Tacoma Needs Another Park

I’ve been thinking about what Tacoma needs to help it along on its journey back to relevancy. I think Tacoma needs another great park. I’m not necessarily talking about something huge, but something attractive, inviting, awesome. Maybe something the size of a city block. Maybe even a few little parks scattered throughout the city. But we need something to make everyone want to get outside and play, congregate, and enjoy the city. It seems like this would need to be done before the entire downtown area is filled in with more development. This would also be nice to have at or near UW Tacoma. I just hope we save some park space before we go even further with our economic development plans.

Stocks Slide!

But does it matter? I don't think it does. Well, it does if you retired yesterday. But if you've got some time left working, I think you now having a good buying opportunity if there's any cash lying around. The one thing I regret is that I didn't transfer more cash into my stock trading account a few days ago. It looks like a discount sale and I was caught with my trading cash in the wrong place. I can't complain too much, I'm still up quite a bit, but it would have been nice to be able to pounce and make a little more. Oh well, I'll have to come in and work with the prices a few days after the fact. It sounds like there is some fear of a recession and price correction in the market. A recession? Possible, but many large blue chip stocks are not over-priced and now are an even better bargain. It really looks like a good buy for quality, large blue chip stocks. Something to ponder today.

Politics-Cheney Targeted

Now that Vice-President Cheney has been personally targeted during his trip to Afghanistan, I wonder if there will be a change of U.S. policy. It’s been quite evident for years that Afghanistan has been a problem for the U.S. as opposed to Iraq. But inexplicably, Afghanistan got 2nd rate status as we decided to blow Iraq (and any type of order) to smithereens. Well, some people in Afghanistan must have decided that they weren’t getting enough attention. And yet again, Al Qaida militants in Afghanistan wished to make themselves known. Why we didn’t address the issue there and avoid Iraq to begin with is completely lost on me. But, now would be a good time to reevaluate our policy regarding Afghanistan and be proactive in fixing the terrorist problems there. I don’t think many U.S. citizens still feel we’re getting anywhere in Iraq. But, I think we all know where the root of many of our foreign problems lie. And that (for all of this time), has been Afghanistan. Maybe we can make the right decisions and address the dire situation there this time around.

Failing the Community

As I was reading The Seattle Times this morning, I noticed a disturbing article by Jennifer Sullivan. She writes about how many (83 to be exact) felons were released because the Dept. of Corrections had exceeded their limit of beds in King County jails. I'm certainly not an expert on the issue, but this sounds like a serious failure to serve the community. I'm not sure if there needs to be an improved agreement between the DOC and King County or if we need new, larger correctional facilities. But, we need to do something. Releasing dangerous felons because of space issues just seems like a complete failure on so many levels. And again, joe taxpayer is the real loser. The taxpayer who is already paying for these facilities has to be subjected to living with dangerous people considered likely to re-offend. And why you ask? Because our local government system couldn't find a more effective way to hold criminals. This is what bothers me about politics currently. Politicians will vilify the Sonics for wanting a new stadium. Fine, so they don't want to pay for the entire stadium; I understand that. But to consistently beat up a sports team in the media (a high visibility option) and fail to mention this huge issue, is still a failure to serve the community. Some of these leaders want to preach the easy issue and not face the tough ones. Our leaders need to do more than attack the issues that bring the headlines; they also need to hit on the issues that affect every one of us (even if it's not quite so popular or glamorous).

The Seattle Times

Sports-Darrell Jackson On His Way Out?

There have been various reports that Darrell Jackson is being shopped around the NFL. It’s a little sad, Jackson has been a good player for us for years now. I do understand that we’re paying out big money to Deion Branch and Nate Burleson, so D-Jack may be the odd man out. And with D-Jack coming up on a contract, he may be used for good trade bait. But nonetheless, he’s been a good Seahawk. Now, we could use a safety, defensive or offensive lineman. So, if we can find some good value, we’ve got to make the trade. I guess we’ll see what happens, although I wouldn’t be surprised if Jackson is gone before or on draft day. I’m predicting we trade him for picks.

