Pictures from our Shanghai trip

Here are some pictures from our Shanghai trip.

Jessica and I had never gone on a vacation which was booked entirely as a tour before. We have heard good and bad... mostly bad. 

However, all things considered, our trip was good.

It was an 8 day tour of Jiangnan (the region which included Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing and Wuxi). The first day was tough.

We departed from Singapore at 1:15am on Sat, Dec 13.

We arrived in Shanghai at about 6:30am that same day with about 2-3 hours of sleep on board and the tour had already started. Off we went on the Maglev train.

Every night up till the 5th night we had to change hotels, that was a little tough too.

Day 1, Sat, Dec 13 - Arrive in Shanghai and after half a day and lunch in Shanghai, we headed for Suzhou. Spent the night in Suzhou.

Day 2, Sun, Dec 14 - Spent half a day more in Suzhou before heading for Hangzhou. Spent the night in Hangzhou.

Day 3, Mon, Dec 15 - Spent half a day in Hangzhou before departing for our longest ride yet. 4 hours to Nanjing. Spent the night in Nanjing.

Day 4, Tue, Dec 16 - Spent half a day in Nanjing and then headed for Wuxi. Spent the night in Wuxi.

Day 5, Wed, Dec 17 - Spent half a day in Wuxi and then headed back into Shanghai. The next few days we would be in Shanghai.

Day 6 - 8, Thu, Dec 18 - Sat, Dec 20 - Shanghai, free and easy.

Sat, Dec 20. Depart for Singapore at 4:30pm.

That was the itinerary. Anyway, enough said. Here are the pictures. Just a warning, there are 425 pictures in this album.

China Trip Dec 13-20, 2008

Merry Christmas!!

We have been to China and back (more on that in a little bit) ... got sick... and just celebrated Christmas.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!

I was completely wrong!!

Almost a year ago, as we were preparing to return to Singapore, I had to take Shasta to the vet to get him certified to "import" back to Singapore. After the visit to the vet, I went home and posted on this blog. The title was "Singapore is not F**KING part of China".

Almost a year later and what seems like FOR-F**KING-EVER, I am going to have to relent and say that I was wrong. I was way too emphatic about my statement and the new statement I am going to make is:

Singapore is F**KING part of China OR Singapore is part of F**KING China.

(Like punctuation, where I put the F word changes the meaning of the sentence. Honestly, I don't care. I would put the F word twice in that same sentence.)

To make a sweeping statement like that, I would have to give you reasons and so here goes...

(Before I do so, this is MY opinion and no one else's. You are definitely free to disagree with me but, I really don't care 'cos I am never going to get into an argument with ANYONE about this topic.)

(1) PEOPLE

I don't know how many mainland chinese people there are here in Singapore, but there are just way too many. They have wiggled their way into all parts of society. However, the higher profile ones, they are not the ones that are plentiful. The Singapore newspapers had a feature a few weeks back of some of these chinese nationals who were business owners, designers, etc, etc. But for every one of them, there must be at least another 99 who don't hold those kinds of positions. They are weaved into the society mostly in blue collar roles. They are the ones that have higher visibility because they commute by public transportation. They are the ones you see riding bicycles and making this country look like a slightly smaller version of a big city in China. They are the ones you and I would run into in the course of our daily life because they work at food courts, restaurants, retail outlets, you name it, they are there. Their work ranges the entire gamut. From the advertising company owner to the retail store worker to the construction worker to the low end S$30/pop hooker. 

They are ALL OVER the place. Actually, there is nothing wrong with that, being all over the place. 

What is wrong is...

They still hold on to the arrogance that they are better because they are from the motherland... even if they are here to be construction workers and hookers.

They treat the country like they would treat theirs, many times, they treat it worse. Meaning, these are the f**kers that spit all over the street, they talk at the top of their voices, they have little regard for others (citizens or not). 

They are... Chinese Nationals and they behave that way.

(2) POLITICS

Obviously, these people would have loved to immigrate to the US. But that has gotten harder and harder with each passing year. Logically, Singapore would be the next best place to go.

Their forefathers, some 100 years ago, came here.

It is definitely much nearer to their homeland than the US is. (Elaborate more on this in a bit)

And the political system is similar but with just a little more freedom and a just tiny bit more relaxed. AND, they are very much welcomed here.

The last statement is definitely a huge plus for them. The adjustment factor is decreased tremendously. 

With a migration to the US, it is almost as if they were being thrown into the deep end of the pool... the biggest factor is that they will now have to THINK for themselves. 

With a migration to Singapore, the adjustment will be for other factors like weather. They oftentimes can live in Singapore without an adjustment to their mindset. And they oftentimes DO NOT adjust their mindsets. They were FOLLOWERS in their former political system and they continue to be FOLLOWERS in their adopted new political system and believe you me, there are no better candidates in this world to be GOOD SINGAPORE RESIDENTS than FOLLOW-F**ING-ERS!!! (Read as you may, but yes, I have super embedded messages in that last statement)

AND, at the end of the day, when they are done sucking dry the resources of Singapore or when they are sick and tired of being second class residents, when they believe it is their right to be a first class resident, they pack up and leave. But Chinese being Chinese, before they bid their farewell, would already have explored their opportunities back in the motherland. THIS IS the reason why distance would make a difference. The ability to shuttle back and forth more frequently than they would have been able to, had they migrated to the US, makes Singapore a more sensible choice. The fact that Singapore has extremely relaxed immigration laws as compared to the US, Canada, Australia allows them to move in and out of Singapore with ease. Much like traveling within one's own country. When they are tired of the motherland again, Singapore will always welcome them back here.

At the end of the day, it is all about them. The Singapore government has already been slapped a few times by this selfishness but the upside (see above) seems to be a lot more attractive than the occasional slap in the face.

As for the immigration laws, they favor more and more immigrants. Why? Your guess is as good as mine. When I thought the country's infrastructure was struggling to keep up with 3 million residents, they were still inviting more (while asking our citizens to keep to 2 children). The country is now at 4.5 million people with an infrastructure that is definitely stressed but the goal is 6 million. With open arms, you are invited to this cluster-f**k.

And to elaborate on how relaxed the immigration laws are. There is nothing to stop a cheap ass ho from entering Singapore. The irony is that China has visa laws that prevent more cheap ass hos from traveling out of their country. I don't even dare to imagine what it would be like if China didn't have those travel visa restrictions in place... it would just be like the girls that travel to Sin City to sell their wares from all over the US. 

