Two Out of Three

It has been said that good and bad things happen in groups of three.

This week, the bad incidents are occurring more often.

The first notice of sadness is the Flint Journal announcing it will only be printing three editions a week – Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays – starting in June. The Journal has chronicled life in the Flint area throughout our entire lifetime, as well as the parents of us baby boomers (since 1876).

It is even sadder after hearing a third of the Staff either will be or has been laid off. I wonder what will happen to those of us who foolishly paid for a year’s subscription three months ago.

This is not the only newspaper casualty in Michigan. The Journal’s sister papers, The Saginaw News and Bay City Times, also will cut back on production. In addition, the Ann Arbor News recently announced it will publish its final edition in July.

The second event was the passing of baseball legend George Kell. Although I was not old enough to have watched him play, I did grow up listening to his voice on the radio and enjoying him on television from 1959 through the 2000’s.

Kell and Ernie Harwell are the voices of our generation for the Detroit Tigers.

Well, the third shoe will drop before the end of the week. Let’s just hope it is not a bad heavy thud.

Choking on Words

Senator Carl Levin is as two-faced as a politician there is, sitting on the mount and preaching his stupid rhetoric. Our dear senior Senator is discussing his outrage over the AIG bonuses.

Please remember, Levin voted “yes” to all of these bailout packages which allowed the money to flow like mercury (with the same toxic effects). He now expresses his dismay that $165 million is being misused.

Levin has the audacity to compare AIG with the automakers’ plight all in the same breath. He just needs to hang on. For in the next year, we will receive notice as to how the banking industry is misusing the windfall.

Below is a quote from a man who needs to be ousted from office with lightning speed:

“I recognize that my disgust with this situation is not unique. But I want to briefly discuss the appalling double standard that has been revealed by the treatment of hundreds of thousands of honest autoworkers who are victims of the current financial crisis, compared to the treatment a few hundred over-paid financial executives whose poor judgment and greed helped cause AIG’s and our nation’s financial crisis.”

The man is an idiot if he truly believes the billions of dollars he and his co-conspirators have given away will be used prudently.

Term limits, on all elected officials, is in order. Please remember this politician and his brethren (including Chris Dodd) when the next election comes around. Exorcise these demons who are the real villains in this American tragedy.

Friday's Rambling

Every computer I have ever worked with, up to and including this one, whether at work or home, has had glitches. Does anyone else have the same issues?

There have been times when the only use I see for the future of certain machines is as a boat anchor. This particular version of my discomfort is an HP Pavilion w1907 with Vista Home Premium.

Constantly, I find myself rebooting for proper Internet connection. It did not matter if it was cable or our new high speed DSL connection. When the Internet works, it is marvelous. As the situation goes awry, I want to pick the computer up and throw it through a window.

This blog has exhausted my fertile imagination to a dried up prune. Having stated that, I am going to scale back from an every day article and write as inspiration strikes me. I supposed that will occur two to three times a week, depending on issues that arise in the world. Anyone who would like to be a guest blogger is welcome to submit articles by e-mail (jasperjack.pressure@gmail.com) or through Facebook, where a majority of you have my contact information.

Until next week, have a wonderful weekend and hug someone close to you, preferably someone in service to our country.

Mind Your Manners

Today’s world has witnessed the smallest amount of manners go by the wayside. There are numerous people that are in such a hurry it seems a modicum of common courtesy is lacking. Maybe I am just plain old fashioned, or somehow, the lessons my father taught me have stuck throughout the years.

When it comes to women, the acts of always holding a door, chair or even their coat, as they put it on, have lost their place in society. The glares from people in a public setting, as I hold my wife’s coat for her, are of disbelief. Holding doors for another person always has been the normal gesture for me, as well as a lot of my friends.

These common courtesies should carry over to everything you do – from telephone etiquette to driving an automobile.

Rather than flipping someone off just because they fail to practice your same values, courtesy and patience behind the wheel of a car will get you farther down the road.

Telephone pleasantries have become things of the past with personal people skills being lacked by most of the machines we all try to converse with daily. A simple “Hello” or “May I please speak with Mister or Mrs. Smith?” is all too uncommon. Instead, you are assailed with “yeahs,” “yos,” “ahs” and other assorted guttural sounds.

If a person you know acts in a way you find manner less, go ahead and remind them they will be treated the same way they treat other people. It’s the simple Golden Rule.

