Category Archives: Words of Wisdom

By Richard E Walrath I’d say managers and leaders are mostly to blame for Katrina — change that to almost entirely to blame.  The rest of the people–96%–are followers, sheep, sheeple, who can’t, don’t and won’t think for themselves.  Whether … Continue reading →

By Richard E Walrath Definitions, facts, theories, principles and myths.  At some point, you have to know which is which. Do you know what a theory is?  There’s a popular misconception of what a theory is. A theory is not just an idea … Continue reading →

By Richard E Walrath People are in a very sour frame of mind with Bush, the wars,  and the last six years in general.  The rich were happy because of their tax cuts and the stock market, but that’s turned sour, … Continue reading →

By Patricia L Johnson and Richard E Walrath Just how bad is it?   Subprime loans represented 8% of total originations in 2003 but increased to 20 percent in both 2005 and 2006 [1] Most subprime loans issued were hybrid … Continue reading →

By Richard E Walrath I was reading an article in the Columbus Dispatch today about the "middle-income" buyer earning $20,000 to $50,000.  It’s this kind of sloppy, fuzzy kind of thinking or lack of it that we find every day in the … Continue reading →

By Richard E Walrath The two things that are obvious to me, but not to Dan Gross of Newsweek are: One, a foreign executive almost certainly speaks at least another language as well as English.  Big companies are doing more … Continue reading →

By Richard E Walrath Republican Representative Ray LaHood’s (IL) July 27th announcement he was retiring, after seven terms, was the first but not the last. Since that date Ohio Representative Deborah Pryce announced  she would not seek re-election after eight terms … Continue reading →

By Richard E Walrath What a difference 20 years makes…  In 1982 there were 312,000 bankruptcy fillings – with 8% due to medical costs. In 2001 there were 1.458 million bankruptcy fillings with 46.2% due to medical costs. 75.7% of … Continue reading →

By Richard E Walrath The US subprime mortgage problem has spread all over the world.  If things don’t start to get better, they’re going to get worse–much worse.  There is no recession now, but it won’t take long to have one.  That explains why … Continue reading →

By Richard W Walrath Subprime mortgages seem to be the prime export of the United States.  While the Fed is feeding in a few billions to shore up the credit markets,the European Central Bank is pouring in dozens and dozens … Continue reading →

By Richard E Walrath I think it’s like musical chairs–when the music stops, you have to find a chair, or you’re out of the game.  Greenspan found a chair for eighteen years and then retired from the Fed.  To change … Continue reading →

By Richard E Walrath I was pushing the Thompson Twins all the way–Tommie and Fred.  Now Tommie is gone even before Fred formally throws his hat into the ring.  Jessie Helms used to refer to Afro-Americans as ‘Freds’.  Iwonder how … Continue reading →

By Richard E Walrath  In a parliamentary system, the parliament chooses a prime minister, and he remains as such until he loses a vote of confidence, resigns, or his party loses in a general election which are held every five years … Continue reading →

By Richard E Walrath German comedians have a rough time outside of Germany.  Nobody laughs at them. They explain that by saying comedians in England get laughs by swearing.  As one German comedian said–There is no svearing in Chermany.  The … Continue reading →

By Richard E Walrath People have trouble with New Mexico – they think it’s part of Mexico.  Honest.  NPR aired a story about a man from Santa Fe making travel arrangements and was told he had to get a passport.  But I’m … Continue reading →

By Richard E Walrath Romney came in first with 32% of the vote, if I remember right.  But Huckabee was the real surprise with a clear second place finish in the teens.  This looks good for Huckabee because he hasn’t … Continue reading →

By Richard E Walrath It’s what you get done when you’re trying to do something else that counts.  Take full credit–it will help make up for the blame you get for things you didn’t do.

By Richard E Walrath I think all great discoveries were made by accident. Take Ivory soap, for example.  They guy watching the tub stayed away on his break too long, and the wooden paddle pumped too much air into the … Continue reading →

By Richard E Walrath Out in Portland, Oregon, they’re running news stories saying, Don’t Nuke Portland, Mr. Cheney.  I haven’t seen anything like that in NYC yet–Don’t Bomb New York City Again, Mr Cheney. Is it too early for 2008 … Continue reading →

By Richard E Walrath Romney won the Iowa Straw Poll?  What a surprise!  He brought half of Utah–mostly his family–with him, and had his five sons–all patriotic–to work for him.  It takes $35 to vote in the Iowa straw poll, … Continue reading →

By Richard E Walrath If we get the recession that is now being openly talked about, there will be very few winners.  The term Perfect Storm is now overused.  What Bush is going to leave is much worse.  Is there such … Continue reading →

By Richard E Walrath There was great fear that the United States was going to follow Japan into a period of deflation and recession – maybe even a depression. Interest rates were cut to zero while hundreds of billions of … Continue reading →