Just like traveling within the SAME DAMN COUNTRY.

(3) LANGUAGE

They don't have to learn a new language. Plain and simple.

They probably already believe that some form of the chinese language is the world's most spoken language and that's the arrogance they have.

Immigrating to any other country in the world (except for Taiwan and you know that for sure ain't gonna happen) would guarantee they would have to learn a new language. Coming to Singapore eliminates that need. 

This is actually the crux of this posting.

Being an english educated person in Singapore and having grown up and socializing with mostly english educated people, I have always known Singaporeans to learn Mandarin as a second language. I have always ASSUMED that Mandarin is but just a second language and English is every citizens' strength and main mode of communication. With the exception of my parents generation where there were many people who did not get a chance at education, I assumed that from my generation and onwards, English would be a strong first language.

After I had started my job, one of the first few things I commented on, was that the standard of english displayed by my kids was appalling. I really didn't know the reason for it and attributed it to the fact that many of my kids were unable to make it to better "institutions" because of their poor command of the english language. I would say that more than half of my kids have a problem stringing together a grammatically accurate sentence and that's how bad it is.

But yesterday, I discovered the reason why "SINGAPORE IS F**KING PART OF CHINA".

(Just a little background about the information I am about to share with you. The information being shared is from the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE). This exam is an exam taken in Primary 6 (which is the equivalent of the 6th Grade). It is mandatory for all candidates to test in the 4 subjects listed below and while there are other varieties, this is the mainstream. This testing is done to "stream" students when "progressing" to the next level. In other words, at the tender age of 12, this will be the first of a few other "streamings" to determine your intelligence (and that's yet another whole topic for discussion). In the 3rd column, an "A*" represents a score of above 90% and an "A" represents a score of above 75%. After presenting the info, I will make my comments)

SUBJECTS % PASS RATE % A* & A

ENGLISH 97.5 44.4

MATHEMATICS 83.1 43.5

SCIENCE 90.9 43.3

CHINESE 98.1 81.4

As you will note, the pass rate for both English and Chinese (Mandarin) is relatively similar. However, if you note, the "A* and A" percentage for Chinese is almost double that of every other subject taken at this exam.

When I first saw this information, I was almost positive that there had been a misprint but after verifying with several websites and other reliable (and some not so reliable) sources, I am satisfied that there was not a misprint.

And the information speaks for itself. In fact, the information speaks volumes to answering the question I have had about my kids level of English.

This also summarizes the ease at which chinese nationals can move and adapt to Singapore. There is seriously very little adapting to do. Honestly, it is much like taking a domestic flight from San Francisco to Anchorage. 

Similar culture, similar politics, similar rule, similar language. In fact, like mentioned earlier, the only thing I can think of that is not similar is the weather. And they are welcomed with open arms. In fact, they are probably more welcomed than I was returning from the US. 

And I am 100% positive they faced less of an adjustment than I had to face.

No wonder I am still experiencing culture shock...

And with the famous words of THE ROCK... "And that's the bottom line..." 

SINGAPORE IS F**KING PART OF CHINA...

Thursday Night Football

I decided to catch some TNF at work this morning... LOL.
The game was not that interesting but, oh, what the hell...
Raiders @ Chargers... I like the Chargers but have no desire to watch the Raiders.
And boy was I right.
I am not even sure the Raiders could beat the top 10 teams in College Football.

Al Davis should sell the team.
He is old and senile. He believes in doing things HIS way which is NOT working. He is an obstinate a$$ that is getting up there in his age and has problems understanding TODAY.

The first half is almost over and the Raiders are down 0-24. They are unable to move the ball, even when JaMarcus Russell has plenty of time in the pocket. Their defense is on the field way too long to play effectively the entire game.

I guess that leads to my question:
Why is it that people who are successful just don't know when to let go? (and I bet some of you who are not necessarily football fans know exactly who else I am referring to... LOL)
MOVE ON.
LET GO.
GO ENJOY YOUR PREVIOUS SUCCESS.
QUIT WHILE YOU ARE AHEAD.
PLEASE JUST GO.
OTHERWISE (I know it's mean)... DIE ALREADY.

HOLY SH*T!! The Raiders just scored a kickoff return TD. Chargers 27-7. 10 seconds left in the half.
I take everything I said back... HELL NO!!
Seriously... AL DAVIS, PLEASE GO. AS LONG AS YOU HOLD THE KEYS TO THE RAIDERS FRONT DOOR, THEY WILL REMAIN... SAD.

Automakers bailout

2 weeks ago when the CEOs of the 3 US automakers went to Capitol Hill in their private jets, I wrote a posting. I was right... and am I so proud that I was/am right.

On Thursday, the 3 CEOs will be back in Washington to beg for money one more time. 

This was the article on cnn.com today. It was also on CNN tv.

This is a paragraph from the above article.

"Mulally and Wagoner will be driving to Washington in hybrid vehicles made by their companies when they return to Capitol Hill later this week to make their case for loans. Nardelli is also driving a hybrid to Washington."

Mulally is CEO of Ford and Wagoner is CEO of GM. 

And all 3 CEOs have agreed to cut their salary to $1 a year if the government actually bailed them out.

I am so happy that I was right about them driving their own company built cars to DC and that these stupid f**kers have actually come to their senses. 

More on the bailout and why I disagree with it...

WHEN YOU DON'T TELL THEM WHAT TO DO WITH THE MONEY, THEY DO STUPID THINGS.

So, stop bailing them out unless the government wants to have restrictions like how they put together Citi's bailout.

Oh what a sweet win...

Well, my wagering results were not that good, but it's ok... getting to watch that Ducks win was... PRICELESS...

Coming from a country that likes to claim a lot of firsts (sarcasm intended), there were a few firsts in the Ducks/Beavers game.

Ducks first win in Corvallis since 1996.

Highest attendance (46,319) ever in Reser Stadium.

Highest number of points (103) in the Civil War series ever.

Most number of yards (both teams combined, 1,157) ever.

Highest temperature (62) ever for a Civil War game.

Most number of offensive yards for Oregon (surpassing record set when hosting Utah St earlier this year).

JJ ran for the most yards (219 yds) ever in a Civil War.

LB sat a new single season rushing TD record for the Ducks (16 TDs).

Pretty darn amazing game if you are an offensive minded kind of person.

As for the predictions, I was kind of split.

(My calls in Blue, correct calls in Green, ties in Yellow and incorrect calls in Red.)

