GREATEST DEPRESSION and THE GREAT RECOVERY

Smart or smart-alec? You decide.

Here's the latest from the "doom and gloom" leader of the United States of America, the prime minister of packing-it-in, the master of financial disaster --- that's right, Johnny Rabbitt Junior speaks out again.

Alright. So...when did the government FINALLY start to realize what I was saying a year ago --- that the country is in a recession...??? Hmmmn. Waiting until the Christmas buying season and after the election cycle --- well, it didn't matter to those who were looking for a new governmental direction, because of the outcome of the presidential and most congressional elections swaying toward the Dems this round --- the announcements finally came in the OFFICIAL way. They're saying 533-thousand jobs were cut in November --- and they're just announcing the recession that is the worst since 1981-1982. Is that their attempt at a "nice save"???

Truly, the current George W. Bush administration has nothing to lose by telling the truth --- so, why do they only announce a recession and not THE GREATEST DEPRESSION???
Face it --- if they announce the DEPRESSION WE HAVE SEEN FOR MANY MONTHS (by my count, we were depression-bound at the outset of spring 2008), it will end sooner rather than later, and MAYBE the Bush administration could get a PIECE of the recovery effort instead of being hailed for the next 40 years as the administration which ushered in the worst economic meltdown in modern history (let's face it, the modern era cannot be compared apples-to-apples to the 20th century Great Depression). I've heard Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family clamour that the last big recession should be shouldered by President Jimmy Carter, so why not have him admit that the Bush administration has faltered and lied to the American public about the economic condition of 2008 being MUCH WORSE than that of the start of the 1980s? It is the truth, people. Don't deceive yourselves another minute --- we're in the GREATEST DEPRESSION.

But --- I am here to do what I have not done in all of these months: BRING GOOD NEWS about the recovery efforts.


HUH??? (you say exclaiming surprise that I'd have some GOOD news about the economy and not just about Christ Jesus the Savior of the world)

Here's the headline that I probably should have written 11 months ago: 2009 will be painful. What is going to be obvious throughout the first 6 months is that the pain is going to be spread to millions, perhaps hundreds of millions, around the globe. But that will lead to something dramatic --- a turnaround, being led by some hundreds or thousands of people who will start up new businesses and...slowly...the recovery will begin.
As of yet we haven't yet identified those who will lead this world of small business. In fact, many of them have not yet identified THEMSELVES as the future leaders of small business. They won't make that decision until down the road when the figure out where their money source/capital will originate. But, once they do, believe me, the turnaround will begin in earnest.

Mark this column. The turnaround in 2010 will be the MOST DRAMATIC EVER!!!

By 2011, there will be fewer of us bemoaning the country's economic status. The why is not difficult to see...it IS however difficult to see who will lead. Count me in the corner of the naysayers now about --- well, frankly --- now. But count me among the optimistic who believe that in 2012 there will be millions who have been bettered. To get to the pleasures of life, we have to endure a bit of pain.

For those who are suffering the pains in this economy, I offer this free advice: PRAY to the Lord for divine intervention in your life. I've needed it --- and you'll find it, too.

In case I get too busy during the next month, I bid all of you a Happy Holiday season. So, Merry and Happy and Blessed CHRISTmas to one and all. Happy Chanukah/Hannukah and Happy New Year.

What's New with the Economy?

Smart blog readers will look at the latest from STL Citizen. Sometimes you have to enjoy being quoted!

http://stlcitizen.blogspot.com

Thanks!

Rah-Rah Sis-Boom BAH HUMBUG!!!

Are you like me and you've found yourself watching a LOT more financial television shows?

It's strange. I would watch CNBC only occasionally a few years ago when I was working in a wire service newsroom. Perhaps it was teaching me to read conditions better than Mad Money Man Jim Cramer, although I suppose I can give him a "props" moment for telling everyone that the gains on the stock market on Monday "could not be trusted". Now I will criticize Jim Cramer, because I've seen no sign that Cramer has given over to the dark side that is the BEAR...or maybe it should be the BARE market. He's still one of the cheerleaders who claims the downturn in the market: 1) was not going to happen; 2) is all but over. And what we observed - by not being Mr. Cramer - was as the market fell dramatically, Cramer had his head in his hands several times. He didn't understand why his predictions that the market would "adjust" and "not fall dramatically" were misleading.

Now, many of the talking heads on CNBC and other cable shows are arguing that the bailouts of companies and banks will right the financial crisis NOW.

Guess again.

Hasn't anyone at the financial news networks witnessed the real problems yet? Unemployment may be less than 6 and a half percent on paper, but that's not the REAL numbers of unemployment. Those real numbers would also take into account those people who have run out of unemployment benefits because they have been without a job in their field for much longer than the government entities would think/believe. Or would be allowed by law to report --- get that? They are NOT ALLOWED to report the ACTUAL FIGURES because lawmakers have figured out how to force the government agencies into flat out lying about things because at a given point they can no longer count certain individuals as unemployed. This does NOT take into account the even LARGER segment of the population --- the severely UNDEREMPLOYED.

You see, the Jim Cramer's of the world won't see the real numbers of unemployment and they still want to believe that there's not a recession, let alone that a DEPRESSION is tearing --- ripping --- through the United States in 2008 and will continue into 2009. Why would I pick on the financial gurus if I didn't see it first hand? I have said time and again that I could possibly be wrong, and that I have absolutely NO PROPER TRAINING IN FINANCIALS. But, thus far, my predictions based upon observations have been closer to 90 percent. Today, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average opened big following a more than 900 point upswing on Monday, the drop to 8000 has yet to occur. It will. So...why are these people trying to convince me that I'm wrong? Well, the answer is because they still have a lot of money to lose. And why am I not pulling punches? It is because I have no money to lose.

Until we're all on the same shaky ground, things won't be fairly equitable in the U. S. of A.

Here's the interesting thing: the beginning of the bailout is slow. The observations of those on the financial news shows have all said so.

But the financial heads, talking heads, and news anchors-reporters (loosely named) keep trying to do the cheerleading thing.

Rah-rah sis-boom BAH-HUMBUG!!!!!!!!

That's what it comes down to.

Mr. and Mz. Talking Head ---- here is the key to note: The depression is NOT "off the table" just because of a day of showing a positive on the Dow Industrials and the beginnings of a second "up" day. In fact, the longer I typed this, the lower the Dow Industrial Average --- it's well before the end of trading...I do not know today's outcome --- up or down at the end of today, there is much more bad news ahead.

And the president's plan to reward banks who buy out other banks is ludicrous. But it is his plan. And it feels like something "W" would come up with as a bridge to the market recovery that he wants to pipe-dream into reality. It's just the pipe-dream, not the reality for which he is hoping. We'll all see the analysts discuss this plan over the next few days --- and then the examination will lead to ---> the next downward trend.

Note to Jim Cramer and the talking money heads: 8000 hasn't yet been reached. The downward trend has been only temporarily on hold. 8000 is coming. Employment figures will be out later this week which will push things toward 8000.

That's my Rah-Rah Sis-Boom BAH HUMBUG to you cheerleaders.

Who DARED Tell The TRUTH About The Market???

So...did you all think I just up and quit thinking about this blog?

Naaahhh...I just had to wait to see my predictions start coming true. A full year ago I was telling people with whom I worked that we were in a recession and there was a full depression coming. Not one of them bit. NOT ONE OF THEM WOULD BELIEVE ME.

Now, I'm not a prophet. I'm not claiming to be some see-it-all. I just used what little knowledge I have about the markets and conditions in the business world to see the path that was laid out in front of all of us. The STOCK MARKET...the HOUSING MARKET...the LABOR MARKET: all were going to be hit HARD by the rapid decline in one or more of these areas of the economy. Let me share with you how many economics classes I took in college: ZERO. ZILCH. NADA.

No, it doesn't take a degree in economics to see where things can go. It takes some common sense and reporter's skills. And if you thought I was a raving lunatic in April or May when I was clearly outlining what was going to happen --- now you wonder "did I sell soon enough?"

Let me go back to my predictions -- and here's the thing, I'm not going to be able to give you exactly how I worded it in a conversation that I was having in March of 2008, but suffice it to say that --- when I was on the air at KZQZ in June this year (2008) and made the on-air announcement that we are in the GREAT DEPRESSION of 2008 --- I was NOT KIDDING that the depression in the economy was coming. And for those of you who thought I was, I am sorry to inform you that it is here, it will be here for the next several weeks, and the stock markets reflect that it is here.

As I type this, the Asian markets were in a free-fall. Quoting an AP story that was online via Yahoo! news a few minutes ago: "There's no bottom to the stock markets now," said Francis Lun, general manager at Fulbright Securities Ltd. in Hong Kong. "There's no clue when it will stop."

Do you see what I mean?

Okay --- bottom line. My predictions off-air were that we'd see things on the DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVG in the 8000 range by the end of 2008...likely BEFORE Christmas. And if things continue in the way they have this week, that could be sooner rather than when I initially made my goofball prediction. At this point, I will finally give you the GOOD NEWS of what will be. At the conclusion of the holiday season, a few retailers who have been predicting less-than-wonderful sales will be pleasantly surprised to find that they met their expectations --- and in some cases surpassed the sales figures they were thinking were going to occur. Yeah, that's right. I'm predicting that at least one retailer will say they had better-than-expected results. And that's because whomever was still left in charge at the company will have had an idea what was to come and they predicted a large decline in spending due to the economic DEPRESSION. And, shortly after that ONE PIECE OF GOOD NEWS, things will start to improve SLOWLY.

