gildavis's Xanga

What do you think about the world's economy going down the drain? How does it affect you?

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 20:38:36 GMT

There is something I want each of you to remember;

Unbridled capitalism is just as dangerous to the market place as unbridled socialism.

The problem we are experiencing today comes from the former, rather then the later. As I see it there are three things that must be done to fix the problem. First, liquidity and confidence has to be restored to the marketplace so that individuals and companies can get loans to buy capital goods and services as well as take care of expenses, second, the housing market here in the US must be allowed to correct itself by reorganizing the load of bad loans that were made over the last few years and three, regulation must be put in place to control short selling and other uncontrolled aspects of the stock market.

Restoring liquidity and confidence to the marketplace requires short term government innervation. The 750 Billion dollar bail out package was a good start, however now it must be spent wisely. Those institutions that are sound must be reenforced with short term money available at attractive rates to spur borrowing and those institutions that are not must be allowed to fail. Since depositors funds are insured by the FDIC and that figure has risen, they will be protected.

Re writing new loans to replace the old ones backed by Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac (Now that they are under government control) to include a longer term (40 years) and a reduced interest rate to borrowers who display both the interest and means to afford them. Both government and private institutions then should set a fair market rate where the government will front the difference in order to make them attractive to private investors.

This will allow the majority of these loans to be made good taking pressure off the market while allowing people an opportunity to keep their homes and avoid foreclosures.

Congress should act to close every possible loop hole that caused this mess. This should include new regulations to prevent any corporate officer from profiting beyond their base salary in their company unless they have been sucessful. They also should be made to be to be held financially liable for misuse of funds in light of the recent scandal at AIG.

Next, companies should not be allowed to control any market to a point where their solvency would cause a disruption in the economy. Those that exist, should be broken up into smaller operations under separate management. This will prevent huge bail outs in the future.

The government needs to return to a metal standard. By doing so, instead of depending on fiat money, currency will have a real value and thus the amount that things cost and are worth will be readjusted downward.

In other words, a dollar will be worth a dollar again and the power of money belongs to the people, not the government.

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What would be the first thing you would do if you were trapped in a mall?

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 04:08:52 GMT

This is a strange question but I'll bite.

Obviously the first thing to do is find in the nearest exit. To do this effectively, you must always have a sense of where you are in relation to the nearest exit. Malls are designed with several of them beginning with the major entrance/exit points into the interior - usually located on all sides. Next, are the secondary exits located in each of the major tenet stores, then there are the service exits located at the back of all stores on the ground level plus those that lead out into covered parking areas on upper levels that are used to resupply them.

A large mall will have security and a fire plan posted through out the building. The ideal is to proceed quickly to the nearest of them in a calm orderly fashion and leave. Do not use areas that can become choke points for heavy traffic like escalators or stairs. Do not use elevators. In case smoke is present stay low and avoid hot spots.

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What are your top five movie soundtracks?

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 18:33:18 GMT

1.) Jesus Christ Superstar: Andrew Llyod Weber and Tim Rice's masterpiece.

2.) Tommy: The movie needed a lot of help, but there's no disputing the genius of The Who's music.

3.) The Great Caruso: (Various masters composers, including Verdi, and Leoncevello) Introduced me to the wonders of this classic art form as well as incredible voice of Mario Lanza.

4.) The Pirates Of Penzance: The 1983 Movie is such fun to watch! And the music is wonderful. (Especially the late George Rose in the role of The Major General.

5.) Oklahoma!: Rogers & Hammerstien's tour de' force. One of the most done musicals in history. Need I say more?

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What is one thing you would like to say to people who are completely new to Xanga?

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 19:24:16 GMT

Welcome! Join the party and bare your soul. Tell us what you think and how you feel. It's a great way to get things off your chest.

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Have you ever used shopping therapy to make yourself feel better? What happened? What did you buy?

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 06:25:53 GMT

I used to. When I was in sales years ago a good way to get my mind right for selling was to go buy something I wanted. It might not be a big thing, but the point was to rediscover the thrill of getting something new. In this way I could more readily relate to my customers.

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What do you do to entertain yourself on long road trips?

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:50:23 GMT

I Listen to audio books and music.

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If you wanted to erase one of your memories, which would it be and why?

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 01:59:55 GMT

Watching a friend of mine go through an abortion. I was in the room with her standing in for another friend who had been the father because he couldn't deal with it. I now completely understand why.

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What magazines do you enjoy reading?

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 06:25:30 GMT

Scientific America, National Geographic, Time, Newsweek New Republic and The Economist top my list.

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In a society so obsessed with perfection, who are the women young girls should look up to?

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 02:08:00 GMT

Role models which extol normalcy and the virtue of lady like behavior. Speaking as a man, I can tell you that nothing turns me off faster then a woman who is crude, lude and socially inept, even if she's physically attractive. I might play with someone like that - and did in my youth - but I would never marry anyone like that.

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What do you think about last night's vice-presidential debate?

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 21:48:59 GMT

It worked out pretty much like I thought it would. Joe Biden was smooth and professional and Sarah Palin was a surprise. Although she is not as well schooled in Foreign Affairs, she was able to convince me that she had the grey matter to master it. Biden used his extensive knowledge of facts and figures, a product of his 26 year senate career, to sell Senator Obama's programs, but did not elaborate on them. Governor Palin did the same job for Senator McCain. In the last analysis, Democrats will end up supporting Senator Obama's position and Republicans will support Senator McCain's. So it was a wash.

Biden gets points when it comes to using facts and figures to back up his points, yet trying to link Senator McCain and Governor Palin to President Bush and Vice President Cheney didn't quite work. In this debate, Palin was right: many people are more interested in looking forward, not behind them. Biden's problem was he couldn't put Palin away, or make her look like the cute, yet inexperienced puppy that many of Senator Obama's supporters would have loved to see. So she really can't be the issue in this election.

If you judge debates in this manner, the edge went to Governor Palin.

If Barack Obama wants to be President he's really going to have to do the job himself.

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