Games I would (and probably have) put money on (my picks in GREEN):

Kansas 24 @ Missouri 44 (Missouri -16)

Kansas 40 Missouri 37

Tulsa 48 @ Marshall 27 (Tulsa -16)

Tulsa 38 Marshall 35

Notre Dame 9 @ USC 45 (USC -33)

ND 3 USC 38

Maryland 13 @ Boston College 27 (BC -7)

Maryland 21 BC 28

Baylor 18 @ Texas Tech 55 (TT -22)

Baylor 28 TT 35

Oklahoma 56 @ Oklahoma St 26 OVER (Oklahoma -8 and O/U 75)

Oklahoma 61 Oklahoma St 41  OVER

Games I would love to put money on, but have no guts:

Syracuse @ Cincinnati (Cincinnati -22)
I am not sure if Cincinnati is that good. I know Syracuse is not very good and I am just overjoyed that they beat Notre Dame last week. I think Cincinnati is gonna win, just that they may not cover the spread.

Syracuse 10 Cincinnati 30

Tulane @ Memphis (Memphis -14)
Another game like the above game. Tulane is pretty bad, but I'm not positive that Memphis is gonna cover the spread.

Tulane 6 Memphis 45

Arkansas St @ N Texas (Arkansas St -20.5)
These Sun Conference teams are really hard to pick. N Texas is also really bad (1-10)but I don't know which Arkansas St team is going to show up to play this game. Plus, this is a home game for N Texas. Arkansas St to win, don't know if they are going to cover the spread.

Arkansas St 33 N Tx 28

Vanderbilt @ Wake Forest (WF -4)
Vanderbilt started off the season 5-0 and since then has gone 1-5. They had people saying that they would be the cinderella team this season. It is not to be. However, WF hasn't been all that good this season either. They have had some decent wins but they are in a 2 game losing streak.. who knows. I am picking WF but not with any confidence.

Vandy 10 WF 23

Go Ducks!!

GO DUCKS!!!

Un-f**king-believable game. The score is 65-38 with 2 mins left in the game. Will post the final score in a few minutes when the game ends. The Beaver fans have all started to leave Reser... been there, done that... know the feeling. 

No Rose Bowl for the Beavers. The 3 point favorite not only did not cover their spread, they got thoroughly thumped. 

1:45 left in the game and the Beavers just fumbled the ball. Another turnover. I don't think Belotti is going to try to score... but they can definitely try to pick up a few more yards to go over 700 yds in offense... let's see.

Game over. Well, that means the Ducks most like ain't gonna go to the Holiday Bowl... Or maybe the Ducks still have a chance. I'm tired, don't wanna figure out tie breakers and all that sh*t.

If I have seen a nearly perfect game by the Ducks, this was it.

No turnovers and created 4 by the Beavers.

Pretty balanced game. Crazy offense. 694 yds of offense which is a new school record. 

382 rushing, 312 passing. I would call that balanced for a run heavy Oregon offense.

Masoli threw for 277 yds and 3 TDs. He is coming into his own considering he started the season as the FIFTH string QB. Costa and Roper are going to have to try very, very hard to displace him next season.

I woke up at 7am on a Sunday morning just to watch this game. I think I did not let it go to waste.

CFB Predictions (Week 14)

There was the Texas/Texas A&M game on Thanksgiving Day and a whole bunch of games on the day after Thanksgiving. I would have posted this blog earlier but we don't celebrate Thanksgiving Day here and thus... I had to work. 

So, these picks are based only on Saturday's games.

This is done for the hell of it. If you decide you want to use what I am posting, you are doing so at your own risk.
(ATS w/ $: 19-39 (49%). ATS no $: 24-46 (52%). SU: 71-86 (83%).

Games I would (and probably have) put money on (my picks in GREEN):

Kansas 24 @ Missouri 44 (Missouri -16)

Tulsa 48 @ Marshall 27 (Tulsa -16)

Notre Dame 9 @ USC 45 (USC -33)

Maryland 13 @ Boston College 27 (BC -7)

Baylor 18 @ Texas Tech 55 (TT -22)

Oklahoma 56 @ Oklahoma St 26 OVER (Oklahoma -8 and O/U 75)

I would like the Cowboys to win this game but after watching last week's demolition of Texas Tech, I am basically sold on the Sooners.

Games I would love to put money on, but have no guts:

Syracuse @ Cincinnati (Cincinnati -22)

I am not sure if Cincinnati is that good. I know Syracuse is not very good and I am just overjoyed that they beat Notre Dame last week. I think Cincinnati is gonna win, just that they may not cover the spread.

Tulane @ Memphis (Memphis -14)

Another game like the above game. Tulane is pretty bad, but I'm not positive that Memphis is gonna cover the spread.

Arkansas St @ N Texas (Arkansas St -20.5)

These Sun Conference teams are really hard to pick. N Texas is also really bad (1-10)but I don't know which Arkansas St team is going to show up to play this game. Plus, this is a home game for N Texas. Arkansas St to win, don't know if they are going to cover the spread.

Vanderbilt @ Wake Forest (WF -4)

Vanderbilt started off the season 5-0 and since then has gone 1-5. They had people saying that they would be the cinderella team this season. It is not to be. However, WF hasn't been all that good this season either. They have had some decent wins but they are in a 2 game losing streak.. who knows. I am picking WF but not with any confidence.

And lastly...

Oregon @ Oregon St (OSU -3)

You have heard this for the last week. 

I would love the Ducks to be the spoilers. However, I would also love the Beavers to go to the Rose Bowl. The reason behind that is also for the Ducks benefit... I think. If the Beavers go to the Rose, the BCS will have to pick USC for a BCS at-large by virtue of USC finishing in the top 6. The Ducks will then probably land in the Holiday. However, if the Beavers lose, USC goes to the Rose and the Beavers go to the Holiday Bowl. The Ducks will then be relegated to the Sun Bowl or worse. 

May the best team win... but GO DUCKS!!!

 

Long week

It's been an extremely long week tending to my iron rice bowl.

Every day is another day of more disillusion.

I am about to post my CFB picks in the next post... barely had time to even tend to it. However, since Jessica has gone for a short vacation with the girls, last night and tonight will be spent watching CFB. There is only one week left in the regular season of CFB, after that, it's the bowl games and then... well, there will still be a few weeks of NFL left, but after that, it's back to the mundane rest of the year till next August.

The Disillusion

I tried my best returning to Singapore with an open mind.