Here's what I cannot see at this point in time: WHEN the economy will be on a definitive upswing. I don't have a prediction on that. And I TRULY wish I did, because I'd be finding money and borrowing money and investing it. But...I do not have a clue. Just knowledge that what we are experiencing is a sucky period called a DEPRESSION.

Good luck in figuring out how to weather this storm.

Westwood One Cuts Metro Networks Jobs, Begins Companywide Failure

Last week a number of people at Metro Networks, a company acquired by Westwood One several years ago when Metro was a gigantic money-maker with a good reputation within the broadcast industry, became unemployed people. In St. Louis, several of these people have been friends or co-workers. It is the FAULT of WESTWOOD ONE managers and corporate vice-presidents who know only GREED...not how to handle personnel. In fact, from personal experience, the Viacom/Westwood One corporate attorney remains one of the most-hated people within the entire broadcasting community. I hope he put ALL of his investment money into Westwood One stock...and he doesn't sell off before the BIG CRASH...I want him to suffer the way he's made hundreds of former employees suffer --- without a job and/or money.

WESTWOOD ONE STOCK --- watch it and its mama stock Viacom fall feverishly soon. Within 6 weeks, the managers will be making another announcement in an attempt to keep itself solvent. Mark my words --- it will be an attempt in the barest and most banal sense. Soon you'll see WESTWOOD ONE will be up to the first bidder --- not just the highest bidder. I wonder if someone like Bank of America will want to find a buyer for WW1 and help market them, too?

(Pull your money from BAC - Bank of America now before they ask the Fed for relief! Their stock price fell more than $7 today to close @ $26.55 --- and they had been trading above $52 within the past year, before they "absorbed" Countrywide in that fiasco.)

VIACOM remains desperate, but it is like the basement that leaks on a day when 5 inches of rain falls, 4 inches of that rain within two hours --- it's going to be a very wet and smelly situation. You see, Viacom filed suit against YOUTUBE for $1Billion in March 2007...obviously in an attempt to keep themselves solvent. Their stock price dropped that day to $39.50. See below.

Westwood One closed Monday at $0.67 --- it's highest point in the past 52 weeks was $3.30. Does that tell you how great it is to be managed by these great "budget cutters" who apparently know SOOOO much about the business of business?

Mama company Viacom lost only 1.99% today, closing down $0.54 at $26.62 --- hmmn. Do you see the trend?

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To my friends from Metro Networks St. Louis who are now without a job:

Mark, Tom, Vicki, Jen, Susan...even Chris, whom I don't know: You're all in my prayers! Of course my friends still employed there are in my prayers, too, since you'll have to carry on without these great people.

Here Comes the CRASH of 2008

You didn't see it coming? In fact, I haven't been very convinced that it was going to happen. What? The great market crash of 2008 has been slow in coming, due in part to the way Americans simply joined the rest of the world in paying more for fuel and didn't throw up much of a fuss. Well, something wicked this way comes.

Now, Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch in one day. What more proof does the stock market need to spur the greatest sell-off and stock market fall EVER recorded??? Okay --- sure, I could again be wrong that it's about to happen. If I were to have made a prediction in May, I would have said the crash wouldn't happen until October. And, should I be on the limb making direly necessary predictions (are there NECESSARY predictions?), October 2008 still seems a likely place to start with the undoing of all the gains that the wealthiest people on earth (*generalizing that the wealthiest are Americans, even thought we know that not ALL of the wealthiest are from the USA) have enjoyed over the past 30 years, during the tremendous stock market gains which added and padded their bank accounts and pockets.
However, I'm going to waffle here. It could be this week or next week.
Hey...it could be next February just after the 2008 holiday sales numbers have been double-crunched to find, yes, there really is such inflation, unemployment and an actual undiagnosed-by-the-government depression ongoing, that the market goes down like a four-square ball punctured by a nail.

This is simple:
The economy has already gone down --- but the markets have not properly reacted. Yet.

I hope you all realize that the banks/lending institutions you've been opening are so close to dying that you're ready to merge (again??) with one of those banks which weathered the stormy times 79 years ago and still exists. This is my over-the-side firing shot. RAID YOUR BANKS SOON, or you'll be looking like a scene out of "It's a Wonderful Life" when the townsfolk went to all their lending institutions to withdraw all of their hard-earned monies. They want their moneysworth.

Hard-pressed to come up with a great closing line, he simply says: "Send cash."

Regarding GOLD

I'm listening to GOLD again tonight. I've done so off and on for the past more than a month. It's fun to hear what the "presenters" in the UK get to do. My best friend is happy as "Paperback Writer" just started blaring from the speakers. We're here singing along with The Beatles and enjoying our evening. Straight into Bryan Adams "Cuts Like A Knife"...as a person in his 40s, I am really having fun listening to this station --- oldies from 5 decades...and an occasional "new" release by the artists who already belong to the "gold" library. FUN! Now, if they'd only hire me to be their overnight "presenter"!!! THAT would be a blast!

I hope y'all are doing well,

God Bless you!

JRJ

What I've Recently Found

ON the WorldWideWeb, there are so many things to see that it simply boggles the mind. That includes music sites, information galore, and literally thousands of places where you'll read comments from bloggers and/or letter-writers & commentators. I'll tell you about my "site of the week" for the past several days.

I was reading the Brian Wilson "blue board" message board and someone posted that this digital online UK radio station has a host/DJ who has been playing a track from Brian Wilson's upcoming "That Lucky Old Sun" CD/DVD/Vinyl (yes, limited record supply, too!) set to hit stores on 2 September 2008. So, naturally I wanted to hear this DJ and radio station. I searched David "Kid" Jansen's name and found this link. When I put it on the computer, I was instantly loving the music mix. I stayed up pretty much all-night the other night...well...that should say SOMETHING right there --- I go to bed usually before midnight (and miss Craig Ferguson regularly because of it!) and rise usually between 4 and 6 o'clock most mornings. That particular night was an exception --- because the music mix is exceptional to a person of my age. Generally it's music from the 60s, 70s, 80s --- pop music with that UK flair and flavour (have to spell it the UK way, ya know) --- from Elvis to Erasure, the Beatles and Beach Boys, and the occasional newer song from well-established artists. Hence, it seems, the reason that David Jansen plays the Brian Wilson track. Well, I didn't hear that particular song, but Jansen did promise he would play a new Van Morrison tune (I actually left the room and missed it, so I cannot tell you anything about it) that morning (he's on from 10am to Noon in London...that, my friends, is between 4am and 6am in St. Louis).
Anyway...I wanted to share --- especially for you who enjoy a mix of music like this: Crispian St. Peters "Pied Piper", Elvis "Stuck Like Glue", whoa..."Boogie Oogie Oogie"..."Words" by BeeGees, "Say A Little Prayer" by Aretha..."Cry" by Godley and Creme..."Hello I Love You" by The Doors...this station is so different..."Let Your Yes Be Yes and Your NO be No" by The Pioneers..."Sometimes" by Erasure..."Mind Games" by John Lennon..."Cecilia" by Simon & Garfunkel...I can't tell you how this UK version of "Classic Hits" means "real hits" - the UK version includes songs only charting in the UK, so you can be assured you won't know all the songs - instead of the stuff you get on American FM radio which claims the "classic hits" moniker, yet only plays rock songs and all but ignores pop music. This Gold Music channel is the FOR REAL station for music fans who want variety and at least a large chunk of music from that era. They do occasionally throw in a 50s tune or a 90s tune, and as I stated a new track from an artist when they have one that hits their fancy...but the majority of their music is 1962-1989.
Go ahead and go there, and open up the media player --- make sure you crank up your speakers loud when you're moving around the house doing housework or just sit online reading your emails and favourite blogs.

http://www.mygoldmusic.co.uk/Article.asp?id=484860&spid=18956

They have UK news and sports, commercials (not many, but it is interesting to hear a furniture company commercial for a British store), and the personalities are well tuned-in to the local scenes (okay, the entire regional scene, I'd say because they're a region-wide station). I'd love to have this station ON THE AIR in the US!

Have a listen and let me know what you think!

JRJ

Wishing KZQZ a good change; Economy Rollercoasters

Hi, Johnny Rabbitt Junior fans. It's Friday night, and I finally have access to the computer to tell you what I can.

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I was informed that KZQZ is going "in a different direction", and that I am "no longer needed" as an employee of KZQZ.



I don't truly know what direction the station will be heading. If there is something going on with the station manager, Bob Romanik, I don't know what that would be at this point...he has not talked with me since a brief conversation on Tuesday afternoon. That conversation was marked with some references to changes, but no exact reason for those changes.



If you have questions, please ask Bob Romanik those questions --- I really don't have any answers for them.



Meanwhile:



I would like to thank those advertisers who had planned to start on the air this week and next week on KZQZ and on the RABBITT REUNION show...I am, unfortunately, unable to play your commercials, read them to the listeners, and therefore unable to fulfill the obligation that I had hoped to have completed for you. Yes, I know that you'd love to be on the air on KZQZ...you may always contact the station at its permanent office in Belleville, Illinois - the phone number is 618-394-9965. They may have hired a sales manager...not having been part of the station since the other day, I am not on the inside to tell you for certain that there has been any sales staff hired, although it appeared that the station was about to hire one or two people.



I hope that TJ the DJ, Jim "Super" Shannon, The Foxman, Tina Sanders, Jackie McCoy and Mad Maynard, Steve Davis, and Bob Romanik are able to weather the changes. I know that Clark "Dr. Boogie" Davis will be just fine...but that's great insider information anyway!



