“Coincidence is the word we use when we can't see the levers and pulleys.”

The title quote from Emma Bull elegantly sums up the fact that there is no such thing as coincidence. That said, you can lose sleep and scratch your head trying to make sense of some of the seemingly random events that happen in our lives. Yesterday I was given pause in one of the most remarkable expressions of social networking coincidence that I ever expect to experience. Facebook manifested itself in the physical world in a very strange way.

I really enjoy social networking. I love being able to follow the lives of friends and acquaintances without actually having to engage them on a regular basis. I relish the ability to drop a note, add a comment or just keep tabs on the things that interest people in my life. Yesterday David Hiller, an old friend who I had lost touch with years and years ago, friended me on Facebook. As with any new Facebook friend it brought up a host of memories and I was tickled to check out his page and reconnect with a few other friends I had lost along the way.

Imagine my surprise later that same day to stop in to a Baja Fresh in Wayne NJ to see David enjoying a taco lunch. Friended in the morning (after a several year absence) and randomly lunching together hours later? In Wyane NJ?

What odd twist of fate is throwing us back together again? I can't say but I doubt that I will ever experience that level of Facebook serendipity again. There are no coincidences, but I do not see the levers and pulleys behind this pleasant turn of events. The world continues to amaze me.

Global State of Affairs and the DVR

Hey there. I know it's been ages since I've posted but honestly, there really hasn't been much to post about. Everything is just A-OK.

Seriously. I am very concerned about the totalitarianism by exhibited by our government, the overblown response to the swine flu and a host of other issues including the long tentacles of Goldman Sachs, Israel and Pakistan. There is much to blog about.

As one who does enjoy diversions, I do want to state that I really hope that both Chuck and The Sarah Connor Chronicles get renewed next fall. I have a feeling that the economy will still suck, the world will be a scarier place and the NY Yankees will not be playing meaningful games. I hope that NBC and FOX will continue to offer some quality programming for the DVR. Enjoyable shows may not better the human condition but their existence and the technological marvel of the DVR offer a nice quiet get-away any time one.

More to come....

Elijah turns 6. Goes mountainbiking!

So, my son Elijah turned 6 years old this weekend and as part of his birthday present he received a full-suspension 6 speed mountain bike. He had proven to be a fierce rider on his previous bike, a Toys R Us special, and he was eagerly looking forward to the upgrade.

Well, we hit the trails for the first time and I was reminded that there are two types of mountain bikers in the world. Those who have fallen and those who will fall. Eli learned that lesson on his very first day.

Happy Birthday Eli. I love you.

Keep on Bleating

Hey there. I've been reading and hearing a whole lot about the AIG bonuses lately (who hasn't). As a hard working American I share every one's outrage, between you and me those f*ckers don't deserve a cent. But it doesn't matter. As a symbolic gesture or prudent financial move it is totally irrelevant.

This economic melt-down is not about $165 million. It's about The $1 Trillion the administration is committing. It's about the endless bailouts that have no historical precedent for success and will continue to reward mediocrity (or criminality) at our (the taxpayers) expense.

Want to tar and feather Edward Liddy? He's the guy that was appointed to try and help fix this mess for $1 per year (and probably a boat-load of stock, but so what). Make him the scapegoat but we are the sheep.

We continue to bleat on about the bonuses while we continue to ignore the real issues. It's a distraction that is foisted upon us by the major media outlets and the administration. We've had much more national debate about these bonuses than TARP 1, the budget or any of the other pressing matters. We're sheep, and what's worse is that we are easily distracted sheep. I'm not being cavalier about $165 million, it's a lot of money, but it's but a drop in the bucket. The real issues are still out there. Baaaaa.

Thao Nguyen, a ray of sunshine

So I was rereading my last post and realizing how gloomy it is and how it could really be a buzz kill so early in the morning as we make our way towards the weekend. Well, gray skies be damned. The world might be ending but that doesn't mean we can't have a little fun in the process.

I'd like to highly recommend "We Brave Bee Stings and All" the sophomore effort of Thao Nguyen and her band the Get Down Stay Down. I don't listen to a whole lot of bouncy music but this album has replaced Vampire Weekend as my happy album of choice for the moment.

From the opening song Beat this album grabbed me. There is something about Thao's voice and the spartan but effective music that is really compelling. My favorites songs are Big Kids Table and Swimming Pool but I would suggest you figure it out on your own. (You can get a free listen by clicking here.) This is a great album from start to finish and one that puts a smile on my face at every listen. Like most great albums the more I listen to it, the more I love it and I hope you might too.