Bishop “International” Airport?

Why does Bishop Airport find it necessary to refer to itself an international airport? The farthest you can fly is Las Vegas, Atlanta, Tampa, Orlando and Fort Myers (in season) all located in the foreign countries of Nevada, Georgia and Florida.

To my knowledge there has not been an international flight in over 30 years. Even then, I believe it was from Mexico. MBS (Midland, Bay City, Saginaw) International Airport, formerly Tri City Airport, is another case of misinformation.

After researching the subject, answers suddenly appeared. By definition, an international airport is a facility equipped with customs and immigration services able to handle international flights.

Some airports, especially in smaller United States cities, such as Flint, in fact have no scheduled international airline passenger service but do have customs and immigration capabilities, which are only available with several hours advance notice. Another example is the Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids.

A few, such as Gary/Chicago International Airport in Indiana, are in fact not international airports at all. Instead, they aspire to become such in the future and have added the “international” status as a marketing tool.

Finally, other airports, which previously served international flights and now only provide domestic options, retained the “international” designation in their name.

Now you will have to fly to Detroit Metro or Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to arrive anywhere close to an international destination.

Someone in the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) should have to explain why an airport, the size of Bishop, needs 10 agents on duty for four flights. I am positive that in Atlanta or Detroit, they need 20 times as many. I witnessed a man drinking a large soda, from a McDonald’s cup, told he was not able to bypass the first security checkpoint. The result was a large gulp, followed by an even larger belch.

Just proves our taxes are being used to the maximum effectiveness.

Mac Attack

A review of the Sunday night Fleetwood Mac concert at the Palace of Auburn Hills is in order.

Let me begin with the seats my bride and I were assigned. Although we saved close to a hundred dollars on the tickets through eBay, they left something to be desired. Our floor seats, the most expensive in the house, were neither on the floor, for we had chairs, nor were the seats of any use, as we stood up for the entire entertaining two and a half hour performance.

Mick Fleetwood, now at age 61, along with fellow band mates, founding father John McVie, guitarist Lindsey Buckingham and vocal specialist Stevie Nicks, put together a tight performance of hits through the years. It was a nice change not having to listen to a new album with selected cuts no one has heard before.
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Fleetwood's and McVie's solid rhythm, as well as Buckingham's splendid no-pick finger playing were a delight to the ears. The vocals from Lindsey and Stevie were spot on as they showed some of their old personal chemistry.

They thoroughly left the crowd satisfied with two encores, a superb three quarter arena stage set-up and excellent lighting. Fleetwood Mac is a must see if you are a fan and have the opportunity.

LOL----BRB----BFF

As promised to an avid reader – a short discussion on text messaging. First, let me make it clear I do not practice the art form. My daughter derides me for never learning the proper method of typing, yet she has the fastest thumbs in our house.

What is the difference between my chicken pecking on the keyboard and her two thumbs texting? I believe we will keep up this style of communication to the point of having our opposable thumbs evolve into an entirely new appendage.

As far as the assassination of the English language, there will have been new dictionaries written for the expressed purpose of deciphering this coded form of language. Wnt Tht B Gr8? The best one I have seen is *Ss (Starbucks). Eventually, classes like Ebonics will be taught in schools just for young children to learn the new dialects being transmitted on the small portable screens.

All of this comes at a price, as many parents are becoming aware. Service with unlimited text messaging is a must for anyone supporting a child with a phone under your roof. Text message rates on some services, for those of you with a child and active thumbs, can run into the hundreds of dollars.

As with talking on a cell phone while driving, a person texting while operating an automobile is the most dangerous behavior I have ever witnessed.

In the immortal words of my hero Winnie the Pooh, “TTFN.”

Friday's Rambling

Pride in a job well done has become a lost art for employees working for other people. You will not find this to be true if a person is self-employed.

While having insulation work done this week, I was forced to listen to the head of the crew deride his employer, who happens to be a friend of mine. You would think a person would be happy just to have a job in the Flint, Michigan area, rather than spending work time complaining constantly about the boss and the job conditions. Sure, it is outdoor work, but the temperature was above freezing – deal with it!

The legislature will turn into an extremely ugly and stupid morass if things don’t turn for the better in the next six months. I predict this as a warning to all of the still sane people holding on to their collective breaths.