By Richard E Walrath Man started out drawing pictures on cave walls.  Then he learned to write, and we had newspapers.  Then came TV, and now most people can’t, won’t, or don’t read anymore.    Technorati tags: Caveman, drawing, pictures, newspapers, … Continue reading →

By Richard E Walrath After a wild week at the New York Stock Exchange, would you believe the Dow still ended UP 30+ points for the week!  The Money Show comedians insist, along with Bush, that the economy is good.  … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath Some are suggesting we need another 9-11 to "unite" us.  No, we don’t need another 911, and what we didn’t need was a war with Iraq. It’s hard to believe, but Bush was a winner of the … Continue reading →

By Richard E Walrath Bush is against a tax on gas to pay for the bridges that are falling down in the United States.  He is against Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae doing anything about the housing financial crisis.  But he is … Continue reading →

By Richard E Walrath      http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20177286/ Technorati tags: Words of Wisdom, Global Warming, Sierra trees, Lumber, Forests It seems that trees are only cut down for the purpose of clearing land or making lumber, as though forests and trees existed only … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   Dick Cheney had "other priorities," one of which was to escape the draft and Vietnam with five deferments.  And now we have Mitt Romney and his five sons who are showing their patriotism by helping him get … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath Dennis Kucinich can say anything he wants to — and does.  His comments during Democratic debates make perfect sense, but you can’t talk like that when you are a real contender.  Kucinich wants to take the profit out of … Continue reading →

 By Richard Walrath   You know, when you’re turning and churning out as many arms and weapons as the rest of the world combined, it’s hard to keep track of where they all end up.  The Bush war in Iraq … Continue reading →

  By Richard Walrath   The thing is, in Ahia, as in Florida, the 2004 election depended on the outcome.  You don’t have to be a professor in political science to examine the county-by-county results to see what was going on.  … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   Has anbody been paying attention to Fred Thompson’s mutterings?  His latest is that students at Virginia Tech could have saved themselves if they had been packing heat — as in guns. Another is his feeble attempt … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath This won’t happen, of course, but if the Democrats made up their minds not to call a recess, would Republicans stick around for the rest of the month of August? All the Democrats have to do is … Continue reading →

 By Richard Walrath The collapse of the bridge in Minneapolis-St. Paul creates one very big problem for the Republicans. The cities are the site for the RNC convention next year! What are the odds that a bridge would collapse in … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   During the Clinton years, the economy created 22 million jobs — give credit to whomever you think deserves it.  During the next eight years, the economy will not see 11 million jobs created.  Blame whomever you … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   The thing is, impeachment without getting a conviction — two-thirds vote needed in the Senate — wouldn’t stop Bush.  But it would take up all the remaining time of the Democrats.  Is Bush able to be … Continue reading →

By Richard E Walrath There are still lots of people out there who would like to buy all kinds of things.  The trouble is they don’t have any money and they are deep in debt.  As always, there are people … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath Bush looked pretty strained when he was talking about how good the economy was last week.  Dow down over 500 in the last two days.  He really needs to go out during a recession, which is long over … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath Government expenditures for arms to Israel, Saudi Arabia, and (think of some other country that is not our enemy) are going to show big increases for the rest of the Bush term.  The economy is teetering on … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath WE heard the calls on 9-11, but how do we know where they came from?  They came over the air, but from where?  Was that Barbara Olsen’s voice?  I never heard her voice before.  I can’t tell.  The plane … Continue reading →

By Richard E Walrath What does it mean to be in contempt of Congress?  I mean, what can they do to you if you are this president?  Congress has subpoenaed Harriet Miers and Josh Bolten, and Bush has ordered them … Continue reading →

By Richard E Walrath Here’s a summary of the Bush two terms that will fit on any bumper sticker no matter how small: Bush , Bu**sh** and Botulism There are millions of cans of meat products from Georgia, under the Castleberry … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath Billions and trillions look and sound so much alike, it’s hard to tell them apart — three more zeroes on the end make a trillion out of a billion.  Bush has added $3 trillion to the National Debt … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   There is an alternate possibility as a way out.  Bush is now talking about the need for the United Nations to get involved in the mess he has created in Iraq.  The world has now come … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   I hated to leave NPR recently, as the discussion was on cognitive dissonance.  The example given was somebody starts a war that turns out to be a disaster, but maintains that it will succeed in 20 to … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   As you know, my proposal is just to use fund-raising as a proxy for elections — whoever raises or has the most money wins.  This is accurate for something like 99% of all so-called elections that … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   Of course, we could win.  Start up the draft again, put a million troops over there in Iraq and wipe out every man woman and child. Then carpet bomb the country from one end to the … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath I’m awfully glad I missed it, but I just came across the news that Chrissie Prissy Matthews lauded New York Times Judith Miller for going to jail for 85 days for not revealing Cheney as the source … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath Here’s the scenario. While Bush is having his head examined this weekend at Camp David, Cheney has his 15th heart attack, and Nancy Pelosi, next in line, becomes president, places Bush and Cheney under house arrest, to … Continue reading →