From the conversation I did have with Bob Romanik on Monday, and again on Tuesday afternoon, Bob apparently thought I was heading for another radio station...he thought I had been offered a job elsewhere. As of Tuesday at 4:30pm [when I walked out the door of KZQZ supposing that I may possibly still be back on THURSDAY (Bob had asked me to take Wednesday off and call on Thursday morning)], I had not called any other stations for possible employment --- and none had offered me any positions. Since that time, I have made contacts in hopes of securing another job. That having been said, if Bob wanted me back --- and would be willing to pay me for my services --- I would consider that strongly. I believe in oldies as a format, and great personality rockin' jocks as being one of the reasons that people like to listen to the radio, and in AM radio as a great permanent place for oldies in a radio market like St. Louis.



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HERE COMES THE OPINION PART:



The barrel of oil dropped rather significantly over the period of last week Friday through Thursday this week. The stock market dropped significantly last week, then had a slight rebound on the oil price fall this week.



It's still the beginning of a depression.



The housing market continues to lose steam. The mortgage situation remains dire. Escrow accounts are now the targets of the lenders --- they're REQUIRING additional money to many of those who have bought houses inside the past four years. The increases may acrue money for the lenders faster, but maybe they should consider the economic factors which could also cause the mortgage fiasco to become even MORE of a catastrophy. If they ask for additional money from those to whom they've now lent money at the beginning of the mortgage cycle, they are asking people who have only a "little" wiggle room to come up with additional funds. Sure, in many cases they are prepared to pay up to twice what they had been paying each month. But, not all people figured into their budget a cost of TWO TIMES what their monthly payment would be --- and you should already know that will cause ADDITIONAL foreclosures.

That would also mean --- get this, people --- the mortgage companies asking for more money to cover escrow payments would also be CAUSING MORE PROBLEMS FOR THEMSELVES because they'd never be able to recover the money that they had suddenly caused to become additional outstanding debt due to the additional foreclosures. The actual debts could become significantly higher to the lender. Then, the lender begs for the Federal Government to help them recover.



Um...IndyMac...that's one word I guess I could bring up to the light now.



I hope you all have a good weekend!

=========================



NOTE:

Clark "Dr. Boogie" Davis...keep on RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROOOCCKKKKKIINNNN'!!!

A Day With the Baby Bunny

Johnny's taking a break from blogging today and asked me to fill in for him. I'm not nearly as good as he is at this, but I'll take a stab at it. First, let me introduce myself. I'm Capt. KT, a good friend of JRJ's.

Junior spent some time with his daughter today. For a lot of reasons, he hasn't had as much time with her as he would like lately, so days like today are precious to him. Baby Bunny is one of the sweetest little girls in the world. You can't help but smile when you're around her! She's funny, smart, and kind. If you're sad or upset, this darling girl will do all in her power to cheer you up. She's just that kind of person. I've often heard JRJ declare that he is, "The luckiest daddy in the whole world."

So, JRJ and his Baby Bunny had a fun daddy-daughter day. They went to one of her favorite restaurants for breakfast and then did a little shopping. I got to share part of the day with them even though we were in separate cities. How? We were talking on the phone and realized that they were in the same store that I was in at the time. The three of us discussed DVDs over the phone as if we were all in the same place and not separated by some 2000 miles. It was a lot of fun! All in all, they had a great time and got to spend some much needed time together.

That's about it for now. Johnny will be back to blogging soon. He really enjoys hearing from everyone, so please send him a note sometime. Thanks for listening to Johnny!

Moving On: My Move Ends; Does the Banking Industry or A-B Go Away NEXT?

It is the weekend. For the past 3 days I have been moving...and moving...and moving...and moving...and moving...and you get the picture. I hurt in places I'd forgotten about being body parts in the first place!!!

I'd like to apologize to all, and thank a lot of people. If I had saved up enough money to make the move go quickly or hire some people to help, I'd have had it all done 3 weeks ago. But, as it turned out, I was off on Wednesday (scheduled) as well as Thursday and Friday (unscheduled on Thursday - but the boss told me to take off Friday to rest...he was WISE in doing so) --- and the RABBITT REUNION show didn't air as a regularly scheduled broadcast since Tuesday. So, I apologize - I meant to bring you LIVE shows...but, unable to do differently, I'll return on Monday and get back into the full swing of things.

ALSO, I'd like to thank Bob "The Grim Reaper of Radio" Romanik, The Foxman, Jim "Super" Shannon, Tina Sanders - Queen of the Golden Oldies, Clark "Dr. Boogie" Davis, Al Gross, Mad Maynard and Jackie McCoy, Steve Davis, and T. J. the DJ for the moral support. Having a great team surrounding you at work (KZQZ) makes a difference - especially when you are going through a rough period. Make no mistake, it's been a rough adjustment to move almost all of your personal belongings.

BIG Thanks: I'd like to thank Captain KT, my parents, Diane (the Elvis fan/KZQZ fan), my ex (yes, I'm thanking my ex - she really helped me load up some of the heavier pieces on Wednesday when there were no other ablebodied persons who could help with the over-100 pound or bulky pieces of furniture) and my daughter. Each made a contribution to the move and I am truly grateful .

Also, thanks to the new advertisers coming on. Hearing the words that you want to advertise on the RABBITT REUNION makes me greatly hopeful. We're in to something good, as Herman's Hermits told us.

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"BANK DEPOSITORS WITHDRAW MONEY IN A PANIC"
It sounds like an early 20th Century headline.
But today it is a 21st Century headline...about IndyMac Bancorp Inc.

Why?

According to a variety of online articles I have combed through, the regulators of the U.S. banking industry seized mortgage lender IndyMac on Friday because of a large amount of withdrawals by "panicked depositors". Yes, the Federal regulators' takeover of IndyMac means a shift in the California-based company. Because of FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corp) supervision, the lending institution will become IndyMac Federal Bank when it reopens on Monday.

Here's (at least part of) the backstory which led to the seizure. IndyMac was founded by the same founders of Countrywide --- which was taken over last week by Bank of America. Countrywide remains the poster-child of lenders who aren't diverse enough. Anyway, IndyMac customers began to earnestly withdraw their money from IndyMac over the past few weeks. The company made a statement early in the week that it was going to cut its workforce by approximately 60 percent. Truly important to note: the company tried - it apparently asked for help. It HAD to ask for the regulators to help: depositors pulled out approximately $1.3 billion from their accounts between June 27th and July 10th. According to company business statements, IndyMac had lost $799 Million --- that was the deficit --- over the past half-year. Shares of the company's stock were trading at around $50.00 each just two years ago. It was trading at around $6.00 in December. It fell to 28-cents the other day.

In the timult this week, the regulators closed the headquarters branch in Los Angeles on Friday, searched through the paperwork, then began the process of taking over the lender --- and to look for a buyer of IndyMac. Some experts who were sought for comment estimate that almost 100 percent of the money in the company had been invested in mortgage assets. THAT is some estimate. And it's not easy to work in management when you're looking at gigantic debts from the foreclosures. If all your money is tied up in something that's LOSING money...you're not doing so well. That's similar to putting all your money on a poker player who is entered into a tournament against players who are on equal-footing. As I see it, you can never watch one of those TV tournaments and figure out who will win. SAME thing here. You cannot tell who will come out ahead. And when the economic picture is bleak on the home mortgage and home prices AND sales are dropping, the lenders end up losing...and the customers of IndyMac obviously picked up on that (a smart lot those with enough foresight to pull out their money from IndyMac BEFORE Friday). When an institution faces all of this, it is not in the position to save itself very easily. This was simple. The Federal regulators move will mean someone else (another more diverse lender, perhaps) takes control. Quoting a Reuters article, printed in the New York Times, "At the time of closing, IndyMac had about $1 billion of potentially uninsured deposits held by about 10,000 depositors. The FDIC said it would pay those depositors an advance dividend equal to 50 percent of the uninsured amount." For NOW, they'll insure only HALF of the outstanding debt. Let's read this one of two ways, depending upon whichever side one is reading it: I received a loan Thursday for $200000, which is perhaps now worth $100000 (I admit I know this won't happen, but it is an illustration). Or - more likely - perhaps I deposited $100000 on July 2nd - which is now worth $50001. Am I happy about this?

Oh...and the FDIC is estimating CURRENTLY that 90 banks/lending institutions are in trouble. Four have now failed in 2008...that's one more than all of 2007.

Does this sound a bit like we are heading toward OTHER bank raids and takeovers?

Are Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac going to hear something good soon, or will these --- allegedly --- nearly untouchable institutions be belly-up within the next 24 months? Freddie Mac may cut shareholders dividends. Soon.

Does FEAR BEGET FEAR? According to a notation online, there is a Citigroup report going around by that title calling the sell-off "overdone". But, I ask you: Is it just an overdoing of the economic woes?

My opinion is: there is no way to make the economy right itself in the short-term. We are in a depression...or bound for it very shortly. The banks will see raids. The Wall Street wizards will not be able to stop the stock sell-off that has begun. And the small guy will eventually win as much as the "wealthy" guy. First, we'll all have to lose --- some will lose it all, just like the 20th Century Depression. This is the beginning of the 21st Century Depression. We're still awaiting the full-blown failure. But, with every failure, lessons are learned and new fortunes will be made. Here's to prayer --- say some for yourself, family, friends, other loved-ones. We're facing a crunch that is about to assert pressure upon our lives: rich, wealthy, middle-class, poor.
If you're a betting kind, you're beginning to wonder "who is rich and who is poor anymore?"?!?!?!?!? And by 2010, we may be mostly poor and learning to survive all over again.