Whatever we do as citizens of America, we must present a united front in our demeanor and actions. The enemies of this country will swoop like buzzards on road kill at the first sign the American spirit is breaking. Panic is not an option for the times and the path that lies ahead for all of us.

Please always remember those brave and courageous men and women in service to our country. Hug a soldier,airman, sailor or, if you are brave, a Marine.

Enjoy a great weekend. See you on Monday.

Further Trials of House Husbands

Let’s being this dissertation by discussing our walk-in closet. The enclosure measures 5’x 6’ with three five-foot racks for hanging of clothing articles. Compressed, I get 30 inches out of 15 feet. In my 30 inches, I have to hang two coats and all my shirts and pants.

My darling bride, of 36 years, has made use of the remaining rack space. In addition, there are shelves around the back and sides, all filled with everything from pajamas to shoes, which are all hers.

The basement laundry area also has been converted into racks of work scrubs, coats, and oh yeah, hangers full of drying brassieres. Out of 15 total drawers in the master bedroom, I am allocated six, all of which are stuffed, crammed and piled with my seldom or unworn clothing. After all, us guys all have items of clothing we will not or are unable to wear.

Shoes – good heavens where do you being to describe the difference between men and women and their shoes. I personally own four pair of shoes – two dress (black), two pair of athletic shoes (one black, one white) and two pair of boots (winter/work)which live in the garage.

Between the two women residing here, they must own at least 40 pairs of all shoe types. Our daughter owns at least eight pair of flip flops (useless footwear in my mind). My dear wife has athletic shoes for all occasions – treadmill, YMCA, walking, gardening, mowing the lawn and those special occasion shoes. She also has pumps, flats, sandals, and the list goes on and on.

Every spring, summer and fall, they are off to Payless for additions to the collection,cannot pass up a chance for buy one get one half off(BOGO). To accommodate the variety of shoes, we even purchased a special cedar chest. Now, the top on this furniture piece will barely close due to the over abundance of unworn footwear.

Blood pressure low – more to follow.

Please--- Lose The Insanity

AIG (American International Group) has lost $61 billion in three months of business, in addition apparently to the government’s $150 billion bailout. They are now asking for $30 billion more in bailout funds

Is this insanity with AIG ever going to cease? When will the fools on the hill quit spending themselves rich? In America, by definition, we are far from even practicing socialism.

In order to classify our society as socialists, the people would require a share in the proceeds. The United States government is busy subsidizing all of these failing, greed-ridden corporations. The American people are neither benefiting nor receiving any of the so called “returns” of this mass wealth distribution.

Once again, the taxpayers, in all wealth brackets, are shouldering the burden of overzealous greed mongers. This makes my blood boil, as each day the stories keep being hurled at us with the velocity and lethal force of winter time ice balls. Our economy will wait until 2011 to turn around, just in time for the next election, with both sides of the political spectrum taking the credit.

The democratic President’s plan has worked, and the right wing will spout had we not banded together to straighten this out, we would be mired in the same rut.

There will be a slight improvement for the mid-term elections, but it will only be a fraction of what we as American citizens will need to stave off the depression we are surly facing.

Where Are We Headed?

It was President Thomas Jefferson who once said:

“I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.”

Citigroup, Bank of America, Wells Fargo and the other Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) recipients are all guilty of not protecting their customers’ assets. They and their counterparts, who have fed from the federal money buffet, have lost touch with reality of personal financial dealings.

Bank of America’s CEO, using a $5 million Gulfstream G5 jet, at the cost of $5,000 an hour to fly to and from Washington D.C. to testify to the fools on the hill, is right out of “The Wizard of Oz.” He should just click the heels of his ruby Gucci loafers and save the taxpayers millions of dollars. Better yet, ask the Wizard for a brain, a heart and a soul.

The insanity is only going to increase until the government quits shoveling money on the fire. The banks have no fiscal responsibility what so ever and need to be broken until they are able to show the American taxpayer they deserve our assistance.

Possibly, they could take Jefferson’s quote to heart, uttered over 200 years ago.

Pressure is boiling over at the thought of this situation.

Phone Etiquette

Back in the day, when one rotary phone served the entire house full of people, unless there was a death in the family, talking on the phone was not appropriate during dinner times or when company was visiting.

Now, it seems as though talking on a phone is perfectly okay under all circumstances.