By Richard E Walrath If someone said that he had been talking to God through his hair dryer, everybody would agree that this guy is a certifiable nut. Why does the absence of a hair dryer make talking to God … Continue reading →

By Richard E Walrath   A prime example of the sorry state of health care in this country is CNN’s concerted effort to discredit Michael Moore and downplay his effort to expose our health care system with the recent release of his "Sicko" documentary.  … Continue reading →

By Richard E Walrath   Former Supreme Court hopeful Harriet Miers refused again today to honor a subpoena to appear before Congress, claiming "Executive Privilege."  MSNBC’s Keith Olberman said recently that Miers may be facing trial in absentia for failing to show … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath Michael Bloomberg hasn’t entered the presidential race yet. He has enough money so that he doesn’t have to raise any.  If we can’t get more than half of the people to vote, elections don’t mean much — … Continue reading →

By Richard E. Walrath          When Clinton was president,  they used to say it took 150,000 jobs a month just to stay even with the growing labor force. For some reason, that number has shrunk to 130,000. During the Clinton administration 22.2 million … Continue reading →

By Richard E Walrath  The Bush drug plan for Medicare recipients is costing something like $700 billion over ten years. As we know, this plan has a big hole in the middle of each year when you’re on your own … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath  There are close to 50 million Americans with no health insurance.  I would suspect that the number who can’t afford health care might also be close to 50 million.  But Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) has a plan to … Continue reading →

By Richard E. Walrath   I have a theory regarding the reason that newspapers and the media in general are doing so poorly.  In addition to all the people who can’t and don’t read newspapers, there’s another group who won’t. … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath I picked up a magazine while I was waiting — one hour — for my doctor’s appointment on Thursday last week, Medical Economics.  I can’t imagine why doctors would want patients sitting around reading this kind of … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   The illegal immigrants would all go home starting tomorrow, if Big Bidness and small bidness stopped hiring them.  Unless and until firms are held responsible for hiring illegal immigrants, they’ll continue to hire them, and they will continue to … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   I wish there were a way to compare the CNN coverage of the fizzled bombs in England with the British coverage of the event, or non-event, depending on your perception of it.  Gordon Brown, Blair’s summertime … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   Newt Gingrich’s reason for leading the effort to impeach Clinton was, "Because we can."   No matter how much Bush and Cheney deserve to be impeached and convicted, the chances of this are slim to none.  Just … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   Me Meters.  Cheapest is the Cell Phone.  Every kid has to have one now.  Next up the line is anything with which you can text.  Then you have gadgets and gizmos that include TV, picture taking, haircurling, … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   It’s really hard to believe, regardless of the outcome of the surge, that the United States is going to pull out of the Green Zone and just leave everything there for whoever shows up.  Billions and … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   Frank Gaffney Jr., President of the Center for Security Policy, wrote recently that people around the world can’t have it both ways — they’re either with us or against us.   Gaffney strikes me as a cristyun-fascist.  … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   I have read this same re-hash from time to time, over and over again.  It misses the point every time.  If the growing interest on the National Debt is no problem, why not start providing health … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   It is a cruel twist of fate that the Democrats ended up winning control of the Senate by one senator in 2006, and that senator turns out to be Joe Lieberman.  It would have been much … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   The Federal Reserve which was created by an act of Congress in 1913 — I think I have the date right.   Before then, the United States went through a number of serious and long recessions and money … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   Is the Scooter going to be out on bail while his sentence is being appealed?  If that is the case, it’s a done deal — he’ll never serve a day.  But Judge Reggie Walton doesn’t appear to … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   There’s a major push on in Congress to pass coal-to-liquids legislation on the grounds that it furthers the U.S.’s energy independence, despite the fact that it makes our climate crisis worse.  This is all pretty up-stream … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   This is what I think is typical of the media and columnists today.  You can include Margaret Carlson in the group, too.  She’s the one who thought it was more fun to poke fun at Al … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   Big bidness and small bidness see lots of cheap labor in the immigration bill.  Democrats think they see lots of votes — but when?  I see lots of trouble. In fact, the immigration bill looks like it … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   The Republicans have 11 candidates now if you count Thompson Twin, Fred.  In the wings is Grinch Gingrich who would make it an even Dirty Dozen.  If ever there was a year for Jim Inhofe (R-OK) to run, … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath     It should be painfully obvious that all the claptrap by the media about the Democrats being unable to override the Bush veto is just plain hokum.  Not even the soft-brained politcal pundits are that stupid.  No … Continue reading →

