Stop Your Whining

If the current business atmosphere were a Monopoly game (does seem like they thought it was as it was not their money) this is about the time my father would have charged into the room, told us to stop whining, and confiscated the game, "If you cannot play nicely with each other nobody plays."

Evidently President Obama did the adult diplomatic version of that in a White House conference with bankers. He told them to work together. I wonder if there was an "or else" attached. The United States can take the Monopoly game away in a number of ways from strict new regulations to nationalizing the banks. Whatever else the President said the bankers left the meeting voicing approval of his financial plans.

Course the banks are not the only whiners in this game gone horribly wrong while GW was calling the plays. There are the auto companies that refused to build greener cars and fueled our appetities for more and bigger. While of course the UAW (no favorite of mine after ten years working building auto plants) kept upping the Union contract requirements and priced the US out of the internation auto market. In this recent effort for the big three to make themselves economically viable the UAW have been some of the biggest whiners. Shut up you do have jobs. Currently. That could change.

The whiners I hate at the most are the Republicans and those Democrats currying favor with the voters in 2010. "You have an alternate plan?" my father would ask when we would whine about the length of the walk back or the difficulty of erecting the tent in a drenching rain. We hardly ever did. And I have noticed that none of the Republicans that blithely voted us into this mess have any alternate plans on getting us out. So shut up and row the same direction as the rest of those in the lifeboat and shut up unless you have something constructive to say or a good upbeat song to sing.

Michael Rowed the Boat Ashore might be nice. And those Fargo citizens working so tirelessly together to save their town from the rising flood waters of the Red River could embrace that theme.

So bankers, car manufacturers, UAW, Republicans, and naysayers take a tip from Fargo. When the water is about to top the levees it is time to work together with no whining.

Hard to Swallow

Doesn't that sandwich look yummy. Now imagine it is poison. And that you will die a slow and agonizing death if you eat it.

Today Taxas finally ordered the recall of all products ever shipped from a now-closed Peanut Corp. of America plant in Plainview amid a nationwide salmonella outbreak.

My question is what took them so long? This company has been "retesting" peanuts that tested originally as having salmonella and clearing them for export to Canada where they were refused because they smelled rotten. But that was not the first incident nor was it the last. People had to start dying before anyone paid attention.

Hey, and it is not just peanut butter but any product you have on your shelf that has peanuts in it should be tossed. Products like candy bars, and power bars, and peanut flavored dog treats. Throw them out. And while we are at it let's just throw the CEO's of this company into jail for reckless endangerment or manslaughter.

Beginning with Enron and its electricity scams, and pet food companies with poisonous fake protein, on to investment bankers, and toy makers with lead based painted toys from China, and now peanut companies it is rotten to the core at the top. Everyone is concerned with their million dollar bonuses and not public safety. It is the bottom line and not integrity that seems to count these days.

My list of products I will never again buy grows. That should ultimately save me money in these tough economic times.

PS: I never liked peanut butter and jelly sandwiches but I was rather fond of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Going to miss them.