While enjoying or trying to enjoy a quiet dinner with your spouse or family, the sounds of ring tones going off every five seconds invades your conscious thought pattern. If that wasn’t enough, the people, who just cannot go five minutes without communicating with the outside world, talk loud enough making you feel like you are being dragged into their conversations.

Numerous times, I have had the urge to ask those people, spending at least 30 minutes of their time on the phone, if they have a preference as to which body part they would like permanently attached to the phone.

It’s not only disconcerting, it’s downright rude. Certainly, employers feel the same way toward their employees who find it necessary to talk half a shift away.

In addition, driving and cell phones do not mix. Unless you are the passenger, all phone use should be outlawed (and the varmints hung) in all jurisdictions. Also, a driver’s decision of wearing/not wearing a seatbelt should be an individual choice. But eliminate their rights to talk on the phone, text or even play Tetris.

Friday's Rambling

For all of you whom are working and searching for a new job, good luck. Just remember to make yourselves as valuable to your current employer as possible.

The job market, as you are discovering, is flooded with at least 100 applicants for every position being filled. The point being, hang on to the sure thing. And reach for the moon in search endeavors.

The City of Flint’s political scene has somewhat returned to normal with Michael Brown, a competent man, at the helm. The “Don” Williamson refuses to die a whimpering death, much to the amazement of the taxpaying public. Twenty-two Michigan cities require residents to pay income taxes. Flint is one of the few requiring the non residents, who work inside city limits, to pay a half percent incoming tax. The strange part is while you pay the half percent, you absolutely have no say in the City’s economic decisions. Talk about taxation without representation.

Sports sponsorships are taking a major hit. Companies having received Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) Funds are cutting back on sponsoring major events, most notably PGA Tournaments. Among these entities were the Royal Bank of Scotland, Wachovia and other government fund recipients. Someone must have realized a portion of the biggest financial deals have been brokered on golf courses throughout the world.

I would like to take a moment to thank this blog’s senior editor for guest writing for a couple of days. After all, he has the talent which makes this somewhat readable. He previously was an editor-in-chief for two college newspapers, as well as a reporter with two daily publications.

Everyone have a wonderful weekend. Don’t worry about a thing. Everything will be okay – recovery is just around the corner, yada, yada, yada!

Heal the Sick

Currently, 46 million Americans are without health care. Countless others maintain the bare necessity health coverage. In other words, one week of intensive care will place those individuals and their families in debt for the rest of their lives.

A general surgeon earns approximately $6,000 for a one-hour procedure, such as a tonsillectomy or gall bladder removal. One can only image how much a heart or vascular surgeon makes for a three to eight-hour procedure. Health care professionals must consider all additional expenses, from a disposable glove to the CEO’s cut on each and every visit to a care facility.

You have all read about the retired auto employees starting to lose the benefits they worked a minimum of 30 years to receive. Stop and look at hospital employees, where everyone, from department heads to registered nurses to housekeepers, have no guaranteed health benefits upon retirement. There is no pension additives available to defray the costs of the decent insurance they enjoyed while working in their respective medical fields.

This is not just an isolated instance. It happens to be the norm at hospitals and care facilities throughout the United States. In some way, this trend affecting all Americans must be reversed. Please also consider the optical and dental industries in the equation, for they continue to prosper right along with the medical institutions.

How many times have you been in an office, where you are lined up like sheep in what I refer to as the mill mass production process of medical or optical care? Eight rooms available – have a seat, the doctor will be in to spend his allotted five minutes with you to discuss your problem(s). You leave their offices with your head spinning and blood pressure on the rise!

Treat the symptoms with a pill or a cream, and be on your merry way. Oh, don’t forget they will want to see you again in two to three weeks for a follow-up mill trip.

Down in “Jungleland”

Guest blog by Christopher “Skippy” Miller, Senior Editor

Bruce Springsteen’s 1975 hit greatly details life in “South” Florida. Notice the word “South” in quotes? That’s because we reside in a completely different country. It’s as if this area, consisting of three counties, Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade, succeeded from the remaining Florida territory.

Let’s take a quick look at the dynamics of South Florida. As of 2007, the three counties had a combine population of more than 5.5 million people. The number constantly fluctuates, as we live in an extremely transient area.

In addition, South Florida boasts a highly diverse community with the population coming from a large portion of Latin America, especially South America, Central America and the Caribbean islands. To name a few places, residents hail from Brazil, Columbia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Peru, Trinidad & Tobago, Venezuela, and other countries across the world.