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A-B and InBev are in "friendly negotiations". That's a simpler way of saying that August A. Busch IV may have finally heard (maybe the information didn't get filtered from his inner-circle this time) what his uncle, Adophus Busch the whatever, is saying along with the other money-grubbing shareholders, and he decided to hear out what Carlos Brito and InBev could do for those who want the money, want the money, want the money. Basically, they're saying "okay...the offer is up to $70 a share...we're going to sell. Jump on the bandwagon, little boy Busch, and we'll hold it up there for until the buyout happens."
The rest of those who stand to lose --- the distributors and those involved in the entire "network" of Anheuser-Busch companies --- won't get the value from the sale of the St. Louis-based (for now) beer giant. That will add to the woes of the economy in St. Louis and across the United States.

This "deal" is another nail in the coffin of the legacy of Vice-President Dick Chaney's and President George W. Bush's great economy. It may not seem like it yet, but you'll see it will be a big one.

I have heard this said in St. Louis for years: The way beer sales go...so goes the economy.

Beer sales has been so-so, at best, for the big American-based companies in the past 20 months.

So we ask: What happens next? Another BANK RAID DAY (or week) in which ten to twenty lending institutions fold and become FDIC banks? Or, InBev is in the corporate seat of America's beer giant, laying off the people who have made the economy work for more than 100 years?

Another Moving Day; Luke Weaver Benefit Concert on Saturday

So...it's Wednesday...and another MOVING day for the Junior Rabb. Yeah..as mentioned the other day, I have to move out - and by this Thursday.
So, the truck is rented...and my body will just have to keep up with the furniture, boxes, totes, bags, stuff...that will be moving from my long-time residence near Carondelet Park. Some will be into storage, a few items will go with me to my new living space, and some will be trash, I'm sure.

Either way, this blog notation is for the listener to the RABBITT REUNION show, weekday afternoons on the All-New KZQZ, HOT TALK/COOL OLDIES 1430AM. I'll be out of the studio on Wednesday, and if all goes well (I hope so...I'm practically broke) I'll be back on Thursday afternoon with tales of a successful move. If not, you'll hear my groans (pain, woe, etc.?) on Thursday as I continue to move things. Hopefully I'll have enough hands and backs which work to get things completed on Wednesday.

I hope all is well with you.

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Note that the MEMORIES OF ELVIS show (Steve Davis & the TCB Band, Thomas Hickey as Buddy Holly, etc.) is going to be playing on Saturday night at the Mascoutah Sportsman's Hall at 8pm. It's a benefit concert for 18-year-old Luke Weaver. Luke has had fights with TWO forms of cancer. His family is obviously financially stressed and probably physically stressed...and he's undergoing treatment in the hopes of being well for the fall when he is to become a university student and study medicine!

Let's do two or three things: 1) Buy a ticket to the show ($20 in advance...$25 at the door) in support of Luke and those involved; 2) if you cannot attend, make a donation on behalf of Luke...you can call one of the following numbers --- 618-960-3340, or 618-939-4371, or to find out more call Darryl Weaver at (work) 618-256-9286 or (cell) 618-696-9768; 3) keep praying for Luke's healing, health in general, and well-being.

Sometimes we have to win the battle against cancer one person at a time.

Help Luke win.

The ADVERTISING Age

I mentioned something on the air the other day. I meant to put it to words on here, but somehow between having moving on my mind and trying to get my schedule for a busy holiday weekend finalized, I managed to postpone the "commercial" part of my blog.
So, here goes.

If you have a friend - or perhaps it's you - who would like to advertise on The All-New KZQZ - HOT TALK, COOL OLDIES 1430AM, consider this: IT'S JULY BUY TIME on the Johnny Rabbitt Junior Show - the Rabbitt Reunion!

If you act now, you can grab an audience who has been listening to the world's greatest oldies for weeks without great amounts of commercial interruption. And we are now taking commercials for those who feel our presentation is the right fit for their business. It is about using the demographics we have at KZQZ and ensuring the use of The Rabbitt Reunion as a partner in the advertising of a business has the positive effect needed. I can be contacted via email or telephone. The phone numbers to KZQZ are 1-888-394-1430 and East Side (618) 394-1430. To call the business line, call 618-394-9965. If a business owner believes (the way we do) that KZQZ can deliver an audience which is within the demographics sought --- now would be the best time to talk about buying advertising with me.

Please consider radio has historically been the most frequent daily companion of those who are over the age of 40. And that's not bull...more than 72% of all Americans listen to the radio on any given day. Keep in mind that those figures would include workdays and weekends - some people listen more during the week and some listen more during weekends. Actual listenership varies as much as your taste for food.

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Here's the radio guide pdf file from the RADIO ADVERSTISING BUREAU:

Check out the facts...you'll see things that will stick out. AFTERNOON DRIVE TIME Monday through Friday, when the Rabbitt Reunion airs...Men ages 25-54 - 84.6% listen to that period. Also, Women ages 25-54 - 85.8% listen during that period. Men 35-64 - 84.3% listen. Women ages 35 - 64 - 84.2% listen to that period. That's overall listening to radio in general, not to KZQZ. Our station is only a portion of that, to be certain. But it means that during the period of 3pm to 7pm, more than 84% of men and women between 25 and 64 are tuning into their radios and listening to SOMETHING.

It's a good bet that those who are over the age of 40 have grown up on OLDIES. I play oldies on 1430AM...and oldies listeners are loyal and listen for long periods of time. And they're in the "preferred buying demographics" of most businesses --- people over 45 have the most disposable income. Put on the thinking cap and contact me if you like what you think.

THANK YOU for your consideration!

Johnny Rabbitt Junior

Landlord/Moving Update - Something Good (I'm A Hopeful Sort)

AFTER I posted yesterday's blog, I talked with my longtime landlord Duane Sanderson and was able to postpone his going to the courthouse to have me evicted. He simply wanted me to pay him a couple hundred dollars so I could keep my belongings in the duplex in which I have lived for more than ten years until such a date that I can get those things moved...mostly to a storage facility, as the place I now reside is small and already has furniture and belongings. Last night Duane was cordial and jubilant --- even told me that I was paying him too much money (that's a first...I was pretty sure I owed him for June even though I haven't lived there). But, all seems to have settled quite a bit since yesterday morning.

Moving: Well...when I wrote the 3 July blog, I was assuming (stupid thing to do, I know) that the rental truck I was planning to have this weekend would still be available. HOWEVER, I also didn't get online to reserve the vehicle until after I finished the blog and had a shower and got dressed. By the time I went to the internet website where I was renting...I had to wait until after the weekend to rent a truck. My Saturday moving plans are now going to be scaled back quite a bit --- my new MOVE day is Wednesday, 10 July 2008. That having been said, I rented the truck for Thursday, too, just in case I can't get all moved by Wednesday night. This will cost me more than I can really afford...blechchchchchchhhh. But, oh, well. I'll get through - I always do, as one of my long time friends has pointed out.

Meanwhile, thank you all for the emails and the phone calls and the personal face-to-face time.

This week has been very busy --- and thanks to BOB ROMANIK and HERB SIMMONS and STEVE DAVIS and MAD MAYNARD and JACKIE McCOY and TJ the DJ as well as literally dozeons of others who I could mention --- I have been given a tredmendous amount of support for which I will always show my gratitude. Moving is never easy, especially in a busy time. So, thank you for your kind words and support --- it means more than you know.

Unable to Move Fast Enough - The Truth

I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I was taking the day off for moving. I did take that day off and spent the entire day and well into the night moving things from one place to another. However, most of my time was not spent at my dwelling - thus I am NOT moved out. And today, I'm SUPPOSED to be moved out. BUT...I haven't had the time off or the resources to make the move.

My landlord needs to be understanding about this inability for me to complete the move. Why? I've been working 7 days and 3 nights a week for the past several weeks. I say 3 nights...some weeks it has been 5 nights a week, not counting my parental duties. I was sick and had to force myself to take that day off three weeks ago...I took another day off two weeks ago, and I have had NO DAYS OFF otherwise since April.

Have I mentioned what the landlord did to me? How about this story - which is the truth, by the way.

Last fall, the landlord informs me that he has been given the green light to have the duplex he owns - and in which I occupy one-half with my daughter - worked upon because of a government grant to check for lead paint and, if it exists in the 80-year-old house, have it removed. So...we start moving things around...and eventually (been there nearly 10 years with three people and two animals over much of that time) get things moved so the crews can come in to inspect the place. The windows and doors were found to have lead - and the grant program covers the cost of window and door cleanup.

But, the catch was...we would not be allowed to live in the dwelling during the cleanup process.

The delays --- after all, it IS a GOVERNMENT PROGRAM --- were immediate and long-term. I bought hundreds of dollars worth of plastic totes and GIGANTIC storage bags so we could store everything in the basement where the least amount of work was necessary. But, the delays were many. Pretty much, I had a bed, a dresser, and a table upstairs starting in February --- several weeks after the first inspectors had come into the dwelling to see what lead may need to be cleaned up.

Okay --- the landlord --- J. Duane Sanderson of Flora Place --- was somewhat communicative with me and my ex over the issues of when the work was supposed to take place. He gave me possible dates when the work would start. And they didn't materialize. In fact, the original timetable was for the crews to come in and do the inspections in the early winter (I'm glad they didn't...it gave me time to get more cleaned up and processed...after all, I lived there for ten years) - but it became 2008 before the crews were there for the INITIAL cleanup. And, then, the delays continued. Before long, it was mid-March and I was living out of boxes and totes. The inspectors had come...the initial cleanup had come...but the actual WORK was delayed. And the landlord did not know when it was to occur. Until the end of March, when I received notice that the crews would be coming in the first week of April.

