Greg_Groogan's Blog

Forget the head shaking embarrassment and vile humble pie of blowing the last two.

Forget the cheap shots on Colt in '06. 

Forget the fact that there's no class in kicking programs while their down.

Forget that oh-so-sweet feeling of saying with just a sliver of glee to Aggie loving friends and family "don't worry, you guys will be back....someday".

On this Turkey day the Texas Longhorns on their home turf need to lay a SEVERE and NATIONALLY noteworthy whipping on the battered boys from College Station.

Why ? Well, other than general principle, because computers give no extra points for easing up, because computers offer no kudos for getting less-than-productive scrubs into the rivalry game, because computers will penalize the honorable practice of respecting a tenacious but undermanned program as they re-build.

This week in the wake of the Sooner's wholesale destruction of Texas Tech what the BCS computer thinks is all that matters.

A bunch of wires,chips and software will likely decide who plays for the South in the Big 12 Championship.

Besides, if the roles were reversed does anybody really think the Aggies would show UT a Reveille turd worth of mercy ?

Right.

Lets hang a HURTIN' on 'em. HOOK 'EM HORNS

 

Okay folks - It's no secret the economy is in the crapper. Plenty of reasons why and everybody on the planet has an opinion. I'll leave that issue on the back burner.

What's of more interest to me is the future. The essential question - Is this economy so deeply damaged that the strongest companies can never recover ?

If you've paused for a second, rubbed the bruises left by that tumbling 401k and concluded that sooner or later we'll crawl out of this hole, than you are with me.

Next on the agenda - what to do next ? About two years ago I moved ther bulk of my retirement savings out of the stock market because I just didn't think the level of consumerism and easy credit was sustainable. People buying houses they couldn't afford, living on plastic and home equity, all essentially betting that this party would never end.

I was right, but I almost wish I was wrong.

The correction has been much more severe than I anticpated, the unresolved danger more sinister.

The way I see it noone seems top know what anything is worth anymore and that uncertainty is paralyzing everything.

I have chosen not to be scared stiff. Look, I'm no financial brainiac, but I do know that nearly 7 billion people are not going to stop needing stuff. 7 billion people can't revert back to a 19th century style of living. Eventually, they will rationalize buying again. Maybe not next week or next month or even next year, but eventually.

That's why I'm shopping for companies that sell stuff modern societies can't do without. Commodities like copper, iron, metals, energy. The bottom has fallen out of these markets. Stock in the companies that possess these finite materials are selling for prices few would have thought imaginable six months ago.

Of course, I could be dead wrong and eventually dead broke.

But do we think China and India won't resurrect demand ? Do we think the era of modernization is dead in the water ?

This is a chance to buy low, I just hope to someday enjoy the thrill of selling high.

P.S. I'm not betting the ranch.

Remember that near endless stream of credit card offers? Remember the constant barrage of pitch men pleading with you to take a home equity loan? How about those guys who said "no credit, no problem" ?

It really was like everyone was convinced they were too smart to be the last man holding the bag when Americans finally hit rock bottom after spending money they hadn't yet made like a bunch of drunken sailors on crack.

Remember watching people move into homes with mortgages they couldn't pay 30 months much less 30 years ? What exactly were we thinking ?

Remember seeing people pull up in $35,000 vehicles financed for 72 or 80 months ? What were we thinking then ?

Americans shaking their fists at greedy bankers and asleep-at-the-wheel-bought-and-paid-for politicians should also look in the mirror.

The truth is noone forced anybody to borrow a dime, to buy a single gadget or a single sub-prime tract home.

We, as a nation, are the predictable victims of our own insatiable desire for more "stuff" and the often hollow insistence that getting it will somehow make us happier.

Now, we are all left "holding the bag" together.

 

 Is it any wonder Barack Obama has surged to what many are calling a nearly insurmountable lead ?

 When the lame duck Republican commander-in-chief and his hand-picked treasury secretary lead a scrum of party leaders INSISTING on massive F.D.R.- style economic rescue programs to head-off a total collapse of the American economy, how can anyone expect a majority of independent voters to cast their lot with the so-called party of LESS government ?

 The irony here is that W's agent Karl Rove destroyed McCain's chance to win the presidency in 2000 with a successful propaganda campaign (remember South Carolina) and now, eight years later, it can be argued Bush has done it again with his administration's emergency measures.