Another large factor includes the residents who were former snowbirds from the Northeast cities, such as Boston, New Jersey and New York. Many of them come from a variety of age-ranges, mostly retirees, and tend to be Jewish-American, Italian-American, Irish-American, Puerto Rican-American, and so forth.

To put it simply, there are a lot of freaking people living in a thin strip of land between the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Everglades in the west.

For the past nearly three years, the City of Sunrise remains our temporary home. It’s only temporary because we rent an apartment. The price of housing has skyrocketed over the years. Here, the “American Dream” is owning a two-bedroom condominium or townhouse (otherwise known as glorified apartments) for no less than $250,000.

My wife and I laugh every time we drive past the four empty high-rise complexes, located by the BankAtlantic Center (home of the Florida Panthers). The word “empty” sticks out only because each suite starts at no less than $750,000. What a waste of money constructing these vacant residential towers!

Can you imagine the type of housing a single family can afford elsewhere for the same amount of money?

Luckily, property values are decreasing, but only thanks to continuing increase of foreclosed homes. However, as a middle class family, we still are unable to afford a “house,” featuring our own “yard” with “space” between the neighbors.

Fortunately, we are not considering South Florida as a permanent home. Besides, Broward County is frequently featured as a location for the hit show “Cops.”

Thanks to our faith, immense family values and through our church Calvary Chapel of Fort Lauderdale, India Summer Jean Miller will never possess the “I won’t ever see you again, so why should I care?” attitude so many South Floridians consider as “normal” behavior toward all mankind.

"A Taste of Homesickness"

Guest blog by Christopher "Skippy" Miller, Senior Editor

It’s February and 73 degrees outside. My wife, nearly two-year-old daughter and I just got back from a walk, of course in our shorts. Unfortunately, it’s not quite warm enough to run the air conditioner. Hence, the windows are wide open, allowing fresh air to fill our apartment.

Yet, this former Michigander still, in a sick, twisted way, misses the cold, snowy weather.

Don’t get me wrong, you can keep the unbearable driving conditions associated with winter. However, I am highly fond of and thrive well in the “cold.” It’s quite similar to my immunity to eating a favorite food enhancer, hot sauce.

This coming July marks four years since Heather and I decided to move to Florida. At the time, it was an opportunity for us to try a new place, featuring an essential element – jobs.

She quickly was offered a teaching contract in Broward County. I shortly found employment as a Public Relations Director for a nonprofit agency which provides services for the elderly. We have since maintained the same positions.

All things changed on April 29, 2007. Our daughter, India Summer Jean, was born. The yearning to be closer to family grew even more than before. We had hoped India was able to see and experience her grandparents more often. But, it’s difficult being 1,500 miles away.

Sure, we visit Michigan, and they come to Florida. But, living closer would equal an abundance of free babysitting opportunities. There is only one major issue for us moving closer – a lack of jobs. During the past year, I continued to apply for open positions to destinations elsewhere in Florida, Michigan and even North Carolina. I have had a handful of interviews, but no takers.

One big issue in Florida, particularly South Florida, is my inability to speak a second language. Most employers seek bilingual candidates. Unless Cyborg is considered a second language, I’m up a creek.

The problem in Michigan is too many other, more than qualified people are applying for the same posting. One job yielded over 120 applicants. I was one of them.

Heather is another story. Teaching jobs are even harder to come by. It took a close friend, after college, five years to land his first teaching gig. Even if Heather was hired, there is no guarantee she would keep the job in a year or two. School districts constantly are creatively managing budgets, including ousting experienced instructors.

In our case, we must stay put, or just follow the wisdom of the great Red Green, “Keep your stick on the ice.” We continue to pay our bills, raise our daughter and make the most of the situation. Do we regret moving here? Nope, but homesickness does occur more often.

Negative Feedback

Many readers of this blog have expressed their feelings by e-mail, instead of using the comment feature. I have chosen not to copy and paste them as comments. My only hope is, in the future, your responses would be posted in the comment forum.

It does not matter if they are negative or positive. I will publish those just the way they are sent, without editing.

It seems the e-mails all have been negative. To paraphrase a majority of them, people have said this blog is too depressing to read. That is fine, if you feel that way, although, I have taken strides to cover a variety of topics. I will continue to express my opinions regarding current events. If they are heavy handed, well, so be it.