It’s The End of the World As We Know it…

…and I’m feeling a bit queasy.

So, I’m driving into work the other day (bad for the environment, good for mental health) and I’m flipping around the am dial. I ought to be listening to music but I feel oddly compelled by these troubling times to absorb news and commentary, both economic and political. (Kind of like Richard Dreyfuss building "Devils Tower" out of mashed potatoes in Close Encounters but not quite that obsessive.) Like a rubbernecker on the highway I am drawn to the wreckage of our economy and its unforeseen impacts on the fabric of our existence. And somewhere near Kearny NJ it hit me. Viscerally. The world as we know it is over.

Of course there will be a recovery (as everything economic is cyclical) but things will never be the same. The foundations of system are changing, our trust in government and regulatory institutions is shaken beyond repair and our standing in the international community is undergoing a seismic shift. Holy crap, tomorrow might a brand new day, but unlike the past couple of decades it will not necessarily be a continuation of yesterday. Things are changing at breakneck speed and the rules by which we govern ourselves are being rewritten in the middle of the game.

It isn’t everyday that you get to experience a feeling like this and it’s quite unnerving. It dawns on you that the things you firmly believed in just aren’t true anymore. It wouldn’t have been any less disturbing to watch everything around me start floating into the sky and realizing that gravity didn’t exist. It truly is the end of the world as we knew it.

Now, ‘end of the world’ is a loaded phrase. 2012 has been predicted as the end of the world by the Mayan, Hopi and Nostradamus. Evangelicals (who have been wrong before) are calling it the beginning of the Apocalypse. Is it “THE END”, like OMG! Or simply the turning of the wheel to a new age? I don’t know. I’m not even prepared to say that this brave new world is necessarily going to be worse than the previous one, but I know now it is going to be different. It’ll be so different that we are going to have to change our basic understanding of the world, our roles and the keys to success for ourselves and our children. It’s daunting, but the task starts with awareness and my eyes have been opened.

"The Peasants are Revolting"

"That's right, they stink on ice." - Mel Brooks

Stimulus and bailouts. Like mullets, baby-on-board signs, chia pets and snuggies they appear out of nowhere to imbed itself themselves our national consciousness. Stimulus and bailouts. I hear about them when I wake up and I am lulled to sleep by the discussion of them.

If you’re partial to moveon.org, stimulus is music to your ears. A friend of mine posted a link outlining 10 things you might not know about the stimulus plan. You can check it out for yourself here.

I’m not a big fan of moveon.org or believe that we can spend our way out of a problem we spent our way into( a quick look in the history books shows the New Deal did not end the great depression.) I also believe in smaller governments, not bigger ones which places me squarely at odds with this administration’s policies.

Regardless of your political persuasion, income bracket or level of concern we are all American taxpayers. Just when are we going to get fed up with the government and say in a loud voice ‘Enough!’ When do the peasants rise up?

There is a lot of chatter in California for a tax revolt and the chorus is sure to grow larger and more national. Rick Santelli made the call for modern day Tea Parties on CNBC. The US government, republican and democrat administrations alike, have pretty poor records for responsible spending and management. Now we're just printing money at historic levels. If you can’t spend the money responsibly than maybe we shouldn’t give you the money at all. I’m not an agitator, just curious, how bad does everything have to get before 2009 starts looking like 1769? These are strange times indeed.

Lisa's Birthday Party

Hey there. I've been quite delinquent in posting the past week and I'm going to conveniently blame my lack on blogging on the incredible amount of prep time that went into planning Lisa's 40th Birthday party. Oh yeah, work's been busy too.

While we're on the subject of Lisa's party, I'd like to offer my biased opinion of the event.. it rocked.

As you can see from the picture above Lisa looked absolutely great (I'm the less telegenic one on the left).

And, most importantly, Lisa had a great time and that's what the whole shebang was all about. Everyone cut loose and had fun and you need a night like that every now and again. I'd like to extend my gratitude (in no particular order) to DJ Mario, Party Ease, Jaymi and Don, The Decorating Committee and The North Caldwell Fire Department. It was such a wonderful time that I can't wait to plan the 50th.

Additionally, I learned that I like to play with dolls. Note to Hasbro: In these trying economic times you may wish to extend your brand and audience. The centerpieces were a hit. Call me.

Anyway, I'm really glad that everything went off so well and I'm eager to expend some spare energy back into blogging. The world is still a strange and mysterious place, the global economy remains in shambles and the new administration continues to confound me.

Global Warming? Here's An Inconvenient Truth.

Ah, the Internet. The cause of so much joy and frustration.

