Randomocity

This morning, I offered my daughter some of the coffee, and she took it. She never takes it (she did, for a while, but that was about a year ago). I meant it, but I had plans for that coffee. So, heck, I made some more. Tough life, right?

I have mixed emotions about the firing of the GM CEO. In no special order -- I'm tickled that he was abruptly fired, no warning: how does it feel, guy? I'm thinking that it didn't particularly bother him to do that to others, but when it's incoming... well. That aside, I think it made sense to get him out of there. I've seen articles saying that the people who are now effectively in charge aren't car guys, don't know the industry. I agree, that's a significant problem. You have to know the industry in which you're managing. It seems to me, though, that the car guy leaders, knowledgeable as they are, drove themselves into a wall. I think it entirely possible that left to their own devices, the government guys will screw it up royally, so they ought not to be left to their own devices -- but in charge? Yeah. They ought to be.

I liked that Obama beat up on the bankers, making that 'standing between you and the pitchforks' comment. I liked it so much, when I first heard it, that I assumed it was bogus; it was too real, too earthy a phrase. But he really did. I didn't - and don't - understand why he's opposed to them returning TARP money early, though. I suspect that when he says it'll 'send the wrong signal', the signal he's worried about is letting them get out from under his thumb until he's ready to let them go. And given that some of those banks are taking TARP money and using it to -- invest in other banks toxic assets, that caution is warranted. With that combination of greed, stupidity, and short-sightedness, I'd say that they are candidates for quick ejection, too.

(That marvelous image was found at Founding Bloggers.)

That said, I understand - a little - why some people are agitated over the number of initiatives that Obama is undertaking. The snarky thing to say -- which I will -- is that they're distressed because a) this is more, faster than Bush ever did, and b) it's more populist and socially-attentive than they're comfortable with, even when that isn't hiding their secret feelings (those being, anything done by a Democrat is awful, terrible, and fatally injurious to the Republic). But I think that they also have some truth in their lamentations and fulminations. Obama is doing a ton of things, he is using the bully pulpit, and all of the knobs, levers, dials, buttons, and switches at his command to make many substantive changes in the way that the economy works -- changes that normally would ease into the society over time. Dramatic change is needed, because the economy is so sour, but I understand why fair-minded conservatives (fair-minded, I said; not the our way or the highway crew) would be alarmed. I would like to see Obama reach out more to them -- even though, before, when he extended a hand, they gave him the finger. It's the right thing to do, and unlike Bush, Obama tends to do the right thing.