With every passing day, my mind closes slowly.

Sometimes, I really wonder why I thought I could live here.

Sometimes, I really wonder how everyone else can live here.

Maybe I am feeling it more because I am a government servant... emphasis on "servant".

I don't know. 

Maybe one of you who reads this blog can comment.

Why is there so much lip service?

Why are the messages and the actions never consistent?

Why does Singapore really want to grow some more (as in some minister's message)?

Why do we need so many darn foreigners to do the blue collar jobs?

(I actually have a ton to say about that last question. However, I made a promise to myself not to go political in this blog... so, I will just ask the question and keep the rest of my thoughts to myself.)

Why the hell are people so rude and impatient here?

WHY THE F**K ARE THERE SOOOOO MANY HOOKERS IN SINGAPORE???

Why should a student be kicked out of school because he/she (and/or his family) cannot afford the school fees? All this while some GOVERNMENT SERVANTS are making a ton of money... 

(I also have a ton to say about this, but will definitely shut up and let you read into this yourselves.)

Why is everything so "protected"? I did it, I won't share it with you. You can do it yourself and we will just waste/double the resources to do things. And I am not talking about a student project here. I am talking about entire f**king departments that are basically identical, won't share resources and collaborate. And they are just basically extremely effective ways of job creation and wastage of time, manpower and resources.

Sigh... I miss Thanksgiving. 

Citi's bailout

First, just so we are clear on my stand. I am against any kind of bailout.

Next, since I am a nobody and can't stop a bailout, then, if there were to be a bailout, then I believe it should have very strict terms and conditions.

With that being said, I am ok with the Citi bailout. There were terms and conditions in there to somewhat prevent them from mis-using the money. Obviously it's never going to be foolproof, but, it is better than not having any conditions and they continue whatever they were doing.

One point I thought was very interesting. The bailout now stipulated that dividends will be no higher than ONE PENNY. Citi stock price has almost doubled since this announcement, so, obviously, it is not the long term investor seeking dividends that are controlling the market right now.

Why Citi and not the automakers?

(1) Maybe because I am biased?

(2) Being an ex-employee of Citi, I can say that, while the automakers didn't keep up with the times (Warren Buffet says they need a new business model), Citi was a front runner as far as keeping up with the times. In fact, they spent a lot more on technology for the customers than they did for staff.

(2) I have said this before. While others were building cars with better mileage, less gas consumption, alternatives to gas, better performing cars, the american automakers were... doing the same thing they were doing 20 years ago.

(3) The unions. They are the anchors that dragged the automaking industry down. Yes, they were strong. Yes, they got their way. But, their strengths have dragged the automaking industry all the way to where they are right now. Do away with these unions. Same for the airline industry. They are not doing the entire industry any good.

Good calls this weekend

Before I post my results, there are several things I would like to say about CFB.

(1) To my IU friends, I'm sorry. I'm not saying this because I am bias in favor of Jessica, but the Hoosiers put up... nothing. That was bad. It actually made Purdue look good. But, it was a good send-off for Joe Tiller and I guess maybe it was all for a good reason. But seriously... 62-10?

(2) Notre Dame SHOULD NOT be invited to ANY BOWL. There is NO team in CFB that I detest more and finishing 6-6 (well, they are 6-5 now, but they play USC next week and will lose), makes them bowl eligible, but unless there are no other Div 1-A teams that can go, it's a travesty if they are invited to any bowl. Collegefootballnews.com projects them to face Oregon in the Sun Bowl. Please for God's sake, DON'T. They are not worthy of being the Duck's opponents. The Ducks will rack up 600 yds of offense on them. Please God, let us play someone else more worthy. More importantly, please God, leave ND at home. Losing to Syracuse, a #91 ranked team, when they were 19.5 points favorite is a JOKE.

(3) I was wrong. Well, partially. I thought TT was better than the Sooners. I was wrong on that. As much as I dislike Oklahoma, they thoroughly whooped on the Red Raiders yesterday. If it was not just a convincing win, it was a statement win and I have to be honest. Yesterday, TT lost it's National Championship, it's Heisman, and most likely a BCS bowl. That loss was tough. They now need a miracle from Texas A&M (which faces Texas Thanksgiving Day, but this one does not help the as much), Oklahoma St (which faces Oklahoma next Sat, this is the one they really need) and definitely Missouri (Big 12 Championship game). Their biggest favor would be for Oklahoma St to defeat Oklahoma and then they would face Missouri for the title game (head to head against Texas, they will be Big 12 South Champions). Then, they need to win the title game to get to a BCS bowl (probably Fiesta). What I was right about is that they are now going to get completely shafted if both Texas and Oklahoma win out. They might make the Holiday Bowl. If Texas and Oklahoma win their last game but lose in the Big 12 Championship Game, TT might not even get to the Holiday Bowl and that's a shame.

(4) I am still undecided about the Duck/Beaver game. I think it would be nice for the Beavers to go to the Rose Bowl. But, it would be nicer if the Ducks played the role of spoilers. More during the week.

And now for my results. I did pretty well this week. I went 4 of 5.

(My calls in Blue, correct calls in Green and incorrect calls in Red.)

Games I would (and probably have) put money on (my picks in GREEN):

Tulane 16 @ Tulsa 51 (Tulsa -29)

Tulane 7 Tulsa 56

Boise St 42 @ Nevada 22 (BSU -6)

BSU 41 Nevada 34

UNLV 31 @ San Diego St 13 (UNLV -11)

UNLV 21 SDSU 42

UL Lafayette 24 @ Troy 36 (Troy -10)

UL Lafayette 3 Troy 48

Texas Tech @ Oklahoma Over (O/U 75)

TT 21 Oklahoma 65

Games I would love to put money on, but have no guts:

Oregon St @ Arizona (UA -3)
Too strong a bias on this one. I would love for OSU to win out and go to the Rose Bowl. However, the Beavers play the Ducks next week and I have a tough one deciding who I would like to win. Whatever the case, even if I want the Ducks to win next weekend, I would rather they play a Beaver team with the Rose Bowl on the line. The Beavers are going to do what they have done well all season with Rodgers. And Arizona can be run on, just like the Ducks putting 207 yds on them last week. They can be scored on too, like Wazzu putting up 28 (most points scored for Wazzu this season). But Arizona plays real tough at home and beat Cal and held USC to a 10-17 score. I'm going to call the Beavers on this game but it is a really tough call.