Good for Gore

It was nice to see Al gore win two Oscars. His movie, An Inconvenient Truth, was very good and very unique. It was a fresh break from all of the other fluff that was being offered at that time. And his movie also made us think. Not too many movies out there do that to people. And better yet, it made us think about an issue that may be the most derided and passed off serious issue affecting us to date. I like Al Gore, it's good to see him get a little credit for shedding some light on an issue. When was the last time you could say that about a politician?

Northwestern Growth

When I speak about housing prices with anyone else who doesn't live in the NW, there's sort of this confusion that enters the discussion. Thankfully, many of us in the NW haven't really been hit with a hard housing slowdown. The economy really hasn't been affected either. Apparently in other parts of the country, things have been a little more rocky. I knew WA was looking particularly good for 2007 being that we were still experiencing job growth and the we still had an influx of new residents expected to continue to come our way. And this article from Drew DeSilver at The Seattle Times helps reiterate those earlier predictions. Life is still good here in the NW, as well as the economy and housing. If you do live around here, the article below is an interesting piece discussing some of the other areas of growth that you may not know about. And for our friends outside of WA, yes, there are other growing areas here outside of Seattle. Overall, a positive piece of writing good for your Sunday read.

The Seattle Times

Giving

Think about how much different our communities would be if everyone gave 10% of their income to a worthy cause. Think about how our world could change. You can decide where to give. If you're a Christian, you're instructed to give a tithe to your church. If you're not a Christian, you can choose a worthy charity or outreach program. You could even choose to give your money to cancer or AIDS research. And why don't we do this? We give 10% to malls, bars, restaurants, car dealerships and to people we're trying to impress or chase into bed. And what has that gotten us? Disappointment, emotional letdowns, heartache? All of these things are solved by merely living outside of yourself and giving to something other than yourself. Give something, even if it's time or a little extra effort. Let the guy merge into your lane. Open a door. Just do something. Give.

Resource-Dave Ramsey

I just finished reading Dave Ramsey’s The Total Money Makeover. It’s a pretty good book. Dave gives some good practical money and financial advice. Dave also has podcasts and a radio show that complements his books. Dave won’t dazzle you with any breakthrough ideas, but he does help reiterate common sense; and that alone is highly valuable in this world of excessive, bad information. Unless you’re a complete financial know-it-all, I’d recommend checking out Dave Ramsey and what he has to offer. You may learn a thing or two and that alone is worth the cost of admission.

Dave Ramsey

Business Questions Around Sports

The Sonics are staying here for at least another year. And if they get $300 million in funding, they'll build a new arena in Renton and stay for a while. If they don't get these public funds, they're probably off to Oklahoma City. There have already been some cranky politicians claiming that this proposal is already dead. There is the claim that the deal (like other stadium deals) are bad for the public. And maybe they are. But when I read the articles discussing the deals, it seems like there is a lot left out when considering. For instance, no one really knows or adds the added revenue from all of the business that specifically target stadium traffic. And I mean ALL of the businesses' revenues from the peanut vendor all the way up to a place like the Pyramid Brewery or FX McRory's. No one is really quoting how much these businesses make or how many jobs are added on gameday. Also, much of this money comes from entertainment taxes such as dining, bar or sometimes hotel taxes. The local resident isn't hit all that hard if at all from those taxes. And if you implement those taxes within the specific radius of the stadium, county and state residents aren't hit at all. And lastly, can anyone really quote the benefit that sports adds to a community? Face it, in America professional sports IS our culture, performance art, and passion. More people attend and frequent these stadiums than any art gallery or exhibit. And whether you, I, or politicians like it, these stadiums and teams represent more of we are as communities, cities, and states. No one seems to be able to quote that added benefit either. When was the last time you shot the breeze over two pieces of art at the water cooler? I didn't think so.