 Most economists contend the on-going series of bailouts on the taxpayer's bulging credit card are essential. However, one wonders how this election would have turned out had the crisis of October been Iranian divisions massing on the Iraqi border, or an Israeli raid on Iranian Nuclear weapons plants, or a major terrorist attack on our own soil ? 

  If elected Obama could easily have to contend with at least one and perhaps all of the above.

  Is he ready ? We all better hope so, because  America is on the verge of betting the ranch.

I called it my Hannah moment.

As I watched the second presidential debate on a rare day-off I thought to myself, unless something happens to turn the race around, a man who was still serving in a state legislature on the day my 4-year-old daughter Hannah was born will be the new leader of the free world and arguably the most powerful human on the planet.

Most Americans know Barack Obama is less experienced than nearly everyone whose tried to win the White House this go round, but according to every poll in the land, a majority simply don't care.

Never mind that Republican John McCain more or less gutted his best arguement by choosing a running-mate whose lack of experience is comparable to that of the Democratic nominee.

Add the hard fact that Americans - suddenly and rightfully fearful - are now demanding MORE government support and intervention in their lives. That means the political party that proudly espouses LESS government is pretty much out of luck.

Those who support Obama dismiss his lack of experience with a variety of retorts.

1. He's so damn smart and insiteful that any traditional gauge of know-how simply shouldn't apply.

2. He'll surround himself with an unprecedented array of folk loaded with intellectual gifts and real-world wisdom.

3. It couldn't possibly be any worse than the decision making that's taken place over the last eight years.

 Having spent a good bit of time covering this race, my read coming out of the conventions was something like this - If the gamble of the Palin pick could keep McCain close heading into the final thirty days, the Arizona Senator (whose made a habit of coming from behind) could turn the election into another nail-biter.

But then the dike that held back America's mountain of self-indulgent debt finally burst.

 I'm told the word "govern" comes from the latin root for "steer".

 America's economy has just crashed into a devestating iceberg and it was the leader of John McCain's party at the helm.

 Even for a maverick, that's a mighty tough row to hoe.  

Here's how I'm seeing this three quarters of a trillion dollar Taxpayer funded bailout.

 If I had made a wager of several times more than my wife and I have managed to accumulate and then lost it all, what would the consequences be.

Bankruptcy.

Gamblers anonymous.

Divorce.

Shame. Lots and lots of Shame.

 As the Treasury, the Fed, the Congress and the Administration rush to rescue shamefully reckless investment banks, what will the consequences be for those who allowed it to happen while reaping enormous salaries, bonuses and excercising obscenely lucrative stock options ?

 Will they be allowed to keep their jobs ? Will they be allowed to collect enormous severence packages ? Will they avoid prosecution for disregarding the best interest of their share holders for personal gain ? 

Haven't we been here before with Enron ? If they knew, they were criminally culpable. If they didn't know, a convincing case could be made that they were criminally negligent.

If executives at the the now defunct investment banks walk away with any compensation what so ever, it will strike at the the very core of the American concept of justice and fairness.

It is my belief that if multi-million dollar pay-outs are made to the bosses of these disgraced banks it sends a message to every single working American.

Why not cheat on your time sheet ? Who really cares if you bloat your expense account ? Why not exaggerate insurance loss ? Why pay your bills on time or even at all ? 

Heck, the big boys in Manhattan nearly brought down the American economy with their greed driven, bad calls - and they still got paid.      

St. Paul, Minn. - Watched it, twice. First live in the building and later on the screen. Impressions. Sarah Palin was feisty and the speech was delivered with an effective common touch. Unless I'm mistaken, she may be the single candidate on both tickets whose life story relates most directly with the largest number of Americans. That puts Democrats in a tough position. If you patronize her as a "light weight" you run the real risk of patronizing millions of voters who share her experience. In a previous post I pointed out that Palin has roughly the same experience as Texas Democratic icon Ann Richards had when she was repeatedly mentioned as vice-presidential timber. Not a word of response.  