OSU 19 Arizona 17

Washington @ Washington St (UW -7)
I have already written about this game. It's a real hard call because both teams are just way too inconsistent.

UW 13 WSU 16

Michigan @ Ohio St (Ohio St -21)
I am not sure if this spread is too high. I think the Buckeyes have to make a statement if they wish to still be considered for an at-large bid. Their chances are running very thin but who's to say Penn St isn't gonna trip up at East Lansing. Both these games are going to be of huge significance. If Ohio St trip ups and Michigan St beats Penn St, Michigan St goes to the Rose Bowl. The Wolverines have a chance to play spoilers for their in-state brothers. I say Ohio St wins but just not by 21.

Michigan 7 OSU 42

Michigan St @ Penn St (Penn St -15.5)
Now, I am not picking Penn St to win by 15.5. I am picking them to win but I expect this game to be decided by a touchdown or less. And if I had to call for an upset this weekend, this would be it. Like I have mentioned above, the Spartans still need some help to get to the Rose Bowl, but they can only do so much for themselves.

Michigan St 18 Penn St 49

Stanford @ California (Cal -8.5)
THE BIG GAME. This year it might actually have some truth to it since Stanford has awoken. Sorry to all you Cal alum who read this blog... but you already know how much I hate your team and your stadium. The Bears, as usual, is in it's end of season slide and the Cardinal have become a pretty respectable team this year. I actually like Stanford's chances. I am not only going to call Stanford to cover the spread but also to win.

Stanford 16 Cal 37

CFB Predictions (Week 13)

This is done for the hell of it. If you decide you want to use what I am posting, you are doing so at your own risk.
(ATS w/ $: 15-34 (44%). ATS no $: 21-41 (51%). SU: 64-76 (84%).

Games I would (and probably have) put money on (my picks in GREEN):

Tulane 16 @ Tulsa 51 (Tulsa -29)

Boise St 42 @ Nevada 22 (BSU -6)

UNLV 31 @ San Diego St 13 (UNLV -11)

UL Lafayette 24 @ Troy 36 (Troy -10)

Texas Tech @ Oklahoma Over (O/U 75)

Games I would love to put money on, but have no guts:

Oregon St @ Arizona (UA -3)

Too strong a bias on this one. I would love for OSU to win out and go to the Rose Bowl. However, the Beavers play the Ducks next week and I have a tough one deciding who I would like to win. Whatever the case, even if I want the Ducks to win next weekend, I would rather they play a Beaver team with the Rose Bowl on the line. The Beavers are going to do what they have done well all season with Rodgers. And Arizona can be run on, just like the Ducks putting 207 yds on them last week. They can be scored on too, like Wazzu putting up 28 (most points scored for Wazzu this season). But Arizona plays real tough at home and beat Cal and held USC to a 10-17 score. I'm going to call the Beavers on this game but it is a really tough call.

Washington @ Washington St (UW -7)

I have already written about this game. It's a real hard call because both teams are just way too inconsistent. 

Michigan @ Ohio St (Ohio St -21)

I am not sure if this spread is too high. I think the Buckeyes have to make a statement if they wish to still be considered for an at-large bid. Their chances are running very thin but who's to say Penn St isn't gonna trip up at East Lansing. Both these games are going to be of huge significance. If Ohio St trip ups and Michigan St beats Penn St, Michigan St goes to the Rose Bowl. The Wolverines have a chance to play spoilers for their in-state brothers. I say Ohio St wins but just not by 21.

Michigan St @ Penn St (Penn St -15.5)

Now, I am not picking Penn St to win by 15.5. I am picking them to win but I expect this game to be decided by a touchdown or less. And if I had to call for an upset this weekend, this would be it. Like I have mentioned above, the Spartans still need some help to get to the Rose Bowl, but they can only do so much for themselves.

Stanford @ California (Cal -8.5)

THE BIG GAME. This year it might actually have some truth to it since Stanford has awoken. Sorry to all you Cal alum who read this blog... but you already know how much I hate your team and your stadium. The Bears, as usual, is in it's end of season slide and the Cardinal have become a pretty respectable team this year. I actually like Stanford's chances. I am not only going to call Stanford to cover the spread but also to win. 

Big games of the week:

Several of the games above are some of this week's big games.

But the biggest game this week.

Texas Tech @ Oklahoma. 

Go Red Raiders. Give Stoops another screwed up ending to his year. 

Some CFB thoughts

Yes, its a busy day on this blog.

Before I post my picks for Saturday's CFB games, I wanted to talk about several things in CFB.

(1) Saturday will see the 101st game in the Apple Cup series.

Washington Huskies (0-10) will be at Washington State Cougars (1-10).

WSU's win came over Div 1-AA Portland St.

So, between the 2 teams, they have yet to secure a Div 1-A (otherwise known as the Bowl Championship Division or some crap like this) win.

It's a very sad state of affairs for these Washington schools.

Neither of them have their original starting QBs.

One of them will not have a coach after this weekend.

On the bright side, one of them will have a Div 1-A win after this weekend.

And if you don't believe that that is inspiration enough, read this article by SI.com.

As a Oregon fan, I couldn't be happier that these 2 schools from the state of WA are in complete disarray.

However, as a semi-decent human being... what the hell... I still couldn't be happier that these 2 schools from the state of WA are in a complete disarray.

But, seriously, I think the positive to take away from this is... like stated in the article, the ability to motivate oneself even when you are at the lowest point. I think that's incredible. Not everyone is able to do that. When you are 0-10, there is no light at the end of the tunnel... many will say, why keep looking? It's inspiring to see 18-20 yr olds with this kind of motivation.

(2) Really, who wants to see Alabama in the championship game. Well, unless you are a Tide fan and/or alum, I don't think anyone else is really interested. Bama could possibly be the most boring team playing for the national title in the last 10 years. I really don't remember a more boring team. They have scored an average of 18.9pts which puts them at 107th. And they allow 16.4pts which is ranked 12th. So, their defense is winning them games but their defense is not as dominating as a USC or Penn St defense. I don't know. I would rather watch Florida if there had to be a SEC team in the championship game.

(3) Which leads me to... Texas Tech, Texas and Oklahoma.

What happens if Oklahoma beats TT this weekend? 

Who should be the highest ranked team then, since Oklahoma beats TT, and TT beat Texas and Texas beat Oklahoma? 

Should it be decided by the point differencial in each of the wins? 