Keep in mind that I started a new job in mid-March...at KZQZ...and we're trying to put together a radio station and get it on the air in time for an April 1st showing. THINK FOR ONE MINUTE how hard it would be to concentrate on a new job and trying to live in a dwelling in which you would NOT BE ALLOWED to live for an alleged short-period of time...it would be just the several days that it would take to take out the windows and doors, strip the doors and put up temporary doors, put in new windows...and poof, all would be great and I could move back in to my residence with "as minimal problem as possible".

LANDLORD PROMISES:
Duane calls me and says at the end of March - knowing that I am living out of boxes and barely living in the upstairs (I had a mattress in my bedroom...everything else including food not in the fridge was moved into the basement by this point) - that at some point when the contractors are working, he's going to have the kitchen cabinets replaced and the kitchen plumbing updated (this is now the second time he's said this...having said it in late 2007. The KITCHEN PLUMBING, by the way, had been something which needed addressing for six years. During those six years or more, we turned the HOT WATER on and off with pliers. The faucet needed updates, but he seemed very willing to put off doing the major plumbing overhaul that the duplex needs). Oh, and he'd like to sand and resurface the hardwood floors...since it's been ten years since he'd had a chance to do so. I agreed that it would be nice to have those updates.

SO...
It's the 1st of April...KZQZ kicks off...I am living at a friend's house because it was offered and my friend needed a house-sitter while out of town on business. Seems okay. But --- the WORK CREWS DIDN'T SHOW UP THE FIRST WEEK OF APRIL 2008. At all.

How would I know this? Well, I had the opportunity to check it almost daily, for one. And, the landlord didn't call me with any updates on how things were progressing. That was another thing and not altogether difficult to believe.

The SECOND WEEK OF APRIL begins...still no workers on Monday. Still no work. I'm still living outside my dwelling. And I'm growing impatient because I am missing my child. Okay, personal story time - my ex moved only blocks away from my residence last autumn and our daughter was splitting time between the two homes - and although I didn't stay a long way away during the "cleanup", because my daughter is school-aged and I was living 2 miles away during the cleanup, I didn't get to see her often enough. I would come over in the morning and see her off on her bus to school - but that was not an every day event because I was also spending more time at KZQZ.

THE middle of the SECOND WEEK OF APRIL...the landlord called me up and was having his worker sand and surface the wooden floors. He again says that he's going to have the kitchen cabinets updated and is going to get the kitchen faucet and sink updated with new plumbing.

Later in the week, I come past to see the wooden floors...I had actually come over during the first day of the work on the floors and talked with Duane and his worker. All seemed okay, except the government workers still hadn't shown up to do work on the windows and doors. But, it seems they're going to be over by the end of the week to start. And it begins to feel like there was going to be an end in sight.

BUT...when the work crews come over this time...they didn't get a very good start. I am very fortunate that my ex and I have good communication and that she has been available to open up the duplex so that these workers could come in to do the work. Well, that's because THE LANDLORD did NOT show up to let these contract workers in and out. During the time they worked, I was able to meet them a couple of times. They were nice men - very courteous and pleasant. I'm not a construction expert, but I had the feeling that others would get this done quicker and better. Again, I feel fortunate that my ex showed up...because she ended up showing up most of three weeks because the work was not passed by the inspectors, the landlord, even by me. It wasn't very professional. It wasn't handled professionally. The landlord was unhappy. Now, truth be told --- his own worker and he had already painted in the bathroom...it's not pleasant, but was a slight improvement over the peeling paint on the ceiling. Now, the contractor crew had done some painting. Instead of stripping the front door, they simply scraped the paint off the EDGES of the door. It was UGLY. And that's why we were unhappy. The crews were summoned by the lead paint inspectors to come back and refinish things. Finally, the landlord actually came over to witness the crews work. And, finally they were finished with the work.

OKAY - it's at this point that I should interject that I've been living OUTSIDE MY HOUSE FOR 5 weeks by the time they are allegedly finished. BUT NOBODY HAS TOLD ME THAT IT HAS PASSED INSPECTION BY THE LEAD INSPECTORS. That's right. All of the month of April, I lived elsewhere. Although I had taken the occasional shower at my house, I didn't live in my apartment --- and still have not --- since the end of March.

When my friends and co-workers found out in May that I had not been allowed in my own home for a five-week period, most of them were outraged. I was trying to be indifferent, but after SEVERAL different people said the same thing (from different circles who didn't know the others who had told me) --- "you shouldn't have to pay for April. You didn't live there, and the landlord didn't even finish the job he promised."

AHHH YEAH....the PLUMBING AND THE CABINETS --- he STILL HAS NOT DONE THE WORK to them. He's the one who made the promise that they'd be done. Duane Sanderson is the person who MADE THE PROMISE THAT THE CABINETS AND PLUMBING would be completed.

I've never stopped him.

But...I paid him May's rent on-time...with a $25 late fee for April. Then, at the end of May, I paid him $100 for APRIL with a letter informing him that I had been told by so many people that I should pay him NOTHING for April, since I was inconvenienced to the point of being unable to reside in my own place. I paid him the $100 because my stuff was stored in the basement of the house...and I felt I could at least give him that because it was there. However, IF I had known it was going to be more than five weeks before I could move back in, I would have MOVED ALL OF MY BELONGINGS to storage and saved myself a large hassle.

His response is atypical of someone who feels he is entitled to everyone else's money and time. Duane Sanderson responded by delivering an eviction notice asking me to have everything moved by July 3rd, 2008.

TODAY, I am supposed to have all of my belongings out of the dwelling.

But, I have worked 7 days a week and three to five nights a week for the past 12 weeks - except for my one sick day and my day off to try to move things (I mentioned I was moving all day - I was moving things for my parents from one storage facility to another but ran out of time to get more than 10 percent of my things moved).

If anyone wants to help me out...I could really use both manpower and (honestly) money. Although I am working so much, the truth is that at the radio station I have not earned much money. I have been saving up money to pay my rent, my monthly bills, and save up enough to rent a large truck so I can move things to a storage facility.

IF ANYONE can help me out this weekend - specfically on Saturday afternoon and evening - I would greatly appreciate it. I can't pay you like I would a moving company...but I can get you food and drinks and heaps of thanks. AND if it would be helpful, I could say something on the radio for you. Yes, I like to give of myself to others (see reference in yesterday's blog).

If you can help me...(and this would include legal help, as I need an attorney or two)...please email me.

Thanks.

There's more to the story...but for now, I have to call the landlord and tell him that I won't be out until probably the 13th or 14th. By then, I should have had enough time off in the mornings and the weekends to get the move completed. I hope I have enough money to pay for the rental truck I'll have to get for the remainder of the move.

Johnny Rabbitt Junior

Radio: Economy of Thoughts Leads to Boring Radio

Beginning today...

....you won't hear liner cards read on the Johnny Rabbitt Junior Show - the Rabbitt Reunion.

After careful consideration of the radio station listener and great pain in thought, it has become obvious...I'll forego the reading of the liner cards in the studio. Maybe I'll read some out in the lobby of the station away from the microphone, but it is more than obvious that there is NO need to tell you - the listener - what we are trying to impart. That part is obvious when we play these great records.

It's also obvious when I open up the microphone that I love my job. My job is to make the station interesting, as fun as possible, and do things that MAKE you WANT to LISTEN.

And I'm better than a liner jock. If I was just a liner jock, there are lots of radio stations where I could work. But, I didn't chose those stations - they are lame as can be.

I am (as my boss Bob Romanik, my friends, family, and acquaintences tell me - not my opinion) apparently an entertaining disc jockey/air personality who has a way of engaging people, bringing them into my daily life through my personal observations and stories, and (although I don't see this) touching the lives of others in using that personality. Maybe I'm just not getting what it is that these people see... to me I'm just another guy who has a job on the radio and loves it. That takes passion for the job, and it's been there since I was a teenager.

When I discuss economics on the blog or on the air, I tend to use passionate viewpoints. These aren't always popular. But they are convictions based upon information that is given and received. That's called communication - and I work in the mass media --- multiple mediums --- in which we receive hundreds of pieces of information daily. When working at a wire service, my daily routine included reading news from all over the country and world. That way if a story turned out to become a bigger story, I had the information in my mind already. It's just trying to keep up...not a competition.

However in these trying times, everyone wants to make things a competition.

So, the most compelling thoughts I'll have will likely be here. But, when I am on the radio, you'll hear the passionate side of my life, my medium (radio), and my thoughts on things in the world.

One of the best things about working at KZQZ 1430AM is we are HOT TALK, COOL OLDIES. That combines two of the best parts of broadcasting. TALK...you know, the part that makes everyone listen...and GREAT MUSIC...you know, the part that makes everyone listen.

[PUBLIC RELATIONS ALERT]
Watch how I am able to blend the two - TALK AND OLDIES - into a real, fun, compelling show, and not how I manage to blend the liner card "I sound cardboard, corporate and radio" into the mix. After all, if you're listening to KZQZ 1430AM already, you're probably very happy to hear the best mix of "Golden Oldies" or "Cool Oldies" ever found on the radio. That's the truth...there is nowhere on earth where you'll find this great blend of sounds from the 1950s & 1960s (and some 1970s).

Okay...when you hear my point of view, you may not agree --- and I respect your opinions and the fact that we live in a society in which not all may agree. That's one of the greatest things about living in the United States of America. We do not have to agree or think in one particular way. But, in my writings, you'll never see my passion waning.

Speaking of a waning passion...I'm tired of the lame excuses of others in not delivering a compelling reason to listen to their show or even give a reason to read their online viewpoints in blogs or emails (you know who you are you message board losers).
I am not impressed by liner card jocks and I am never going to be impressed by people who won't give of themselves to others who want to learn. I'm not going to be easily impressed by someone who thinks their point of view is better than mine, either, just because they say it is better or more educated.

