Taking Stock

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Taking Stock

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President Barack Obama

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Good Morning Friends,

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Today is Thursday April 30, 2009

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Time to take stock? Well, that is what President Barack Obama did yesterday after the famous 100 days. And, what is the verdict? Well, the man is optimistic of course, as is his nature. That is his job as I am sure everyone is aware - to be optimistic. He is certainly sticking to the playbook as anyone can easily determine and so, the verdict is positive. And, it will always be positive. He thinks things will get better, but we just need more time.

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The president inherited quite a mess as everyone knows and he is doing quite a good job all things considered, in my opinion. My beefs surrounding the president are that he is continuing the war of aggression in the Middle East, expanding into Afghanistan and now Pakistan as well. I did not think he would do that as forcefully as he is doing, but I suspect that it is a pretty tough political battle for him to deny the existence of the Military Industrial Complex. The one thing you have to give the president credit for, however, is that he is a realist; he knows the score and that is why he is playing his cards the way he is. Let us just hope that after all is said and done that the American people wind up with something tangible, like maybe getting their economy and their jobs and their futures back - sometime in the future.

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Which brings me to the economy because things are always about the economy, or so it would seem. The economy and the bankers is the greatest challenge confronting the president I feel. It is these bankers ( this includes Ben Bernanke and Allan Greenspan of the Federal Reserve System of private bankers ), these Wall Street financiers who caused this financial mess for us. With their derivatives and their packaged products that became toxic world wide, the world is now suffering a Great Recession and a corresponding crash in the stock market. This means of course that Barack Obama has to step into yet another mess and supply billions for the bankers and their balance sheets. That is the power of the bankers, that the president must continue to play this game of bailout; he has no choice, either by simple pragmatics or by political power; the bankers are all powerful and the president knows that. This is the group that can cause great damage to an economy, politically and economically and that is why the president must cater this group even if he does not want to. We do not know what the real state of their balance sheets are, we can only play the game because there is no other game to play and that is the way the president has assessed the situation as well.

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check out these videos to see the enemy within:

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Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

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Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

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See also this video here on Bill Moyers

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Bill Moyers Journal

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And, so today we find in the economic news that stock markets are rising world wide and that the sentiment is possibly changing. One analyst says that this is the beginning of the bull market and that it is for real. Is he right? Who knows, but I think the people are looking for any kind of positive news now and this is the kind of news that will do just fine, even if it is not true. The people need this kind of news at this time and that news has been delivered.

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Thanks for reading and have a nice day.

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Vancouver, B.C. Webcams

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Picture of Barack Obama found here:

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At the Huffingtonpost.com

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Today's post borrowed from:

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Dear Courier Diary

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The courier gods

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Hermes

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Messenger god of the Greeks

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Not many people know this, but there are in fact courier gods. Just as the Greeks and Romans had gods, so too with the modern-day courier. These are the entities which work behind the scenes guiding the lives of us couriers. They are much like the present-day ' God ' of the Christians and those of the Muslims. But, they are not one, there are many of them; they are all-pervasive and all-knowing. And, they all have their jobs to do in making sure that a courier gets through his day and is able to serve his customer in the best way imaginable.

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The courier knows that the customer is in fact a very important person. For without a customer the courier does not make a living. So, this is perhaps the most important task of the courier gods - to match up the best customers which each individual courier company and individual driver. The gods are actually in charge of this important detail. Think of it as sort of match-making skill that the gods are involved in here. They bring the personalties together so that they can enjoy a satisfactory relationship.