St. Paul, Minn . - The news rippled through the RNC like wildfire.Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's 17-year-old unmarried daughter was 5-months pregnant.
After Republicans got their arms around the news they reacted with remarkable support and understanding.
Houston's Paul Bettencourt  "They made the only faith based decision they could which is going to be respected by this convention tremendously. They are going to have the child and the child is going to be a blessing. More importantly, it's what real people do when they are faced with real problems."
Delegate Kelly Shakelford from Allen, Texas "They are a normal family and they are pro-life. They are approaching it the same way they approached the birth of Sarah's fifth child who has Down's syndrome and many people said 'you should abort the child' and she says 'of course not. This is a blessing from God.' "
Jenniffer Halpenny, alternate in the Texas delegation "Her daughter's pregnant, yea that's tough, but they are getting through it and they are dealing with it. The daughter was raised correctly and she she made a mistake, but they are going on - and that's life."
Delegate Steve Jessup from Corsicana "What I think is important is that Sarah expresses care for her daughter and that they do the right thing in raising the child."
Borah Van Dormulin, a delegate from Salado, Texas "That's where we want our faith and our family positions to be. We don't toss the baby out with the bath water. We stay and we stick together."
Jessica Colon, Houston based chairwoman of the National Young Republicans "I think it's wonderful that the family has embraced the situation and given her the support she needs to go through with this pregnancy and bring this child into the world."

   St. Paul, Minn. - "He picked a chick," yelled my friend over the scratchy cell phone connection. I wiped the the sleep from my post Obama-thon eyes and asked, "Which one ?"    "The good lookin' one from Alaska !", he fired back. Over coffee and eggs with the "Groo Crew" I ground over the implications like so many coffee beans. On the ground here for the Grand Old Party "Party" this is what I've come up with.  McCain was getting clocked by Obama (42% to 30%) among independent women and at first glance anyway, the Alaskan governor can help even the score. It's more critical that ever given the over-the-top outreach effort made in Denver to bitterly dissapointed Hillary backers. Feminists with no real affection for Obama can take a second swipe at history by backing the McCain ticket and perhaps reel in a consolation prize after all appeared lost. The pick also bolsters crumbling Republican hegemony in the west. A gun owner, outdoors enthusiast and advocate of both drilling and alternative energy development, Sarah Palin is expected to play well.   The Palin pick also shores up McCain's softness with folks whose opposition to abortion heavily impacts their vote. The Governor lived her conviction last year, giving birth to a baby boy with Downs syndrome when she and her husband could have terminated the pregnancy. That's called,"walking the walk".  Of course, on the downside, is experience, or the lack of it. Not long ago she was the mayor of Wasilla,Ak. I've been there and can attest to the fact that administering the place is not exactly a giant challenge. While Palin received better than solid reviews during her SINGLE term as governor, her resume is thin compared to Washington insider Joe Biden.
  That may not be a bad thing.   Here's another bit of perspective, Palin's resume is no less paltry than Texan Ann Richard's was when she was repeatedly mentioned as a Veep option.  Travis County Commissioner, State Treasurer, a single term as Governor. Compares pretty favorably to Palin. Think about it, Dems. 





 

Denver, Co, - For a political convention that's supposed to be about a guy name Obama, it sure seems like the Clinton's are dominating the conversation. Call me cynical, but I think that's exactly the way they like it. Of course it's small consolation when your eyes were fixed squarely on reclaiming the big prize. After Hillary's Tuesday night performance boosting, Barack bravely and without detectable bitterness, focus turns now to potential mischief making from the podium by the former president. It's no secret Bill is angry and resentful that Hillary was blindsided by the Barack-star. Some suggest he views her loss as an ugly ingratitude for all the couple accomplished for the party and the nation. When he takes the convention stage tonight Bill Clinton's support for his party's nominee will be  gauged by degree. Anything lukewarm will be viewed as a repudiation, a sign that the hatchet isn't buried and probably never will be. Others have gone further, suggesting the man from Hope still harbors it for his wife who would again be the likely front-runner for the Democrats in 2012 should McCain claim the White House in November. That's why tonight the world will be watching this ex-president closely - and again, that's just the way he likes it.

Denver Co. - Those who were hoping for healing after the Obama/Clinton slugfest may ought to keep that optimism on ice.
On the streets of Denver a few hundred of the diehard, rearguard marched hours before their defeated candidate was to take the stage of a convention that was supposed to be hers.

Some are ready to move on. Some of the troops, but not nearly all.

Here's a few quotes I gathered as the Clintonistas pounded pavement.

"Hey just because he's an African-American he has to be elected president ? Hey she's a woman and the first woman." said Blanche Darley, Texas Delegate from El Paso.

"Obama made a huge political blunder by not choosing Hillary as his vice-president. It's a slap in alot of women's faces," said Jan another Texas Delegate.

Asked if she could switch her allegience Jan replied, "Probably in lip only," she replied.