Remember that I mentioned everything is a competition these days? Here's my competitive challenge to all other radio jocks: be interesting, personal and passionate on the air. Most of all, be entertaining. If I fail to be interesting, it's usually because I came up lame. Mostly I get lame over the issues of reading liner cards and not delivering what audiences expect, which is something ENTERTAINING and compelling! The Krazy Q CRAZY DISC JOCKEY "thing" works for me as a jock and as a listener. In talking about the Krazy Q DJ, he or she is entertaining and wacky. He or she is interested in keeping the audience close to them (the personal touch). Even when he or she is not feeling well, and sometimes especially when he or she is not feeling well, the listener WANTS TO HEAR THAT...it's proof that we're not automatons or computerized disc jockeys from another market.

It's the personal part of radio that liner jocks will never be able to deliver...and it's what sets the good disc jockey apart from the mediocre disc jockey or the lamest ones.

Look: I want you to listen to my show, yes. And I want you to listen to others' shows on KZQZ and wherever else you are a listener. Radio is somewhere. It's in your car, several places inside your house, and found on your "boombox" in your backyard at the barbecue on the 4th of July. And if it's not interesting (and entertaining), you won't listen to radio.

So...radio disc jockeys/air personalities need to make a choice: be interesting, entertaining, informative (you CAN be informative in music radio...you do not have to be a lame liner jock), passionate, personal, and compelling --- or your target audience will be reading a book while listening to their ipod, CD player, cassette deck, or record player.

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Want to buy some advertising for a friend, or yourself? Contact me at the radio station at either our toll-free KRAZY Q HOTLINES 1-888-394-1430, 618-394-1430, or the business line 1-618-394-9965, or on my email.

I use gmail.com - and I am "1430dj" on gmail - Johnny Rabbitt Junior.

Johnny Rabbitt Junior
Air Personality on The All-New KZQZ HOT TALK, COOL OLDIES 1430AM

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HERE is your KZQZ Krazy Q DISC JOCKEY LINEUP for July 2008:

MONDAY - FRIDAY:

6:30AM to 10:30AM - THE FOXMAN
10AM to Noon - JIM "SUPER" SHANNON"
Noon to 2PM - DR. BOOGIE, CLARK DAVIS
2 to 6PM - JOHNNY RABBITT JUNIOR
Hot Talk (sometimes) at 4PM - THE GRIM REAPER OF RADIO BOB ROMANIK
(IF NO GRIM REAPER OF RADIO, THEN JOHNNY RABBITT JUNIOR)
6PM to 8PM - THE QUEEN OF THE GOLDEN OLDIES TINA SANDERS

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On June 28th, all of the Krazy Q jocks were at the Oldies by the River concert series except Clark who was committed elsewhere and sent his best to all. We had a blast, and thank all of you for coming up and talking with us both at the booth we had set up on the hillside and all over the Veterans Memorial Amphitheater in Jefferson Barracks Park.

If you were at the June 28th show and took photos, please email me with any you have of the KZQZ Krazy Q DJ's. I'd like to post some from each of the dates (I have some from the other three weeks), but we forgot to get our photographic equipment there on the 28th.

Thanks in advance if you help out with this cause!
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Murder Suspect FOUND in STL Region

So...as the afternoon ended on Tuesday, the FBI was looking for a suspect in 8 murders in Illinois and Missouri, including an Arkansas couple who was apparently murdered in Festus, MO. Nicholas T. Sheley is the suspect - from the Rock Hills IL area.

Thanks to the quick work of those authorities involved (FBI, Illinois State Patrol, and all of the other cooperating agencies including the Major Case Squad), and tips from at least two alert citizens who had heard media reports on Tuesday which described or showed (internet pictures, for example), Nicholas T. Sheley was captured in Granite City Tuesday evening.

The picture does not show his description: 5'11" - 165 lbs. Tattoos on his arms, shoulders, etc. And a criminal record. Go figure.

When something breaks on stories like this, CNN news will pick up on it right away. Stay tuned to CNN news on The Krazy Q - KZQZ 1430 AM!

A $25,000 reward was offered for information leading to Sheley's arrest. Those who called authorities when Sheley was found inside a bar in Granite City may be eligible.

Something New...Please

(Fenton MO) - Daimler-Chrysler plant workers in Fenton will be removed from their jobs by October 31st, according to news from the company.

Need we read more?


THE DEPRESSION of 2008. It exists. Spread the word.

Marching Forward

BEFORE my normal blog:

Let me ask you this: would you consider making a donation to our troops in Afghanistan? Let me explain.
A friend is serving a tour of duty in an Air Force Reserve Unit based out of Scott AFB...and he recently emailed his friends in the states:

“We are in charge of recreation while we are over here and one of those areas is the renting of DVD's and Game Consoles. Our selection is well, lacking. The DVD's we have are junk and we don't have any game consoles.”

So, obviously they are asking if we have any kind of DVDs or VIDEOGAME consoles we could send over. War can be tedious between the tumultuous times...and they need some entertainment in their down time.

IF you have something you can donate, please contact me via email and put in the SUBJECT "Troop Donation" or something similar. Thanks! By the way, I'm trying to arrange something I can announce on the air - for now, even a few items would be GREATLY appreciated by these troops.

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The final OLDIES BY THE RIVER concert at Jefferson Barracks Park in the Veterans Memorial Amphitheater was a rousing success, with STEVE DAVIS and the MEMORIES OF ELVIS show, and the treat of a lifetime for many St. Louisans...the return of MAD MAYNARD and JACKIE McCOY of "THE OLDIES SHOW" to the stage along with the radio family of The All-New KZQZ - (Hot Talk) COOL OLDIES 1430AM!
Make sure you listen for the Mad Maynard and Jackie McCoy on KZQZ 1430AM starting Saturday, July 12th, 2008! Stay tuned to your radio for more details. Also, see their live oldies shows on Wednesday nights at JP's Corner - behind Sunset Ford off Gravois at Lindbergh, and Sunday nights at the Dorsett Inn - just off I-270 and Dorsett Road.

Back to the original part of this posting. THANK YOU to RICH HUGHES, who made the entire concert series at JB Park possible. He's the reason that you had OLDIES on Saturdays and BLUES on Fridays. RICH is a hard-working and intelligent man who truly loves his job, cares about the people who get involved, and makes these complicated events seem easy. The reality is it's a task with many possible hazards --- and he pulls it together with the fantastic help of the St. Louis County Parks and Recreation officials and workers, Friends of Jefferson Barracks, and the other sponsors of these events. In St. Louis there are quite a few people who organize events - but very few who can measure up to the positive qualities RICH HUGHES carries. I SEND A PERSONAL "Thank you, Rich!" I feel very blessed to have been involved and given the chance to get to know you. It's my hope we get together to "shoot the bull" outside "work" sometime.

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ECONOMIC NEWS:

Has anyone noticed that I'm not backing down from the DEPRESSION OF 2008? I am becoming more aware that I'm correct. The price of a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline in St. Louis went back up to the $3.99 mark again today. Oh...it hasn't gone up at ALL pumps...but the ones that set that mark have done so already in Missouri. Illinois price--- some are paying $4.25/gallon today. Yikes! That means in St. Louis, the average price went up 12 to 15 cents, while it only increased by one thin dime in the Metro East.
Meanwhile, the STOCK MARKET is evolving. Downward, as predicted. You may be well-vested in some stocks. Sell...sell...sell...sell...sell. Before the end of the year, you'll wish you had sold high. (I own no stocks, so my predictions are not predicated on what I hold...and I have no idea what I'm talking about, either. I'm just going to have fun eating my words, right?)
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That METRO TRANSIT MONTHLY PASS ($60 today...but since those hearings are ongoing, I'll bet on $70 to $80 later this year - still better than buying gasoline three times a month!) looks pretty good to a lot of those residents who live near the 270/255 loop, bus lines and Metro Link trains...eh?!?!?!?

I am a regular rider of the buses and MetroLink. How much have I saved over the past three years? Um...THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS! You can't beat the price...even if you can beat the average 90 minute commute time for many of us. Think about the nearly 45 minute drive in the morning and the possible 50 minute commute in the afternoon (guessing the time for someone who drives from, say, Belleville to Clayton and back starting at 7:15AM and again at 5PM). Suddenly the aggravation of driving in "rush hour" seems a lot more manageable if SOMEONE ELSE is doing the driving. My blood pressure is down considerably during my commute from just 3 years ago!
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Well...on the air time...hope you have a good Monday...and Tuesday...and the week goes past fast enough --- so we can celebrate the AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE this Friday, July 4th!
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Special note: HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my sister and my mom, Tuesday!

Johnny Rabbitt Junior
THE ALL-NEW KZQZ - playing COOL OLDIES on 1430 AM weekdays at 2PM!

OLDIES BY THE RIVER CONCERT SERIE$

June 2008 will go down in history as one of the best for GREAT OLDIES in the St. Louis area. First things first - thank you to Rich Hughes, the St. Louis County Parks Department, Friends of Jefferson Barracks, and all those who presented the OLDIES BY THE RIVER concert series before we became involved this year - we being The All-New KZQZ 1430 AM. The series was already successful...then, we got involved. And it's still successful anyway! But what makes it wonderful to us is that we found out how many listeners are paying attention to a station that doesn't even have a billboard budgeted, or a huge local TV ad budget...we're just a small company trying to do things that are fun! And we're doing it! Or if we're not, those hundreds of people who have come up during these concerts to talk with the KRAZY Q jocks and/or register to win $500 in Krazy Q Cash have been just great liars! But the attention makes me think that we're on to something good (Herman's Hermits, eat your heart out!).