I don't know, but I believe the team who is going to get the stick shaft is TT. If they beat Oklahoma this weekend, there is nothing more to be said... they should be either the #1 or #2 team in the land. However, if they were to lose, the Longhorns and Sooners, will surely jump ahead of them just by the nature of the unfairness of who all these schools are. Forget about bias between conferences. The bias within conferences is just as bad and the Red Raiders are going to suffer the short end of the stick in the Big 12 bias. There will be some who will come back out to say that the loss nearer to the end of the season matters the most. I disagree. The end of the season is also the portion where injury and fatigue set in and shouldn't that be taken into account as well?

By far, the 3 most exciting teams in the country, I would still rank them, in terms of excitement and definitely skill (but mostly offensive skills, since these teams have barely any defense) (1) TT, (2) Oklahoma and (3) Texas.

I would love to see a rematch or TT-Texas as the national championship game, but you know that's not gonna happen.

So, my next choice is actually TT-USC and that's not due to my Pac-10 bias. I would love to see how the Raider's offense is going to match up with the super dominant Trojan defense.

But, I think it's gonna be a TT-Florida/Alabama national championship. I definitely prefer TT-Florida though... so, go Gators (against the Tide on Dec 6).

Can you tell?

That I am really, really, really against the bailout...
It was bad when the US government first announced the $700 million bailout for financial institutions, and now, they want to bail out the automakers.

It's not like anything I say is going to change what the government is eventually going to do, but I just need to vent...

Michael Moore had this to say yesterday on CNN's Larry King Live. Michael Moore is sometimes controversial but I think, truth hurts and that's what makes him controversial. When you click on the link, you will also be able to watch his interview with Larry King.

Here's yet another group of people who don't feel a auto bailout is necessary.
From the above article:
"I don't think they should bail them out because ... obviously something's not right in the way they're running their business, and why should the American people have to bail them out if they can't figure out how to do it right?" September Quinn, the busy waitress, said after the lunch rush at the Inn Between.

It really doesn't take a PhD to understand that a business fails because it is not run right.
AND THEREFORE, IT SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO FAIL.
GM, Ford and Chrysler sat on their asses for YEARS. Their Unions prided themselves as the strongest unions in the US for YEARS... and we are now at this point. They have enough cash to last till the end of the year. Well, spend it wisely and say bye bye...

Yes, I am completely against any kind of bailout. My good friend owns a restaurant, if his business were to fail today... who is going to bail him out.
THE ANSWER: NO ONE.
So, just because a company's failure is going to affect hundreds of thousands of people doesn't make the reason for a bailout any greater. Why should the smaller businesses be treated any differently???
But in the event that there is a bailout... THERE HAS TO BE VERY TIGHT CONTROL. Otherwise, you might as well just be giving the money to the people in line at the Missions.

More on auto bailouts and bailouts in general

THIS is why there should not be a bailout.

Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-New York, told the 3 CEOs:
"It's almost like seeing a guy show up at the soup kitchen in high hat and tuxedo. It kind of makes you a little bit suspicious."
He added, "couldn't you all have downgraded to first class or jet-pooled or something to get here? It would have at least sent a message that you do get it."

Let me go one step further... if times are this bad, why didn't the each of them drive their own company made cars to get there? This is complete BS.
And I bet the financial industry executives are also still traveling by private jet with the bailout money.
Go ask Pandit how he is getting around while he is delivering news of layoffs (to 50,000 people)?? He travels by private jet whilst 50,000 people are going to have a very, very, very bad Christmas. Bull-f**king-crap!!!
Out of curiosity, would the 3 CEOS own their own (as in BUY) company made cars if it wasn't free??? Probably not, cos they don't really make LUXURY vehicles, well, maybe Cadi, but none of the others make serious luxury vehicles (to keep up with the rest of the foreign automakers). In fact, none of them actually make truly reliable vehicles.

And there was this statement (also in article linked above):
"Making a big to-do about this when issues vital to the jobs of millions of Americans are being discussed in Washington is diverting attention away from a critical debate that will determine the future health of the auto industry and the American economy," GM spokesman Tom Wilkinson said in a statement.

Chrysler spokeswoman Lori McTavish said in a statement, "while always being mindful of company costs, all business travel requires the highest standard of safety for all employees."

Isn't that convenient, Mr Wilkinson? Distracting us from the issue. Maybe "issues vital to the jobs of millions of Americans" are that YOU ARE WASTING MONEY and that's why YOU ARE NO LONGER PROFITABLE. Or could it be that you are just trying to save your job?

But Mr Wilkinson was not as funny as the Chrylser spokesperson. Ms McTavish "highest standard of safety" is the reason. Wow, now I really feel shortchanged. Hell... I feel ripped off!!!
So, Ms McTavish (obviously, like Mr Wilkinson, you are trying to save your job), let me get this right:
To maintain the highest standard of safety for all employees, your CEO flew from Detroit to Washington DC by private jet.
To maintain the highest standard of safety for all employees, your other staff fly business (probably almost rarely since Chrysler will probably have a similar 6 hr or less, fly coach rule) or coach.
WHAT IS THE DAMN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE REST OF YOUR EMPLOYEES AND YOUR CEO?
WHAT IS THE DAMN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE SAFETY STANDARDS OF A PRIVATE JET AND A COACH SEAT ON A COMMERCIAL JET?
I don't know.
BUT WHY WOULD THE CEO NEED THE SAFETY OF A PRIVATE JET WHILE ALL OTHER EMPLOYEES NEED ONLY THE SAFETY OF A COMMERCIAL JET???

Using Ms McTavish's logic (or illogic), MY SAFETY was not of real concern in my last job because for the last 5 years, I had to fly by coach and the only reason I ever felt SAFER (got upgraded to business) was through my own doing... or maybe, sometimes the airlines feared for my safety and gave me a complimentary upgrade.

Therefore, there should not be a bailout for the automakers (or for that matter, anyone at all) because:
- they don't use the money wisely
- they waste the money
- they spend the money on luxuries that others in the company do not get to enjoy
- they waste the money
- they (those in position) use it for personal comfort
- they waste the money
- they use it to hire idiots to say idiotic things
- they waste the money

Before Congress even approves a bailout for them, make them sell all the company luxury assets. Otherwise, DO NOT give them a bailout. They don't deserve it.

The Elevator...

is where I am going to commit murder...

The elevator and all it's going ons within has long been an issue with me. My co-workers in SF know this and are constantly telling me their elevator stories. Well, I am going against the flow in Singapore and... ahhhhhh, let me just tell you.