So I'm distracted at work during lunch and checking out the RSS feeds and lo and behold I notice an article about a global warming detection satellite's launch failure. (It's kind of dry but you can read it here.) Now, it's really been cold here in the northeast this winter so I haven't really been thinking about global warming but I noticed a little irony in the failed satellite launch and I have a confession...

...I don't believe in global warming. And not because it's cold outside.

Before you rush to any judgments, curse me out or roll your eyes (yes you Ivan), please know that I am a very active recycler, a proponent (though complaining-user) of mass transportation, staunch supporter of the development and deployment of commercially viable renewable energy initiatives, and overall proponent of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and generally quite green with regards to ending our dependence on fossil fuels.

That said, I still don't believe in global warming. If you're inclined to side with me or educate yourself about the possibility that it's a massive fraud you can get a little primer courtesy of the Canadian Free Press right here. Please don't misconstrue me. I am not an advocate of greenhouse gasses and I'd like to reduce carbon emissions. I just think its a scam.

I'm not smart enough to understand the whole carbon-credit thing, but I have more than an inkling they are similar to CDOs and the other exotic derivatives that have contributed to our general sorry state of financial affairs. What I don't find at all surprising (or relatively unreported) is that Al Gore seems to be very well positioned to benefit from the sale of carbon offsets. He founded Generation Investment Management two years prior to to the release of An Inconvenient Truth. How convenient.

Who could ever imagine a politician pushing an agenda for personal gain? With the mainstream media in cahoots as well? I'm shocked.

Stay tuned and be cool.

Not With My Tax Dollars

We now officially live in the twilight zone.

Me: My wife and I work hard, pay our mortgage on time and live relatively house-poor (albeit comfortably.)
You: Can't afford your home, don't have 20% equity and are facing a possible foreclosure.
Obama: Wants to use my tax dollars to help keep 4 million people like you in the houses you couldn't afford in the first place.

Now, for starters, I'm not cruel. I don't want people out on the street and homeless. However, you have to live in a house you can afford. I started in an apartment, saved, bought a house, sold it, bought another house. Each time with a budget and an understanding that it is a home we can afford.

Quite simply, no. I don't want to pay for this. Each day I make choices. Brown bag lunch or buy lunch. Buy a book or borrow one from the library (props to the Wayne NJ Public library). Get a new car or keep the old one. All these choices are guided by a budget, the same budget that lets me keep the home we can afford. Housing for everyone, sure, but why should I subsidize your acquisition of equity and wealth at the expense of my own?

I have many questions about the "stimulus" bill, TARP 1 and TARP 2 but I can wrap my mind around this one. I don't want to subsidize peoples mortgages. No one is subsidizing mine and I'm not asking for a handout.

Thomas Friedman had a great editorial about a possible solution to the housing crisis by loosening immigration. I'm all for it. (you can read it here. )

I know we have very little control over how our tax dollars are spent (which is so very very wrong) but this is one multi-billion dollar idea that simply stinks to high heaven.

Arrggghhhhh!

On the bright side, I have linked my blog (yes, I started a blog) to facebook. I am now as technically savvy in the blogosphere as your average 8th grader and quite giddy about it.

Book Recomendation - Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Hey there. Just wanted to update everyone on a truly great book, Life of Pi by Yann Martel. My friend Ravdeep Sawhney recommended it. I finished it over the weekend and you might want to put it on your reading list. (If you are a geographically close friend of mine I would be happy to lend you my copy.)

This book won the Man Booker Prize for Fiction in 2002 so this is hardly some hidden gem of a recommendation. My tastes are usually a little more esoteric and I had never heard of the novel or the author. It is a very interesting and entertaining look at religion, zoology and survival. It is at turns funny and thoughtful and I highly recommend it. I won't summarize it here, but if you are interested in delving further, you can check out this link http://www.amazon.com/Life-Pi-Yann-Martel/dp/0156027321

Not everyone shares my eclectic tastes in reading, but I feel confident in saying that I can't think of anyone who wouldn't enjoy this book. That's a bold statement, so all you Yann Martel haters keep your opinions to yourself.

I don't like Mondays (even when they are Tuesdays)

Today is turning into a pretty lousy day for lots of reasons (and it's not even 10 am). My son had a sleepover date that awoke at 5:45 am, it took me almost 2 hours to get to the office and President Obama is signing the economic stimulus package into law.

I'm a pretty optimistic guy but please mark my words, when we say that things will get worse before things get better we are talking about historical worsts of a proportion you and I have never seen before.

We are heading into some dark days and when you look back and try to put a finger on when the wheels fell off the bus, you can remember February 17, 2009.