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These gods not only make sure that customers are associated with the best courier company that can fulfill their needs, but many other things as well. Couriers know, for example, that even conditions like traffic and the amount of work that he his given is solely based on the courier gods; they do in fact regulate all of the conditions under which a courier operates. A wise courier knows these things and that is why he takes the good and bad in his stride. He knows the gods will provide for him and that they will do things in their own way and in their own time. They can make a delivery late as well as make sure that a time-sensitive document is delivered right down to the last second and on time. Couriers know all of these things and this knowledge gives the courier a unique outlook on life. A courier is not critical and does not get mad or even worry about the events on his daily job or in his life generally. Many couriers complain as a matter of course, but it is only in fun for they do not want to upset the gods. He has learned through experience to trust the judgement and the will of the gods - they control the destiny of the courier.
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A seasoned and dedicated courier loves and trusts these gods who rule over his business. A sapient courier knows that these entities operate in the background and are responsible for the safety and good fortune of all couriers and their valued customers as well. So, if you ever want to be a courier and understand the business you must know that you cannot do your job alone and must rely on these courier gods who know all and do all. You must submit to your gods and trust them with all of your might. Once you do that you will find that your life will be better served and that you will be able to greet and meet each of your customers with a fresh perspective. Remember, it is the courier gods who allow you to interact with that pretty secretary and to make your day come alive monetarily and socially. And be cautioned: the courier gods have the ability to engineer a bad personal experience when you step out of line as well - so do not under any circumstance antagonize the gods! The gods, as you are now aware, have great power and must not be criticized or questioned. They simply must be loved and respected, and obeyed. So, keep in mind that all of your customer relationships, good and bad are chosen by the gods. When the customer is smiling and providing you with jobs that make your life worth living it is important to know that this person, asking for your services, and in fact, relying on them, is the result of the decision of one of the gods. Your customer was chosen by the gods - for you! The gods, in fact, have blessed you both by bringing you together so that you can enjoy a mutual and prosperous relationship together.

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Related courier posts here:

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Courier Jobs in Vancouver

Coffee and a Muffin at McDonald's

A Courier Party

Best Elevator in Vancouver: A Feature Report

Best Elevator in Vancouver - Coming Soon

When The Going Gets Tough Jump

Another Gorgeous Day in Vancouver

The Heart of the Matter

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above post borrowed from Dear Courier Diary

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You can read about Hermes in Wikipedia:

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right here

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Vancouver Today

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Vancouver Today

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Wednesday April 22, 2009

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You didn't think I would forget McDonald's did you?

This is where I wound up at the end of the day -

at McDonald's Headquarters in Burnaby.

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When you examine the webcams below the first cam is of the Burrard

Street Bridge. That is the bridge that I am driving over in the pictures above.

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Vancouver, B.C. Webcams

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A look inside Iran

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Pressing on with the meaning of life

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Pressing on with the meaning of life

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by Carl Baydala

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Dear Friends. Take a look at the above picture and tell me what you see. Take your time and think about it and what it means to man and to yourself. Actually, you could look at any picture and you will find that different meanings would emerge for different people.

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That meaning of course lays at the basis of the meaning of life. What is meaning? An honest question so let us attempt to answer it. Meaning for me is the understanding or wanting to know the reason why we are here and what are purpose is on being here. This is the most broadest of the term meaning of course and the one that should occupy the mind of a man wanting to know the most profound question of all. This is the boundless question of the ages of man; he simply doesn't know why he was born and where is going, if anywhere, after all is said and done.

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What are the tools of man's enquiry or what aids him in his understanding of things. The answer is nothing but his surroundings; there is nothing else to go on; it is all he has and he has no more. For any gods and ideas that he has created to explain things for him came out of his mind, and nowhere else. And, so let us examine our picture once again. What do you see?

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I see a building, some trees, some other structures and a sky that is fading into darkness. That is all there is and that is all there will ever be for man. His environment is his knowledge and there are no more aids to discovery; these are his aids to his formulations of meaning.

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A darkening sky informs man that his day is ending, and that hopefully, there will be another one to take its place; that is his dream at least, if he is interested in the business of living, that is. If he is living a satisfying life and if he is healthy then the darkening sky is of no concern to the man - it is a good thing and it is beautiful in its manifestation. A man plagued by doubt, however, or one injured by society in some way might not look too kindly upon the scene in front of him. Maybe he sees the tall structure as something being created by his enemies who would control him and hold him back from any potential that he may have. Perhaps, he thinks he does not have any potential at all and would simply be a harsh critic to the scene in front of him. The proud building and glorious twighlight would be neither of things ( neither glorious or or proud ), except they would remind him that another day is coming and it would most likely be just like the one that he is finishing; another day of agony and complaining about his station in life.