(1) If you are standing right by the door of the elevator when it opens and people need to get out... then STEP THE F**K OUT and let the people within get out. By pulling your shoulders in so that the people can get around you... DOES NOT WORK. Pulling your shoulders in just increased the space to get by by... ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. I, me, the 200lb FAT F**K can't pass through the ABSOLUTELY NOTHING worth of space that you, the brainless F**K, just created. I couldn't before you pulled your shoulders together, I still can't after... so, STEP THE F**K OUT and let me out of the elevator.
Seriously, what is your fear of stepping out of the elevator to let people out? The elevator will leave without you? Highly unlikely, but if it does.... oh well... there will be one more in a few minutes. Maybe the sign I saw in the toilet about "kindness", that should be posted in the elevator...

(2) Pressing on the "door close" button DOES NOT make the door close any faster. If it is ALREADY closing, it won't help you.. NOT ONE F**KING BIT. It doesn't matter if you hit it TWICE or FIFTEEN F**KING times, (NEWS FLASH!!!) it has the same effect as pressing the button ONE (I repeat, ONE) time. ONCE... that's enough.
That's what my ex-coworkers in SF know about me. I watch for the "button pressers" and they will tell me their "button pressers" stories when they get to work in the morning. You know what's funny. ASIANS ARE THE ONLY F**KING BUTTON PRESSERS!!! Don't believe me, ask them. They (and I) have NEVER seen a white, black or hispanic person press the "door close" button. NEVER.
Why? Why can't you wait another 2 seconds for the door to close. Time it, it is only 2 more seconds.

Here's the confusing part. That f**king retard that blocked me from coming out the elevator will be the same f**king retard that will press the "door close" button. The time you wasted waiting for me to go around you and push my way out is MORE than the time it takes for the door to close.

Yes, I am going mad. And what do mad people do... they either kill themselves or they kill others. I like myself too much to kill myself... I ain't feeding myself to the white tigers. I will f**king feed the next idiot that blocks me to the white tigers.

A day of mixed results

Went 2 for 5 on the "would put money" section and 3 for 5 in the "no guts to put money" section.

Woke up to watch the Duck game but saw that the score was 35-17 with the first half almost over (like 4 mins left in the first half). Decided to go back to bed after seeing such a comfortable score. Woke up again about an hour and a half later and the score was now 48-38 with about 7 mins left in the game. Wow, the Ducks sure know how to keep a game interesting. 

Belotti, you don't have to run up the score, but you sure as hell don't need to have your opponents run up their score to catch up with you... DUH!!. So, I crawled out of bed to finish watching the game. Ducks were finally able to stop the Wildcats offense after 4 straight TDs. Dang... and then finally scored one of their own. Final score 55-45... but a little to close for comfort.

One more thing before I post my "wagering results". Oregon @ Oregon St next week. I would love for the Ducks to win, however, if the Beavers win out, they will be headed to the Rose Bowl. They are in the driver's seat. I think the reward for the Beavers beating the Trojans should be a trip to the Rose Bowl. I will be upset but not that upset if the Ducks lose to the Beavers next week. Go Beavs!!

(My calls in Blue, correct calls in Green and incorrect calls in Red.)

Games I would (and probably have) put money on (my picks in GREEN):

Texas 48 Kansas 20 (Texas -13.5)

Texas 35 Kansas 7

Georgia 33 Auburn 16 (Georgia -10)

Georgia 17 Auburn 13

Notre Dame 30 Navy 20 (ND -4)

ND 27 Navy 21

Arizona St 54 Washington St 13 (ASU -36.5)

ASU 31 WSU 0

Toledo 19 W Michigan 38 (W Mich -15.5)

Toledo 17 W Mich 27


Games I would love to put money on, but have no guts:

Utah St @ Louisiana Tech (La Tech -14)
Utah St is just as bad as the WA teams and no one can save them. La Tech is not that good but that away win over SJSU last week was pretty impressive. I think they are going to walk all over Utah St. But "think" is the key word.

Utah St 38 La Tech 45

UConn @ Syrcause (UConn -10)
Another one of those games like the Utah St/La Tech game. Syracuse is not doing too well, UConn has a pretty decent thing. I am actually more likely than not to wager on this game.

UConn 39 Syracuse 14

Tulsa @Houston (Tulsa -4)
I think this is actually also a pretty good game to play. I believe Tulsa can bounce back from their first loss of the season last week. The only caution I have is that this game is going to be a home game for Houston.

Tulsa 30 Houston 70

Something must have gone really, really wrong in this game. Look at the odds, look at the score. Tulsa must not have shown up at all. I guess with 5 turnovers, you are bound to suffer the consequences.

UCLA @ Washington (UCLA -7)
Alright, you should begin seeing the trend by now. Place your bets against the 2 WA teams and I think you will come out on top. I mean, the Apple Cup this year might have to give out tickets for people to actually attend the game. Now, the only reason this game is not in the section above... UCLA is actually pretty bad too. And the game is a home game for the Huskies. UCLA evens the home field edge with a more experience QB.

UCLA 27 Washington 7

New Mexico St @ Fresno St (Fresno St -17)
I like Fresno in this one except that they have been playing rather erratically. The spread is a little on the high side. If it was a 2 TD or less spread, I would have taken them more readily.

NM St 17 Fresno St 24

CFB Predictions (Week 12)

This is done for the hell of it. If you decide you want to use what I am posting, you are doing so at your own risk.
(ATS w/ $: 13-29 (45%). ATS no $: 19-36 (53%). SU: 55-66 (83%).

Games I would (and probably have) put money on (my picks in GREEN):

Texas 48 Kansas 20 (Texas -13.5)

Georgia 33 Auburn 16 (Georgia -10)

Notre Dame 30 Navy 20 (ND -4)

Arizona St 54 Washington  St 13 (ASU -36.5)

Toledo 19 W Michigan 38 (W Mich -15.5)


Games I would love to put money on, but have no guts:

Utah St @ Louisiana Tech (La Tech -14)

Utah St is just as bad as the WA teams and no one can save them. La Tech is not that good but that away win over SJSU last week was pretty impressive. I think they are going to walk all over Utah St. But "think" is the key word.

UConn @ Syrcause (UConn -10)

Another one of those games like the Utah St/La Tech game. Syracuse is not doing too well, UConn has a pretty decent thing. I am actually more likely than not to wager on this game.

Tulsa @Houston (Tulsa -4)

I think this is actually also a pretty good game to play. I believe Tulsa can bounce back from their first loss of the season last week. The only caution I have is that this game is going to be a home game for Houston.

