Recession? Not in some places, no way.

There is so much depressive news these days, job losses, more job losses, closures and shut downs, frauds, and bank collapses, bailouts, and jobs taken overseas, seems an endless list. The media, never behind in these issues, brings us the sad news 24 by 7.

How in God's name did all this happen of a sudden; what were those high paid CEOs, always up there in the "air" in their jets, doing? No one has the answers, not even President Obama.

But something rankles, something does not seem right.

Do you watch the Red Carpet on 'E' channel; that sassy flashy coverage of flashy people, film stars, celebrities, more handsome people and lovely ladies; everyone wears fashion by the best names in fashion, no one says these are hired for the occasion, certainly not the very beautiful female stars. Expensive jewelleries and accessories, more expensive stage decors, and probably pricy food bought with very pricy tickets.

Of course Slumdog Millionaire wins most awards, a sign of the times, that poverty is an issue, but the award functions are filled with the rich rich rich!

Now, have you noticed another strange thing? Have you heard of any major hotel chain closing shop?

Have you heard of less attendance at casinos in Las Vegas, or less room occupancy at hotels in Las Vegas? I mean bad enough to shut down some of those great hotels.

Giant auto brands are shutting down for now, but look for those new cars on the roads, do you see only old used cars? ..........the Audis, Mercs, Toyotas, stretch limousines are very much there, and I mean some current models. And no one hears of pricey cars brands -Ferari, Lamborghini, Audi, Merc, Bentley closing down for now!

The jet set are still flying around, some of them in their private jets, people are still paying a fortune for tickets for the pricey open tournament's tennis, golf; pricey clubs are not shutting down!

the America Cup is still going to take off.

It sure is a poor man's recession! The poor poor rich are just suffering it out.

BEFORE YOU ARE SHOWN THE DOOR, (YOU ARE AN EMPLOYEE INVOLVED IN COMPANY/BUSINESS JOB CUTS,) ASK YOU BE SHOWN THE BOOK LOSS AND CASH LOSS;
A BOOK LOSS CAN BE BROUGHT AROUND BY SHOWING HIGH DEPRECIATION AND PROVISIONS THAT AMOUNT TO BOOK ENTRIES ONLY............A BOOK LOSS NEED NOT MEAN THERE IS NO CASH IN THE COMPANY'S BANK ACCOUNTS...........ASK TO SEE THE CASH IN THE TILL AND BANK BALANCES IN ALL THE BANK ACCOUNTS THE COMPANY HOLDS.

President Obama, Davos, here is an economy stimulus.

I have been thinking over this one economic stimulant package that just might prove right for turning around the economy.
Mr President, delegates at Davos, please read the following:

Here is a bailout plan for job losses that reinstates jobs in existing companies, not the new jobs the US President wants to create with new sources of energy, more infrastructure, etc:

The government should list those existing companies critical to the economy and which have cut jobs in the past one year.

Get information from these companies on the number of job cuts in the past one year,
and the related costs saved in salaries, and direct/indirect costs related to manufacturing, overheads, other costs that the company would have incurred at levels before the job cuts.
Figures of sales, profits before tax and profits after tax could be useful.

Here is a sample:
Company : Giant Steels

Job cuts in the past year: 10,000
Critical jobs necessary
to reach previous years' levels of manufacturing, sales, marketing : 8500 jobs.

Current salary bill of 8500 jobs if
reinstated : US $ 170,000,000 (8500 jobs by $20,000 average pay per person)
Total of other expenses to run company
at previous year levels: US $ 425,000,000(at salary bill of $170 million-being 40% of total exps.)
margin for contingencies US$ 25,000,000
Total bail out funds needed US$620,000,000
for this one company.

The government or it's accredited bank or financial agent should advance $ 620,000,000 to
Giant Steels on the provision that all 8500 employees are taken back.

The sum advanced is on a low interest of say 3.50% after an interest free period of 6 months.

Repayment of loans can start after a 24 months free no repayments period.
The company must ensure it reaches optimum levels of production within 3 months of the advance made.

If this is practical, the employees should give an assurance their income would be spent on all necessities and critical products, and no expenditures that could be considered excessive-extravagant-profligate-lavish...........say a two year moratorium on travel costs in excess of 10% of salary. Perhaps some tax benefits can be claimed as incentive, for spending within specified guidelines/perimeters, for one year.

Tax cuts for purchases of critical items, cars, TV sets, refrigerator, house, and other products selected by the government, the cuts, one time tax cut again for a one year period.

