term relationships with customers. 

During the farm crisis of the 1980s the over-line credits we had placed with the city correspondent banks were called. A community bank used to rely on participating loans with large metro banks. For example, if my bank had a regulatory loan limit of a million dollars and I made a two million dollar loan, I would “sell” the over-line to a large bank. These large banks suddenly suspended and called all rural credits. This is probably similar to what is happening to borrowers who use super-large banks in today’s panic environment. There was nothing wrong with these loans but every small bank suffered from this irrational wrath.

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Presented without comment…

Posted in Misc by Roenblog on the October 4th, 2008

Palin Flow

And the Nay Votes!

Posted in Misc by Roenblog on the October 4th, 2008

The house passed HR 1424 (on the second attempt).  Nice job guys.  I wanted to point out the nays.  BOOOOOO! 

Aderholt
Akin
Altmire
Bachmann
Barrow
Bartlett (MD)
Barton (TX)
Becerra
Bilbray
Bilirakis
Bishop (UT)
Blackburn
Blumenauer
Boyda (KS)
Broun (GA)
Brown-Waite, Ginny
Burgess
Burton (IN)
Butterfield

 

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You all know what I think of Harry Reid

Posted in Misc by Roenblog on the October 2nd, 2008

From Dealbreaker.com 

 

Cause:
The Senator from Nevada, last night: “We don’t have a lot of leeway on time. One of the individuals in the caucus today talked about a major insurance company — a major insurance company — one with a name that everyone knows that’s on the verge of going bankrupt. That’s what this is all about.”

Effect?:

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Met Life, Pru, CDS blows out, and the S&P gets wacked. 

May we suggest, since Congress is in a prevention kind of mood:
AMENDMENT NO. _______
Calendar No. _________
Purpose: To silence Harry Reid during times of crisis, war, when Congress is in session, and such other times as may be deemed necessary and expedient.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES–110th Cong., 2d Sess.
H. R. 3997

Who Voted No…

Posted in Misc by Roenblog on the October 2nd, 2008

Allard (R)
Barasso (R)
Brownback (R)
Bunning (R)
Cantwell (D)
Cochran (R)
Crapo (R)
DeMint (R)
Dole (R)
Dorgan (D)
Enzi (R)
Feingold (D)
Inhofe (R)
Johnson (D)
Landrieu (D)
Nelson (FL) (D)
Roberts (R)
Sanders (I)
Sessions (R)
Shelby (R)
Stabenow (D)
Tester (D)
Vitter (R)
Wicker (R)
Wyden (D)

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