Worthy Goal-Fair Share Housing

There’s been some discussion in my circle of friends and family about Tacoma, crime, and certain neighborhoods getting the brunt of violent or dangerous felons residing there. I’ve been a little bit involved in working towards “Fair Share” agreements where certain areas of the city no longer accept halfway or transitional housing due to an oversaturation of felons in that neighborhood. And due to my observance, I’ve noticed that unfortunately, there are still people out there who would rather victimize poor neighborhoods and dump felons there as opposed to spreading out transitional housing so that no particular area is completely inundated with a high-risk population. It’s the typical “not in my backyard” mentality except that those without a political or strong financial voice don’t get any say. Instead, those residing in nicer areas push their representative council members or politicians to reject any such fair idea. In their minds, senior citizen housing is a burden enough in their neighborhoods (not to mention that Fair Share housing would be taking up valuable real estate and driving their land values lower). How dare anyone in lower neighborhoods reject any more housing opportunities? After all, don’t the residents of those lower income neighborhoods have the sense to move if there is any issue with the establishment of more half-way houses? Somehow I don’t think that train of thought was supposed to be the original design of local American politics.

Week in Review

Hmmm, kind of a ho-hum week. Other than the bizarre celebrity news, not much happened. The British are beginning to pull out of Iraq, there are some inflation worries in the economy, and supposedly North Korea is willing to strike a deal concerning their nuclear program. Nothing all that amazing although I'm sure it won't be long before something weird happens. With the presidential race beginning so early, it looks like it could get quite competitive shortly. The Obama and Clinton camps appear to be on a collision course that may happen sooner than later. And the Newt is even beginning to appear doing his own brand of self-promotion. Non-eventful, but interesting times indeed.

On The Web-Ben Stein

Good advice is hard to find. And good financial advice may be even harder to find. But thankfully we have Ben Stein. While you can no longer win his money, you can still keep up with him; he writes a great column that many people still don’t know about. Below is a link to one of his articles. Ben is featured on Yahoo! Finance. I would strongly recommend reading his column regularly, especially if you don’t consider yourself financially savvy. He gives simple, straightforward advice that is pretty darn good. It’s wise to take advice from someone smarter than you. And chances are Ben Stein is smarter than you.

Yahoo! Finance

Interest Rates and Condos

It'll be interesting to see if interest rates go up this year. We've been sitting in a pretty stable spot for some time. The economy is doing well and I'm not sure that inflation has gone anywhere. But if rates do go up, I wonder what will happen to housing. With quite a bit of supply on the market, I'm not so sure that sellers will be getting what the going asking prices are at present. What I find interesting is the current boom in condos. I'm not quite confident that the market will continue to be a good one being that there are so many condo projects in the works. I'm feeling like there's a little bit of a condo glut. If rates go north, I think that portion of the market could get worse. I guess we'll see.

Britney in Rehab? Headlines Gone Wild!

I don’t often write about celebrities, but I couldn’t help myself. The pink and checkered pop culture elephant has been sitting idly by in the room long enough. What’s up with all of the weird celebrity headlines? Old Jerry Springer episodes don’t even come close to all of the funk hitting the airwaves and print now. And we thought we were going to hell then… At least on Springer they had panties, hair and shoes (although the shoes came off if you wanted to fight). And in reality, who gives a crap? Why does any of this matter? What are most celebrities good for now other than a disposable, forgettable song and some bad acting? How many truly talented artists can you name? It’s sad, we’ve gone to a less than disposable culture. We’re practically cheering for people to fall off the wagon. It’s like The Sims but not as fun. I’m not sure where it happened, but something has gone terribly wrong. And no, I don’t just blame the media. If people didn’t truly pay attention, the media would find something else that people are paying attention to at that moment. And in some part these celebrities have sold themselves out so often and for so long you wonder if this is really what they have been asking for all of their lives. And to some extent, I think it is. In a weird, sad way, they are getting what they deserve and have been seeking. Britney or _________ (fill in teen star’s name here) could have just as easily went to college/or got a regular job/or not gotten caught sleeping with so and so and so and so (Get the video for $19.95! But wait! There's more!). But no, they wanted to be famous. And so now they are. And what’s the prize? A degenerate lifestyle/name/reputation/situation spiraling out of control. And I think we all know where they land. In obscurity after the next big “artist” comes along. So does the bad/tragic Shakespearean-type play ever end? Or do we start all over again when the current group of befuddled stars dies off and Court TV stops reporting about the funeral/royalty/custody battles? Ugh, I'm disgusted.