Often, current events are not happy go lucky topics to discuss. The political scene can be depressing, but should be brought to light, as the decisions these clowns are making will affect the future our great, great grandchildren.

On a much more light-hearted note, Sunday’s Flint Journal reported former Flint mayor “The Don” Williamson has asked for his $500,000 salary to be paid in full. So much for our dollar-a-year mayor. He undoubtedly will go down in Flint history as one of the wackiest mayors ever to hold office.

May the good Lord have mercy on us if he were to ever be elected Governor of Michigan.

Friday's Rambling

R. Allen Stanford, Bernie Madoff and the list will continue to grow as long as greed rules the land.

Stanford, charged with an $8 billion fraud scheme, has gone as far as attempting to charter a jet the last few days to leave his mess behind. U.S. Marshals seized control of his company’s offices Tuesday, including all documents pertaining to Stanford’s particular scam.

These individuals are to blame. Even more to blame are the investors who were just as greedy, jumping at the chance to make twice the money on their investments as with conventional measures.
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Stanford Financial cooked the books throughout the 1990’s to show non existing profit margins on investments. This includes, as late as November, citing the ability to produce a 5.35 percent rate on a $100,000 CD, when the national average was just over 3 percent.

In 1996 and 1997, Stanford boasted an identical return of more than 15 percent on investments. Anyone who has an investment portfolio with any sense knows this identical year-to-year return is an impossible scenario.

As long as we can unearth the greed of people, “Mad Dog” Madoff’s $50 billion Ponzi scam and people like R. Allen Stanford will continue to exploit the situations created by greed on both sides of the fence.

Common sense, as well as the ability to remain for the long haul at a slow and steady growth, will pay off in the end – the old tortoise and hare tale.

Time

The only thing different from childhood to being an adult is the passage of time.

As a child, events take forever to arrive and last an extended period of time. During adulthood, anticipated events still take an inordinate amount of time , and then seem to pass in a flash. The older we baby boomers are the faster time seems to slip away. Days turn into weeks, weeks into years, etc.

Now, a three-week vacation, which has been planned for nearly a year, takes forever to arrive. Then, before you are able to blink, it has passed, and you are back to the daily grind waiting for the next momentous opportunity planned in your own little world.

Can anyone remember sitting in a classroom, watching the clock and wondering how long it would take for 55 minutes to pass? Even more frustrating was taking a test, in the same room, and then realizing your 55 minutes quickly have expired.

A 30-hour visit with my family Monday and Tuesday reminded me just how fast time, especially with loved ones, flies. Here for a brief fleeting moment, then gone, but not forgotten.

The point being made is obvious – please make the most of each precious second you have in your lives. For the quickest way to squander time is doing nothing, such as watching hours of mindless television. It’s the best way I know to lose track of time.

Go – Do – Be

What Honeymoon?

The sweet, harmonious marriage of ideals ended in less than two weeks. President Obama has tried everything from cocktail parties to talking tough, or at least trying. It truly is amazing to see the right wing conservative Republican unify – a concept they failed to grasp during the last eight years under “King” George II. I suppose all it took was some good Democratic cattle prodding to spur them into unification.

What in the name of Reagan (the Republican equivalent of God) are the politicians trying to accomplish, except running the American people, especially the middle class, into oblivion?

We are not in a recession or a depression. We are heading into the land of suppression under the weight of bureaucracy.

Now that these fools on the hill have come to some sort of agreement, the trillions of play money required to fix our economic problems is anyone's guess.

The financially sound will not stimulate the economy, only hoard the riches they have acquired, leaving the economically challenged society to fend for themselves. These nouveau rich will not get off a dime unless they profit from it. This attitude exemplifies the greed which is rampant in the United States.

When will it end? In five, ten years? Will it take a repeat of World War II to jolt the economy back to its feet? Or will it take the rich getting hurt very badly for a little trickle down effect to have any hope of help?

Again, please address your lawmakers, jam their phone lines, and overload the servers they use with your concerns! Maybe they will get the idea they work for us and not the 100 plus voices helping them get re-elected every term.
Term limits for all lawmakers should be a law, especially Senators. Plenty of veteran lawmakers have overstayed their welcome. Let a new breed of corruptible souls in every six or 12 years.