Anyway...the last show for this season at Jefferson Barracks Park's Veterans Amphitheater is STEVE DAVIS and MEMORIES OF ELVIS - a terrific showcase of not only the talents of Mr. Davis, but the many musicians and singers who are aligned with him. The guy who mimicks Buddy Holly...hope you get the chance to see him...it's fun!

Be there early...get past the booth where we'll register you for that Krazy Q Cash drawing next Friday...say hello!

EVENT:
Saturday, June 28th, 2008
Jefferson Barracks Park - Veterans Memorial Amphitheater
OLDIES BY THE RIVER CONCERT SERIES
Steve Davis - MEMORIES OF ELVIS - a great LIVE SHOW
Parking opens at 7pm...show begins at 8pm.
ADM: $8 adults

We'll see you there! Make sure you have YOUR ears on...I'll have MINE on!

JRJ

Special Program Note; Additional Info.

I am taking Thursday off. It's a forced moving day. After ten and a half years in the same dwelling, I must move...and you all probably know how wonderful it is to have to move an entire household. Just thought I'd share this moment, just in case you are thinking "where is that wacawy wabbitt?"

Also an informative note: as a musician and a friend to many musicians, I like to inform people of groups and events. So, please note a new link I place upon the blog's sidepanel. It refers to the biggest (perhaps best) German Brass Band in the midwest - the locally-based Deutschmeister Brass Band of St. Louis.
The website is easy to remember: www.germanband.com

Get to know them...especially if you like a beer and some oom-pah!

Health: One Wonders Who Helps Who

Last week, I was sick for the first time in more than a year. In fact, I think it was more than 17 months. That was Wednesday. On Saturday morning, I found a spot on my leg and wondered aloud about its origin. It turned out to be a tick. It was dead, as far as I could tell, as I got it off me quickly. Now I am starting to wonder if I should have found a way to keep that darned tick in a plastic bag or container (I was not home when I found it, so it wasn't like I had all the convenient trappings such as a Ziploc-style bag with me).

Last Tuesday night, my significant other and I visited the Wolf Sanctuary at Tyson Research Park off Antire Road. That's most likely when I picked up the tick, but not absolutely the time and place, as I do live in an area where pets and people can get ticks --- St. Louis has more of these little buggers than you'd think.

What is significant is that I have "bites" - possibly just spider bites - over 12 to 15 places on my body. The ones on my ankles are itchy most of the time, but since they're down low, I don't touch them much unless I'm resting. The ones on my arms itch and get frequent scratching treatments...yes, I know, I know...but, it's not easy to stay away from them! I've looked at the Lyme Disease Foundation pages online at www.lyme.org and cannot see a direct picture that matches my "bites" on my body, but I wonder if it's possible I'm in the early stages of that or another tick-borne disease --- I have no other symptoms of a tick-borne disease other than these itchy, red, spots. But...it makes me wonder if I do have something to worry about, or even something to have treated once I have health insurance.

I, like millions of other Americans, do NOT have ANY health insurance. If I get sick, the bills pile up. No wonder I blog and get riled up. We need UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE and that means YESTERDAY!!!!!

If you have ANY political influence with your CONGRESSMAN --- urge him or her to do something about the health care CRISIS in the USA.

As an example of someone who I actually know, I hold up the sincerely nice Illinois Congressman John Shimkus. John, I should have you read my blogs and consult your fellow public officials...I know you to be an honorable man who would stand up for the likes of me and others...we need the John Shimkuses and Jerry Costellos and the Lacey Clays and the Todd Akins of the world to join together, not just for the metropolitan St. Louis area...but for all of us who suffer from any diseases and cannot afford to get treated. The aisles of Congress should be crossed much more often than they are currently. We need Independents, as well as the other political parties to join in on such an effort. All too often, it's just rhetoric. And I am sick of rhetoric. And I may be sick with a disease I cannot afford to have treated by rhetoric.

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The OLDIES BY THE RIVER concert series continued on Saturday night with a terrific band. Cruzen was full of energy and great songs from five or six decades (okay, I'm not sure they played any 21st Century songs...but the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s songs were good).

This SATURDAY NIGHT - the concert series at Jefferson Barracks Park's Veterans Memorial Amphitheater continues with STEVE DAVIS and the MEMORIES OF ELVIS performance, which will include numerous other performers...this LIVE SHOW is among the best I have seen, not just of St. Louis-area groups, but of bands I've seen in a live setting. It's sure to be VERY crowded. The gates open at 7, and the concert begins at 8pm. Make sure you get your tickets and arrive early for the best seating!

For more information, see the previous blogs or contact KZQZ at 1-888-394-1430 or on the east side (618) 394-1430.

Make sure you tell your friends you heard about this from THE ALL-NEW KZQZ - (hot talk) COOL OLDIES 1430 AM!

Regional Office Closes; Summer Fun Continues with KZQZ

If you're anything like me, you read a wide variety of information sources daily. I love to read the websites that focus upon our region, including the newspapers at the core and periphery of the metropolitan St. Louis area. So, when I include some bit on the broadcast that references something like A-B or flooding, I am pretty well-read before I comment. Today, I find myself about to comment before I read all the facts. But, from the first glance, it appears that because of the way the federal government distributes money to the individual states, the state of Missouri is being forced to reduce the MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS which means the closure of the ST. LOUIS REGIONAL CLAIMS CENTER. This will not necessarily mean the more than 60 jobs disappear - just that all of those workers will be forced to relocate to Jefferson City or Kansas City or Springfield. Those cities retain the "right" to have a claims center according to the DOLIR: so says the article by Matt Allen in the Friday, June 20th, 2008 edition of the St. Louis Business Journal online edition.

What does this mean to the average St. Louisan who wants to make a claim? Well it means an over-the-phone discussion with the person with whom you have become familiar when talking to the STLRCC, if one is to believe the statement given in the article "Customers should not be affected as calls will be transferred to the three other claims offices and the St. Louis office received no in-person claims or customer walk-ins, according to the DOLIR."

Interesting. This means that all those times when I or a family member walked into an office to file an unemployment claim that we were, in fact, not going to a DOLIR REGIONAL CLAIMS CENTER.

Okay, I admit that I'm not the scholar who figures out ALL. I am the scholarly who figures out quite a lot, but like all others I sometimes cannot "get" what the truth is without uncovering a ton of confusion...or...TONS of confusion. This - am I mistaken? - could mean TONS of confusion to the average St. Louisan. So, now, I guess it's up to me to uncover the reasons why I'm confused over this closure and the fact that I haven't visited a DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS office. On the one hand, we can be CERTAIN that the REGIONAL CLAIMS CENTER in ST. LOUIS will be closing, even though we have allegedly never gone inside unless we work there. But on the other hand, we're curious --- to whom do we visit and get our claims rejected so frequently?

I guess I'll have to disgress slightly to point out that Governor Blunt is a Republican and St. Louis is a largely Democrat-run city/region. It would be widely speculated that this fact could be part of the reason for the decision to close this regional office.

Let me return to the initial thought stream here. The national government has allegedly curtailed state-funding to a point that the state of Missouri is FORCED to close this regional center...because the state of Missouri cannot afford to keep it open.

I was reading a post on talk-show host (mid-MO, former St. Louisan) Derek P. Gilbert's website - www.derekpgilbert.com - in which he quoted a Belleville (Ontario) newspaper article that pointed out information on the GREAT DEPRESSION of 2008. In that and other online articles there are references to how the U.S. Government (and one would assume the state-level and municipal-level governments) will have a great deal of financial difficulty in 2008 and 2009, and many agencies will cease to exist because the money will run out.

Like is customary these days, while considering what I have already written, I used search engines to find the name of the unemployment offices that we frequent in the St. Louis area. Ah-ha. The MISSOURI CAREER CENTERS office locations...yes...between the south county and downtown locations, I have been there about 10 times over the past 5 years.

Here is the ANSWER to the question of who runs the places where I have attempted to file for unemployment unsuccessfully several times over the past 15 years. The Missouri Career Centers are run NOT by the DOLIR...but by the DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. I see how it is. Probably if I called the DOLIR number, I may have been given customer service that would have possibly pointed me to how I could actually win an unemployment claim!!!! Okay...just MAYBE...not for sure.

Well, doing that online research also gave me time to pause and reflect upon at least one troubling question:

Does the closing of a state-run Dept. of Labor and Industrial Relations REGIONAL CLAIMS CENTER in St. Louis point toward the "new" great depression?

(Did you read above reference to the government money woes in relationship to the Depression of 2008?!?!?)

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By the way - the Dow Jones Industrial average dropped more than 200 points at the close of Friday trading despite the alleged good news that the Chinese government raised the price of petrol/gasoline by 18% on Thursday and Friday which should have an effect upon the consumption of gasoline in that Asian country...allegedly that will mean Chinese residents who drive will drive less (just like those of us in the U.S. who have already done so because the price of gasoline has increased more than 125% since 2005).
We all know that oil is helping to spur the economic slowdown/crawl, along with the recent problems involving "mortgage lenders" (lending institutions include banks). We should all face it --- numerous banks are vulnerable because they ALREADY OPERATE AT LESS THAN 100% employment capacity...when was the last time you went into a bank at midday on a Tuesday and found all the teller lines open for customer service? And just how many more things (signs like understaffed businesses) do we ignore on a daily basis that point to the increased vulnerability of the economy in the United States of America?

Don't let me get started on health care.