The downward spiral of the economy is going to be the justification used to get Americans to willingly surrender their constitutional rights and freedoms. We will do it with smiles on our faces either because we are true believers that this is the correct path or simply because we have been exasperatedly bludgeoned into indifference. Either way we are hoping for the best, but I suspect we will receive the worst.

If ever a Tuesday had the gloomy feel of a Monday, today is the day.

Tim Geithner

So this morning I’m thinking about Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and how much I was taken aback by a quote he made at the press conference to talk about TARP 2.

"This a challenge more complex than any our financial system has ever faced," Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said. "We will have to adapt our program as conditions change. We will have to try things we've never tried before. We will make mistakes."

This is coming from a man who does not seem to reap consequences from his actions. He failed to pay his taxes, yet was still confirmed to run the Treasury department. Why wouldn’t someone like that be willing to roll some real expensive dice with the economy?

Can't we please take the time to think this thing through?

Manifesting your own reality?

I am posting today feeling a bit conflicted. I firmly believe that we manifest our own reality, but it dawned on me today that if I am manifesting my own reality...why do I have such a crappy commute to work?

It takes me a good 90 minutes to get from my house to my office and includes a car, bus, subway and a good stroll. I often think of the 1987 John Candy - Steve Martin film Planes, Trains and Automobiles and while it's good for a chuckle the commute weighs heavy on the day.

Surely I can manifest something quicker and less costly. This is a conundrum.

For those of you who aren't sure if they are actually creating their own reality, you ought to search for some clips from What the Bleep on you tube. It's a good intro. My buddy Luigi posted this link on facebook and it's interesting too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5ISabu6rsA

Anyway, off to work. In addition to the usual struggles of the day I shoulder the additional burden of an existential quandary.

Is the world ending?

Holy crap. I miss one day posting a blog and it seems like the whole world is going to hell in a hand basket. I'm not sure which is worse, Republicans in the Senate cave to pass the "stimulus" package (and did you really think that any politician in their right mind would choose to miss out on this pork-fest) and A-rod admits to using steroids. Who could have possibly imagined that a 3 time MVP (on track to set the record in home runs) used the juice.

I would have never guessed this. :)

In a world of such unpredictable events I should hardly be surprised today if Iran makes overtures to talks (but continues to enrich uranium and send weapons to Hamas and Hezbollah), bank executives award themselves 7 figure bonuses (even if they received TARP funds) or pigs fly.

Actually, though I haven't read the fine print I'm sure there is some funding in the new stimulus package for porcine aerodynamic research or some other such nonsense. I can't believe it's only 9:30 am on Tuesday. This is going to be a long week.

How quick can you spend a trillion dollars?

So the president is pissed that the senate is not accepting his "stimulus package" as delivered.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7875520.stm

My question is simple. We're talking about a trillion dollars here. While we are certainly in a crisis, could we at least have a little debate about what to do. Economists from all ends of the political spectrum have questions about how to go about this.

I propose a new rule. Anything under $100 billion dollars can be passed without even reading the bill. Anything over $100 Billion gets 3 days of debate for every $100 Billion proposed.

I feel guilty spending $500 without talking to my wife. Can't we at least try and think about how to spend such a ridiculously large sum of money.

Also, have we seen this pissed-off side of the president yet?

Kokolo at Southpaw rocked!

I think this blog may get heavy or weird at times and I'd like to start with a diversion post. I saw Kokolo last night at Southpaw in Brooklyn and they rocked! I don't get out to see live music as much as I used to but I connected with an old friend through FB and he was playing with the band last night. Kokolo puts on an awesome live show, they got the crowd rocking and I can't endorse them enough. The band is really tight, they have infectous latin afro beat grooves and they are more than worth the price of admission. Do yourself a favor and see them live, download an album or two and get yourself a dose of kokolo. Their website is http://www.kokoloonline.com.

Welcome

Hello. The title of this blog is bad gear. One of my favorite sayings is "there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear." I have no idea where I picked up the quote, but anyone who has spent any time outdoors has probably come across it somewhere.

I like it because to me it represents the two most important things in life. The things you can't control and the things you can.

That's not to say that I don't complain about the weather because I do (and I might add that I am sick and tired of the bitter cold in the northeast this winter.) I'm gravely concerned about what's happening in our country and the world and mostly how it is going to affect my family. Now I have a forum to share my concerns and diversions. I'm pretty sure that I can't bring about world peace or stop our country's slide toward socialism but at least I can share my views on it and maybe engage in some healthy debate and education.

Welcome to the blogosphere!

Neil