Let's assume this would reinstate 2 million jobs, this works to 2 million jobs with an average annual salaries bill of: 2,000,000 jobs by $ 25,000= $ 50,000,000,000 ($50 billion) available in the economy for people to spend, (wisely!) and a good sum it is.

2 million jobs at the rate of an average of 20000 jobs per company means the government is covering some 100 critically important companies in a bailout package, for reviving the economy.

If these 100 companies need an average of 20,000 employees per company, i.e. 2 million employees@ $25000 =
$ 50,000,000,000 as the total salary bill
+ total costs of $ 1,70,000,000,000 over 100 companies =$1, 70,000,000,000
($50 billion as 30% of total costs, the total costs work to $1,70,000,000,000-$1.70 trillion.)
Total bailout package over 100 existing cos./businesses: $1.70 trillion.

Two million employees reinstated have $25,000 each in their hands, the domino effect is irreversible!

Where should the $1.70 trillion come from?
40% from borrowings.........................................$ 68 billion
30% for company taxes .....................................$ 51 billion
30% from individual personal taxes .................$ 51 billion




With 2 million people back to their jobs, and $ 50 billion in their hands, this purchasing power would be felt within 12 months, buying necessities, consumables, paying their fuel and electric bills, and some spare money left for replacing cars with new fuel efficient ones, a new set of white goods, this generating demand and reviving more companies and businesses. And the chain-reaction/multiple effect can be 10 times, which works to generating $ 5 trillion on a guess.

Who will listen?

President Barack Obama- you are doing great!

An open letter to the 44Th President of these United States of America, Mr Barack Obama.

Dear Sir,

My congratulations for assuming the Office of President. Sir, you make us very proud.

You have shown America and the entire world that attaining this great office signals change of so many things; it demonstrates how no disabilities of race, colour, background, can stand in the way of achieving a goal that seemed so insurmountable. It proves America was ready for change.

You are the horse that came from behind and won the race!

And from day one of your presidency, you are meaning to do business of state, no waste of time, no mincing words, no groping for words..............and a brave frank admission that things take time, with wrong starts, and decisions that are realised, late in the day, as the wrong ones, and these would be dropped without fuss, and other paths would be explored!

I think you are a very brave man; wish more leaders like you would lead other countries. Whatever happens, please discard all trappings and baggage politicians carry. You will make many enemies, but history will judge you for your changes and the foresight and courage it takes to make changes.

I like your decision to move away from dependency on oil from other countries; this single decision will be watched and reacted upon by vested interests.........please be very careful. It has been proved time and again that vested interests can manipulate things and cause harm with placing obstructions in the path of good plans and actions.

And, replacing oil with alternate energies will go many miles in reduction of pollution and climate change, hopefully your example will be followed by other leaders, and other countries.
The time is now when the possibilities of an end to human civilization is very much a reality, and we have to act fast and try and convince the world to follow.
Nothing threatens us humans as much as this peril to our planet, not wars, not economic recession, not terrorism, but a rapid climate change that may cause the whole planet to be unlivable.

We are not infatuated college boys, condemning feeble and disliked kids to one corner, big bullies who threaten the rest if they fraternise with the unlucky ones. You have to keep all your lines of communication open, ask your friends to talk to those nations who might be looking for a chance to normalise things with America.

And there is this possibility, humans hate violence, it disrupts a day spent well; so it's possible people will turn on their compatriots and tell them enough is enough, stop this violence, you are not just killing your targets, you are killing our fathers and husbands, our brothers and friends.

Please do your best to get change in the attitude the West has developed, of us and them, seeing things as black and white; all Middle-Easterners are clubbed into one basket, all are assumed to belong to one set of ideas..........nothing is further from the truth........ (I am, for example, from another region of the world, an Indian, a non-Muslim, but look a little a Middle-Easterner, and the grim looks and stares I get, from some people, make me sick!!!)

Equally, a platform of dialogue should be put into action that tells certain peoples that their ideas don't fit into a fast changing modern world, in their pursuance of certain ideas they are being left behind. Their stubbornness has caused ignorance, poverty and deprivation in their midst.

Sir, please make sure at the end of your two terms-I am sure you are sure to get re-elected- you leave changes that are difficult to discard, impossible to revert back to old ways!

God bless you, God bless America and God bless all of us who travel on this beautiful planet!

Barack H. Obama, 44th President of the United States of America!

Pictures: the most beautiful couple in love in the world; scenes from the parade.



The great day, Tuesday 20th Jan. has come, and gone !-its now 5.45 p. m. here, in NZ, and I watched live coverage of the events from 5.30 a. m. to around 3.00 p. m., again NZ time. Whew....... magnificent, awesome, moving-and tiring ! An historic day for all the world, not just for America.