Needs Less Gas

Below is a pretty interesting article about how hybrid cars are a little easier to purchase now since supply is catching up with demand. A little bit of good news to start off a shortened week. Author Rick Popely of the Chicago Tribune writes how Toyota is now pushing the hybrids with some financing incentives. Cool, you get an efficient car with good financing. This is exactly the direction America needs to be going. Less oil dependent, more efficient and more environmentally sound. And yet another example of why Toyota is head and shoulders above their competition.

The Tacoma News Tribune

Republican Low Blow?

I'm not a Republican. But I'm still a little put off after reading the article below (click link). Is Senator McCain simply trying to toot his own horn and separate himself from his own party's mismanaged war agenda? I'm not sure, but McCain has long been in the Republican fold tooting the collective party horn for some time now. What's with the Rumsfeld blast? I'm not saying that Rumsfeld did anything noteworthy, I'd argue the opposite, but I still do not appreciate where politics has been in recent history. The low blows and name calling need to stop. Even Senator McCain needs to realize this and if he doesn't appreciate his party's war actions, a viable and clear solution would be much more appreciated as opposed to the verbal jabs (even with Democrats and certainly Rumsfeld).

CNN.com

Hoops-All Star Weekend

So did anyone watch much of the NBA's All Star Weekend? I didn't. I saw about 2 seconds of the All Star Game, noticed it was a blowout and changed the channel. Is there a bigger waste than the NBA's All Star game? There's no legitimate value. Everyone is playing halfheartedly and nothing is at stake. At least in baseball the All Star game decides home field advantage in the World Series. And in football, it really looks like the guys play hard as a matter of pride. Watch some of the hits (especially Sean Taylor's special teams hit) and tell me that the football players don't take it seriously. But hoops? C'mon, I want to like everything about the NBA. And when I was watching MJ, Magic and Bird, I did. But after MJ left, somehow it feels like the league lost its way and never quite returned. I must admit, there's been some good playoff series with the Pistons, Lakers, Spurs, Mavs and Heat. But overall, it's just not the same. Maybe LeBron will take us back there, but I'm not holding my breath for him or Pippen (He's returning? What the hell?). When do we get to see good teams again? Not a marquee player against another marquee player (like Kobe vs. LeBron). I'm talking Lakers vs. Celtics. I'm talking Vinny Johnson coming off the bench and torchin' ya for 20. Coop coming in to lock someone down. Hell, I'd take Spider Salley and some ugly rebounding. Where's that stuff? The Pistons were there for about a second and then poof!, nothing. Help me, I want to like the NBA again.

Ichiro Leaving?

There is already speculation that Ichiro will leave the M's once his contract is up and go to a contender. And here we are just getting ready for spring training. It would be sad to see the guy go, but I'm not so sure that having a bunch of high priced guys on a crappy team going nowhere is the turnaround strategy for us. It really seems like we need to blow the team up (including the front office) and start over with some young prospects. The team is willing to spend money, so supplementing that young talent with some good high-value free agents would seem wise. Now, whether we do that or not is doubtful. But trying to compete with the rest of the division currently in our state is daunting. It already looks like it might be a rough season for us. We need to be realistic and decide whether we really have any chance with the team that is in place. Unfortunately, it just doesn't look promising. But then again, we still have to play the games and see how it works out. And to see Ichiro leave would be sad, but it may mark the beginning of a turnaround that is much overdue.

Resource

I like to be able to speak about things that I think are helpful. Firefox is one of them. Firefox is an internet browser that allows you to surf the web with different tabs. Basically the tabs allow you to have many pages open at the same time. The more tabs, the more pages open. The beauty of it is that it allows you to switch back and forth between pages quickly. So, if you're like me and like to read the news and check all sorts of things out at a pretty quick pace, the tabs allow you to be all over the web in an efficient manner. With so much information out there, it's nice to be able to get through it quickly. Life isn't always meant to be in front of a computer. But if you're going to get your news and get it quickly, Firefox is a nice alternative.