UCLA @ Washington (UCLA -7)

Alright, you should begin seeing the trend by now. Place your bets against the 2 WA teams and I think you will come out on top. I mean, the Apple Cup this year might have to give out tickets for people to actually attend the game. Now, the only reason this game is not in the section above... UCLA is actually pretty bad too. And the game is a home game for the Huskies. UCLA evens the home field edge with a more experience QB.

New Mexico St @ Fresno St (Fresno St -17)

I like Fresno in this one except that they have been playing rather erratically. The spread is a little on the high side. If it was a 2 TD or less spread, I would have taken them more readily.

No really huge games this week.

Of course there is the Ducks last home game of the season.

Arizona @ Oregon

And I would love to see Oklahoma St recover from last weeks loss at Texas Tech and run all over Colorado. Play the over on that game!!

Restroom confusion

I have been wanting to post this for a while. However, it has never been convenient (or for that matter, sanely) to walk into a restroom with a camera.

I finally got a chance to do it. This is the sign that is in ALL restrooms in Singapore. So, I assume it is a government issued sign. This is a 4-in-1 sign.

The left hand top corner picture is "No Smoking". We all know that and can figure that out even if we have never seen it before.

The right hand top corner picture is "No Littering". Ok, that one is slightly harder to figure out. I thought it meant... if you decide to disobey the first sign of "No smoking", don't throw your ashes on the floor... LOL.

The comes the words:

"Please flush the toilet after use.

Let us keep it clean and dry,

Thank you."

Ok, for those of you who live in the Bay Area you know that the restrooms in the Asian inhabited areas are always of worse conditions than all other restrooms. So, for that fact, I have learnt to accept and acknowledge that we need reminders to FLUSH, and to keep the restrooms "CLEAN AND DRY". 

However, I think 90% of the restrooms are still "DIRTY AND WET", despite of these signs. So, why waste money on these signs?

Now, here's the part that completely confuses me.

The bottom line reads: "A little act of kindness goes a long way".

errrr, what "act of kindness" are we talking about here? Believe me, I could get real crude right now, but I will refrain from doing so. But seriously, what "act of kindness" are we talking about here?

Smoking in a "No Smoking" area is illegal - No kindness there. Maybe "Smartness".

Littering is an offense punishable by a fine, if caught - Again, no kindness here, again, maybe "Smartness".

Flushing the toilet is common sense and etiquette - Definitely no kindness here.

And keeping the restroom "clean and dry" - I think it is just common decency and being considerate, I don't see kindness here either. Well, kindness can be defined as "considerate", but I really don't think it can be used in the context of the sign.

KINDNESS is:

(1) Holding open the door for someone walking in behind you.

(2) Helping someone who is less abled cross the road or go up a flight of stairs.

(3) Giving up your seat (WHEREVER) to someone who is more in need of it.

Those are "acts of kindness", but in a restroom, I can really see no "acts of kindness". Well, that is not exactly a true statement... every time I see these signs... I think... "George Michael". I don't think that was the image these signs were supposed to give.. but then what "acts of kindness" are supposed to happen in the restroom???

What are Harry and Kumar doing?

Or is it just Kumar?


Can he do that?
I mean, I already against the bailout, rescue, whatever the f**k you wanna call it... but, can he really change his mind on what he wants to do with the money?
So, what's to stop him from taking $20million to build a house for himself? Well, that's easing the credit crunch isn't it?


No, I am serious. What a f**king bunch of clowns.
Now we are talking about bailouts for the automakers.
Here's someone who shares my views (0r whose views I share).
You know, when other automakers were making hybrid cars and electric cars, you were pumping out trucks and SUVs (albeit smaller, gas saving ones, like the Escape, but they were still SUVs). While other makers were making luxury cars that consumed less gas, you were putting together Buicks (that WERE NOT luxury cars) to compete. If you are NOT keeping up with the competition, you deserve to fail.
On the part about unemployment. Instead of bailing out the automakers, use the money to re-train the employees. If they want to sit on their asses and complain about the loss of their jobs, so be it... just another Gary, IN or Roseburg, OR. If they take the opportunity to re-train themselves, they should be back to "gainfully employed" by the time they are done with their training.
For years, one does not buy an American car unless you are looking for a really cheap car (even then, for much better quality and about the same price, you can get a lower end Japanese car or Korean car) or if you are a piece of trailer trash. Why do you think that is so?
I don't know anyone of my friends and acquaintances who own a American car. Well, I do know one who owns a 10+ yr old Ford Festiva but that's because it's a 10+ yr old car and it serves its current purpose.
The American automakers just couldn't keep up with the competition and therefore, like all businesses that cannot keep up with their competition... they should FAIL.


The governer of S Carolina had this to say on CNBC this morning. S Carolina is home to the headquarters of BMW in the US.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=927273486

No more freaking bailouts!!

What is the US government thinking?

I wrote about these bailouts a few posts ago. I don't agree with them. Yes, it save jobs. Yes, it might save the consumer. However, those are not good enough reasons to control a free economy.

So, the bailout saved the jobs of the employees of AIG, but what about the employees of Circuit City, DHL and the thousands of other small to mid sized businesses we don't know about? What about them? Is the government saying these employees are not worth the same value?

Look at what AIG has done with their money...

Lawmaker calls for AIG CEO's resignation

AIG defends it's trip to LUXURY resort

What a bunch of bullcrap. And this is not anything new. While large financial institutions were laying off people, their top financial executives were spending money building fireplaces in their offices... and this was before the financial crisis. It's been going on for way too long and now the government wants to provide them more money to do the same old crap.

I thought this bailout was to help ease the credit crisis.

Citigroup on prowl for regional bank

A part of the above article states:

"Many analysts have expected Citigroup to strike again, and the bank has said it would likely use a $25 billion investment from the government _ part of the $700 billion financial rescue package passed by Congress last month _ to take advantage of opportunities in the market."

But seriously. The RESCUE package was not meant for the financial institutions to go shopping. It was to ease the credit crunch. Citigroup finds nothing wrong to state how it's going to use the money... so why the hell are we bailing them all out??

Now the auto companies? What about the airlines? They are not too far behind.

Should we (it's my tax money) save Best Buy too?

When is this madness going to stop?

If the bailout was used like this, I would have nothing to say. But it's not.

There was a boom, there were actually 2 booms in the last 15 years, let there now be a recession.