Veteran Texas state lawmaker Paul Luna has this to say, "Hillary knows us (hispanics) and Bill Clinton knows us. The senator from Illinois does not know us."

Asked if Hillary's loss still hurts, Texas delegate Shirley Luther of Orange took a deep breath and whispered, "yes, it does. It stings."

I'm no swami, but I wouldn't expect Obama signs popping up in their yards anytime soon.

Denver, Co.  -   It was a speech full of sweet regard and respect. It was delivered with a polished earnestness few could defy. No question when it comes to the arena of mass communication the Obama's simply are operating at an entirely different level than the opposition. That said, the question that still looms in the minds of many centers on the issue of resentment. Many folks I've talked to find it mingled with Michelle Obama's message of gratitude. She professes a deep love for this country. She should. It allowed her to exert from humble conditions her considerable talents, earn the finest education the world has to offer, earn a handsome living and build an American dream few can rival. The operative words here are "earn" and "build". While some are gifted with a leg up, that so-called advantage often turns into a crutch, America offered Michelle Obama the same basic opportunities it offers each of it's citizens and she seized them with vigor. That more haven't been able to do the same is a fact that appears to smolder constantly beneath the surface of this potential first lady. America,she says, can do better, But so can Americans. There's really no substitute for effort. No one should know that better than the Senator's wife from Chicago's southside.
 

You meet interesting people at political conventions.

For instance, Dr. Stanford Simmons a pastor and president of fledgling Bay Ridge Christian College in Kendelton near Houston.
We met the good pastor walking off a 737 as he was bound for a week of realized dreams.
"Martin Luther KIng talked about the dream. This is the dream. Everyone wants to part of the dream team," said Simmons.
The emergence of Barack Obama is particularly poignant and impowering for Simmons who grew up on the hardside of Chicago but makes his home now in the small historically black Teaxs community built by freedman in the wake of emancipation.
"When I was in 8th grade I was at Soldier Field and saw Martin Luther King. When my son was in the 8th grade we took him to see Nelson Mandela at Tiger Stadium. So this is another historical moment," Simmons explained.

When we spoke to Pastor Simmons he had yet to find a roof over his head for the night.
But he wasn't worried. The minister's faith that God would surely provide is almost as strong as his belief in the young man from his hometown who this week will make dream hard earned dreams come true,

Dateline Denver, Co.

Okay folks I just crawled off a 737 with two weeks worth of clean underwear and a pair of top-gun photojournalists.

But this ain't no pleasure trip.

We're diving headlong into the political conventions frankly because most of you can't be at either one.

While we can't replace your eyes and ears, we can aspire to be a valued substitute.

Aside from at least two broadcast stories per day, we'll be blogging, posting images and generally shipping your way everything we can absorb.

So lets have it. What do you want to see and hear about ?

There's been alot of chatter about the Democratic candidate addressing that kind of nebulous concern a good chunk of Americans have with his so-called "otherness".

Let's face it. He's pretty Exotic. Black Kenyan father, white Kansan mother, reared largely in either a foreign land or an island state most of his fellow citizens go for vacation once or twice ( if we are lucky.)

Altruistic but fiercely ambitious, urbane but unassuming,Harvard educated but street smart,
dovish and conciliatory but also willing to pull the trigger of American might if the need is rightous and the threat real.

What should this new millenium product of the American melting pot say to ease the doubts of those who are intigued and inspired but every mindful of the teaching "If something appears too good to be true, it probably is."

Greetings from Denver. So it's Biden. Frankly, I'm left feeling - Under-whelmed. Why ? Let me count the ways.
Biden is no big deal in the south so he won't help there. Zero help with Hispanics in the west and southwest. He's hardly a consolation prize for the Hillary backing feminist types looking for appeasement.
Shall we go on ? Let's see he's been buried within the beltway so long he's classified as an insider among insiders. Biden's previous runs for the big prize have been, well, pathetic. Like John Kerry he's Roman Catholic but supports abortion rights. Like it or not, lot's of folks call that hypocrisy.
This is also a guy who loudly declared Obama unprepared for the job and flat out denied he'd ever accept the number two slot.
Offsetting all that is Biden's reputation as a deft player in the field of foreign relations.
He's also a good, solid, centrist white guy to ease the latent anxiety of fidgety, caucasion voters. (still the majority by the way).
My read. Biden doesn't help much, but doesn't hurt much.
Like I said - Underwhelming.