At 5.30 a. m. , the first glimmer of dawn here, I got myself out of bed, a quick cold cocoa, and went switched on CNN to see the first images of President-Elect Obama and President Bush enter the Capitol building along with a host of dignitaries, Nancy Pelosi, senators, military officers in their resplendent uniforms; rather surprised to see Vice President Dick Cheney wheeled in, we were told later he suffered from a severe back problem. Senator Edward Kennedy, that bravest of the brave, dignified and stately, walked across the domed Central Hall, a dark blue soft felt hat thrust down closely to his ears; he looked great, which he is!

When TV cameras panned across the huge lawns, and beyond, the huge crowd of two million is the most staggering sight; I watched the coverage alternately on CNN, Fox News and BBC.

As he walked behind a group of Senators led by Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama appeared subdued, a tight smile and somehow tense look, his eyes focused in front, a slight nod, sometimes, to people he passed.

I am stunned, the set of images will never leave me...........it was all at once like a full coloured kaleidoscope with images within images..............I just don't know what to continue writing, so much impressed me, so much was huge, awesome, stunning.............I think, I figure I will continue writing on the basis of those images that float across my mind............like Bush returning Obama's greeting and hug, after the inaugural speech, with a sincere closer hug, his right arm over Obama's left shoulder!

Or the quiet hush that fell over the huge crowd when the Rev Rick Warren, a portly bearded pastor, rose to say "let us pray..........." and one could not help notice the non-believers continued looking up whilst the believers, Obama, Bush, Michelle, Biden and most others bowed their heads, eyes closed in concentration, some evangelical pious holding up their arms, palms turned to heaven in supplication!

Or the quiet hush again when Isaac Perlman and Yo Yo Ma along with that mellow flautist, Anthony Mcgill, and pianist, Gabriel Montero played a composition by Williams especially composed for the occasion and of course the sonoric and timbered voice of Aretha Franklin.

It now seems the Chief Justice mucked up on the oath, its sequence that is, and Obama took the oath of office again today, Wednesday, taking no chances on a sensitive issue with no precedence, except two earlier Presidents retaking the oath for the same reasons. The Los Angeles Times points out "The Constitution stipulates the new chief executive takes office at noon on Jan. 20. And, in fact, as we pointed out yesterday, Obama actually became the 44th president while he was sitting down listening to classical music."..............that for a good laugh!

And Obama proved once again he is a skillful orator....and he says things shooting them straight
from his shoulders.................he has put his hand out in friendship to all peoples and nations who want to live and coexist in peace, even those nations who would unclench their fists and change their world view (he did not say this, but it amounts to the same-change their world view.)
And he did not play on words but very clearly told those who espouse violence and the senseless use of slaughter, that America will defeat them. He warned nations who suppress dissenters that history will judge them......."you are on the wrong side of history."

China blanked the above remark, about dissent, and also on bringing down of communism and fascism, interrupting the live coverage with images of a news anchor making some out of context remarks.

And Obama reminded the whole world, "of the man refused entry into a restaurant, whose son stands before you to take the highest oath in the land."

His first day in office, shows this is a man of his word, a man of action- salary freeze for his staff; no lobbying in his office-no swing door for lobbyists; an independent body to decide what should be withheld from the public; close Gautanamo Bay in a year; bring back troops from Iraq in 16 months............and phone calls to Eygptian President Hosni, Israel's PM Olmert, Palestine Pres. Mahmoud Abbas, Jordanian king Abdalla.

Finding time in all this to greet the first public visitors to the White House and a warm "go on, explore for yourself.........." The White House is the People's House!

The British do things right when it comes to ceremonial parades and all things related to their royalty, I think the Americans do it right as well, except things are bigger, more informal, more smiles and waving of the hands, more walking across to shake hands, bonhomie......................................
(God! Its just not possible to write this blog right now; on a hunch I switched on CNN and Fox, and look at this, Obama already taking some crucial decisions on the first day in office. He makes several telephone calls, to the Eygptian President, to Ehud Olmert, to the Jordanian king, to Mahmoud Abbas........this man is going to be everywhere.

Obama's first day: salary freeze of his WH staff.
no lobbyists can have a swingdoor entry to the White House! Super!
get out of Iraq in 16 months!
an independent authority will decide what documents/disclosures can
be withheld from the public!
etc etc.
Michelle and Barack's close loving relationship and body language already found refreshing and new...........very inspiring!
China's instant black out of Obama inaugural speech references to communism and dissent!
Sarkozy of France raring to go along with Obama. Both men of action!)