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And, yet another man would stand in awe at this picture and know that man has the potential to build tall and handsome buildings. Inside that building are people happy at their work and being productive citizens and contributing to society. They most likely drive cars and own their own homes and are happy and industrious. Or maybe they are students looking forward to a prosperous career and getting married and living happily ever after.

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Dear friends, a picture is worth a thousand words and never was a wiser phrase brought into being. The meaning of life is what you make it to be and it can be no other way. What you see is what you get. You might see good and you might see evil in the picture, but if you are alive at least you are able to see something. And, that is the meaning and purpose of life; it is the ability to know that something exists and for every man to be able to provide a meaning for it. And, that meaning I think all would agree is something that the human mind contrives, and that formulation of something that we call meaning is a combination of things which are entirely personal. No one has the same kind of meaning as another. Who is to say that God did not create the above scene for us as prescribed by his Divine nature and purposes? And, who is to say that a man sees in this picture what his mind tells him to see, completely unaided by anything remotedly called a god? Why would a god allow some men to see good in the picture while allowing other men to see bad?

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I think if we are seeking meaning we need to look beyond the idea of gods and what they can accomplish. We are not categorically denying the existence of a Supreme Being, but we are saying that there are more options available. And, one of those options is to say that meaning is a very personal thing indeed. I think the human animal is a true testament to this reality; we are not all created the same way at all; we see differently and we learn differently. But, what we learn is our meaning and it is no one elses. So, dear friends, even the man who would criticize the picture as an example of an injustice has something which no one can lay claim to - and that is his individuality. His individuality is the true source of his meaning. The purpose ( if any ) and meaning of life is going to found within the confines of mens' minds. I think we might start here to become more knowledgeable about this business of meaning. That is my recommendation at least for what it is worth to you.

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An Emotional Update and other things

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An Emotional Update

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and other things

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Picture above is me

in my new unit

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Part of my job is to keep my readers informed as to the condition of my emotional apparatus. Actually, things are OK for the moment and I have no depressing or disconcerting news to report to you at this time. Everything is functioning smoothly, well, as smoothly as can be expected shall we say. Now, I don't need to go into details concerning the very inner happenings in my life as my regular readers know about all of my personal problems anyway. There are no serious personal problems to report at this time, so I am sure everyone will be glad to know that.

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I have started getting quite aggressive with the posts on the Dear Diary portion of my blog. I have something to say everyday so I would encourage all of my readers to stop in once in a while and take a look at my life. I have my digital cameral with me most of the time now so I will be able to get some snaps of important events as they happen on the road. And, if you are interested in the geography and scenery of Vancouver and the Lower Mainland Region then I will also be able to help out in this area as well.

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I am still making appearances at the track on Saturday afternoons as well so maybe we can touch bases out there some time. I did a post just today over on Dear Diary concerning one of these race track visits. So, you might want to check that out. That link and others are off to the right.

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I am still concerned about the stock market and I do not trust the current rally that is underway. I think the bankers are up to something quite frankly and I fear that they will try and maintain their control over the political elite of the country. They have a good thing going and they do not want to lose it. They caused this financial mess and they know it, but they do not care. So, I hope all of you guys keep that in mind when you are reading the news and studying the financial data. These guys are major players and they are not going to go down without a fight. And, neither is the Federal Reserve Bank, which is essentially a group of private bankers that control the nation's economy. I consider these people to be the real enemies of the system quite frankly and many have called for the abolition of this institution. They hold a lot of power and they know it. I believe that we as citizens and as market players and investors have the responsibility to understand their relationship to the rest of society and to deal with it accordingly. Anything else will simply mean more of the same and an economy that will continue to rack up debt and the associated costs of that debt.

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I have made attempts in other parts of this blog to show you the relationship between my emotional past and the economic realities of the present era. And, nothing explains it better than this little piece of video right here: Every Breath You Take

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Here is another Emotional Update found on my site:

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An Emotional Update

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A timely article found in Alternet here

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Have a nice day. And, hang in there.

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