By Richard E Walrath After six years of denying that Global Warming is a problem, Bush now wants to be the leader in providing the solution–business technology.  As you might expect, he’s getting a cold shoulder.  They already have appointed a … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath Minority Leader John Boehner broke down on the House floor last week in the debate to fund more war in Iraq.  He is a weirdo, for sure, but he’s really big in Ohio.  The Democrats were afraid … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   It’s hard to believe that at one time Alaska had a senator like Mike Gravel.  How did the people there go so far wrong as to elect Ted Stevens, who is been there now for what … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   One of the many "benefits" of amnesty — probably the biggest one — is keeping the cost of labor as close to zero as possible for the benefit of business.   Both parties are looking for contributions from … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   If half of the households in the United States do own stock in whatever way, that means the other half doesn’t.  During the past six years, $3 trillion has been added to the National Debt.  Tax-cuts for … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   He nailed it!  A C-Span caller recently had a really great idea — everybody should start calling the General Electric Public Relations office with this message for their Chairman and CEO, Jeffrey Immelt —   Gary … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   The Queen "had" to come to the United States.  Her visit was to repay the invitation to Bush to visit jolly old England after Bush and Blair invaded Iraq.  Bush was, and is, about as popular … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   I recently caught an NPR report on solar energy production.  What country would you guess is the leading country in solar energy production?  The United States?  Britain?  France?  It’s none of them!  It’s Germany where the sun … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   A lot of people in the Bush administration are complaining about the Iraq government’s plans to take a couple of months off this summer.    Hey, it gets awful hot in Iraq in the summertime.  The … Continue reading →

By Richard E Walrath   There’s talk going around about the formation of an international labor union. I think it’s somewhat similar to the Helsinki Syndrome where the captives begin to form bonds with their captors. Workers aspire to become … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   If everybody has more money, I’m being left out — again, as usual.  The thing to do, of course, is to export more jobs and for business to import more illegal immigrants to keep the cost … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   Of course, rednecks don’t vote for Democrats, anyway, so there are many non-votes lost there.  But I think there’s a message in the way poll results are coming out even now.  The generic Democrat beats the generic … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   The United States Supreme Court in 1975 ruled that money is a form of free speech.  Since that day, 32 years ago, it’s been straight downhill for this country.  The Democrats have lost five out of … Continue reading →

 By Richard Walrath  This Gonzales thing is a long way from being over.  What was going on after two years to cause Rove and Bush to remove these eight United States attorneys that he had just appointed two years earlier? … Continue reading →

By Richard E Walrath   FLASH — China’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased 11.1% in first quarter — much more than expected. The United States is taking immediate action to reduce inflation.   All orders of American flag lapel pins are … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   Adam Smith, over 200 years ago, said whenever businessmen get together, there’s a natural inclination to talk about prices and what they can do to gain more in profits.  What we might call a "conspiracy" today … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   This will not be as meaningful to some, perhaps, as it will to others.  But it sorta fits in as it concerns a military installation in Massachusetts — at least, it was a mlitary installation at … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   My dates may be off, but I think it was 1913 when the Federal Reserve was created by an act of Congress.  It took an amendment, the 16th, something like 20 years later to establish the income … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   It’s getting easier and easier to get ahead of Time, as in every week.  I’ve saved for no good reason a batch of old Time Magazines — you know the kind — red border with picture … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   Bush’s standard deduction for health insurance is in his proposed budget, but that doesn’t amount to much now that Congress is no longer controlled by the Repugnants.  The benefits from health insurance paid for totally or partially by … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   It is funny in a strange sort of way to think of running out of water.  There is exactly the same amount of water today that there was yesterday, yester-year or yester-millenium.   It was designed that … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   If your employer, or former employer, provides you with health insurance, that is a benefit you are receiving which is now not taxable.  At one time, employers paid the full cost which was a much bigger … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   New spelling for the current Attorney General is "Gone"zales.   I think he is a gone gosling.  Tony Snow says that he hopes Gonzales will stay.  That’s as good as saying that he is gone as far as … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   What day does the list, with weekly updates, of covert CIA operatives come out?  I just want the list of covert operatives in case I run into one so I won’t give out her/his name.  Without … Continue reading →

By Richard WalrathThe country can operate with a Republican president and a Democratic Congress if the Democrats have a heavy majority — veto-proof, that is.   What is disastrous is what we have had for the last six years.  In … Continue reading →

By Richard Walrath   You keep hearing that phrase, "How the Right Went Wrong"   They started out that way.  They’ve always been that way.  It’s just taken an incredibly long time for the media to understand that Ronald Reagan was … Continue reading →

 By Richard Walrath   The Halliburton corporate office wll be designated as the corporation’s "field" office in the near future.  The purpose of the move to the United Arab Emirates in the ME is to get VP Dick Cheney a safe … Continue reading →