I may be a fun, optimistic, crazy disc jockey on the radio...but I have this cynical and more realistic side when I write. Let's just say how much it pains me to write these days.
Ouch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Quite possibly one of the more positive things I've taken to heart lately is the mere fact that the All-New KZQZ (hot talk) COOL OLDIES 1430 AM is getting a lot of phone calls [toll-free 1-888-394-1430 or east side (618) 394-1430], attention at the OLDIES BY THE RIVER concert series, and some more e-mails (you can email me fairly easily using the obvious gmail addy of 1430dj if you so choose). It's clear that we've had an impact already. THIS SOOOOOO COOL!
Thanks to my regular phone callers, including but not limited to: Randy in Lemay, Phyllis in South County, John in Hazelwood, John in Sunset Hills, Ray in Pevely, Mrs. Smith in Washington Park, as well as my listeners in Jersey County who only call occasionally, but have let me know that they are there. I received a call from someone in Benld a couple of times lately, and although Benld IL cannot hear our nighttime signal, the listener enjoys the broadcast during the daytime hours...and that's fantastic to me. At KZQZ, we're happy that each listener is there, no matter which town you call home!

I'm told that our management is finalizing a deal for a special new station vehicle that will be making appearances in the region before the end of summer. It's truly cool...I hope we can make the announcement soon!

Come on out to the OLDIES BY THE RIVER concert series before the end of June! Admission is $8 for adults...bring your lawn chairs, blankets, coolers (no glass, please)...and enjoy the remaining shows:

June 21/Tonight: Cruzen - www.cruzenband.com

June 28: Steve Davis and the Memories of Elvis - www.memoriesofelvis.com

THANKS to Rich Hughes and the St. Louis County Parks Department, as well as the Friends of Jefferson Barracks (hey - if you didn't bring the cooler and food - and even if you do - visit their concession booth and enjoy some hot dogs, bratwurst and popcorn, etc. Prices are very reasonable) , Affton Chamber of Commerce, Lemay Chamber of Commerce, RFT, and the numerous other sponsors for this concert series. We're having a BLAST being the presenting radio station...and we look forward to doing this again many times in the future!

See you on the radio!

Happy Birthday Wishes

Brian Douglas Wilson,

Happy Birthday! If you were given the royal treatment by the United States the way your friend Paul McCartney has been given by the United Kingdom, you most certainly would be SIR Brian Wilson. You may become a Sir in merry ole England one of these days, anyway, the way the British press and public has viewed you the past 40 years. In fact...I encourage any of the citizens of the U.K. to lobby Parliament and the Royal Family to give you an honourary title.

I hope your birthday is spent with your family and friends exactly the way you would prefer --- without us media types (paparazzi, etc.) getting too involved in your personal life. Even if it is just for your birthday.

Thank you for "God Only Knows" and "Time To Get Alone" and the dozens of other great songs you've penned.

I look forward to the September 2008 release on Capitol Records label of your new CD/DVD-CD/Digital/Vinyl (yes, it's coming out in limited vinyl, you record-lovers) "That Old Lucky Sun".

Visit http://www.brianwilson.com/ for further information on this rock legend and his current workings, including his mini-tours. I sure hope they add St. Louis this fall!

Dear Economy, Can You Be Ready - or just Read?

There are reasons why I blog. I cannot say that there are reasons that I choose the subject matter except when it’s obvious to me. The economy is obvious, and it has an effect upon all of us – within reason, of course.

When I began writing this blog, as I sat with the cable TV stations blaring news of rivers flooding, gasoline prices, children having babies in Massachusetts, and TV news anchors spilling the beans on each other, I watched the DOW JONES TICKER…falling. That’s not to say that I’m right on my announcement of the DEPRESSION of 2008. At least that’s what all the government economists would want to tell you.

Who is stupid enough to say: “It’s not the economy, stupid”???

C’mon – be honest with yourself. Don’t you see how many stories are being reported in the newspaper, the television, the radio, the internet…on the GASOLINE DRIVE-OFF ratio? That is a top ten story/issue on the news broadcasts and it is unavoidable. Why? The economy sucks. The price of oil is driving that sucking noise in part, but also now we have to see that God’s hands are also upon this rapid decline. (Listens for the readers who will say “Did he just evoke God in his daily diatribe?”) Yes. God. The Midwest – Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kansas, even parts of Oklahoma – has been hit hard with rain. Then, flooding. Now that hundreds of thousands of acres have been inundated with water from rivers, streams, lakes, even just hours of soaking rains, we all will be paying for God’s works. That’s just simple mathematics coming from the grain train.

The corn and soybean production drops significantly as a result of the late start to the growing season and the floods that followed. That will be felt throughout the markets later this year when there is not enough corn syrup, not enough corn for all the cornflakes, ethanol costs rise significantly, soy-based inks and soy-based fibers prices rise through the lining on your car roof. Yes, the agricultural community has suffered and will continue to suffer throughout 2008. And the consumers will suffer the rest of 2008 and/or a good part of 2009.

Look. Even Warren Buffett, the wealthiest man on God’s multi-colored earth, is feeling the effects of economic conditions even if one believes that a rich man cannot do so because of his wealth and influence. Let’s face it – Mr. Buffett has a hand in things in St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch and whether or not it becomes a stock controlled by InBev. His words could sway other stockholders whether or not to sell. Warren Buffett and his gigantic holdings group holds about five percent of A-B stock and has received ample media attention over the past several days because of both that fact and the questions he is asked about the economy in general. My point here is that Buffett’s words can actually have an effect on the economy as well as the economy could have an effect upon his stockholdings. He’s that influential.

Now comes my question: what would the average guy on the street ask Warren Buffett --- Omaha, Nebraska’s most sought-after resident --- if he could sit down in a coffee shop (one would guess a Starbucks) and hold conversation with the world’s richest man and pick his brain on the subject of the economic condition?
Well, okay. Perhaps it’s not really necessary to have that conversation with Warren Buffett. We will all see how he “votes” on A-B soon enough. But, what of the other things in the economy? THOSE questions would be interesting subjects to broach with this man who shuns the spotlight yet is held up to it as the icon for whom so many point as the one “in the know”.

Perhaps this is not the right time for me to stop writing this column, for there are numerous other items that could continue this discussion. But, for once, I think there is a stopping point worth taking after I ask yet one more question of Mr. Warren Buffett. No – I’m not going to ask him for money (even though it is tempting).

Mr. Buffett, sir: Could you please help us find the energy source that will fuel our economy in a good way? Also…if I have time to ask one more question --- would you like to sit down and discuss this with a Budweiser in hand?

The DEPRESSION OF 2008

Okay,

You may not have heard this "lame announcement" (I'm borrowing someone else's phrasing), but at 4:22pm CDT on-the-air at the All-New KZQZ, I announced what many Americans have known for months: The United States of America (and to the Republic for which it stands) is in an ECONOMIC DEPRESSION.

Why announce this today? Yesterday, the price of a gallon of UNLEADED REGULAR gasoline in St. Louis hit the benchmark 3.99_9 -- or the $4/GAL mark. This is the first time that on the MISSOURI side of the Bi-State region, the price was at that highwater mark. Enough to say, in certain terms, that it's finally OVER THE TOP. Just three years ago, in the summer of 2005, the price of a gallon of Unleaded was a mere $1.65, and by the end of the summer it was up to $1.77/Gallon and people were mired in thinking that it was going to drop "soon".
Ha! We were all fools, including those who control the oil reserves, the stock prices on the market (not the price of the barrel --- I am talking about those who trade on the stock exchanges such as NYSE).

Now, the thing that makes this that much easier to announce TODAY was the interview on CNBC in the midday EDT hour with Louise Yamada (25 years with Smith-Barney/Citigroup - now with her own group - Louise Yamada Technical Research Advisors LLC) who was asked to comment upon the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the S & P 500, and the NASDAQ. She said all three markets are "near critical peak levels" with a "likely fall to 10000" on the DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL index. When she was asked about the future of OIL, she maintained that the price of a barrel of oil will not likely drop "appreciably", and added that "some statistics" see $200/barrel. Consider that the price at that moment had dropped to $137.50 and try the mathematics. Even a non-economist can see there is a problem with those figures for the common man/woman.
The CNBC questions continued a few minutes later with Thom Hall, Financial Strategies Institute, who said "I expect to see a very volatile market in the next year." And he added that he expects to see the DOW in the 11000 range.
Sure, two opinions, two outcomes. Or is that TWO outcomes? For, he didn't see the Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson a few minutes LATER speaking publicly. Secretary Paulson towed many a line of the president's administration, giving as positive a spin as he could give [without outright lying] about the economic conditions. In fact, a quote from Mr. Paulson: "I believe market conditions will improve...but not in a straight line."
An interesting way of circling the obvious. The markets ALWAYS improve ------ eventually. This is a real DEPRESSION...not even the RECESSION YOU AND THE REST of the government have all but ignored over the past 8 months. The real street-level indicators were there last fall, but the treasury - and those who sit insulated from the middle class and the lower-middle class and the poor - would not look at the way things have been (and remain) to those of us who already ride mass transit because we can't afford: insurance, car payments, gasoline. And that's just one example of how the sucking-the-wind-out-of-us economy has been working for "us" since late 2007. I know --- personally --- of people who have been trying to find a halfway decent wage (including food service, mind you) and can't GET a job. It's not simply a tough market for job seekers --- it's a nearly impossible job market for many.

Do you know of someone who works three jobs and cannot currently make ends meet?
Yes, you do.

Welcome to the DEPRESSION of 2008.

It is REAL. So, those of you in the U.S. Government...those of you who hold major stocks which are about to PLUMMET...and (dare I say it?) you CEO's who are thinking this is a great time to get another GOLDEN PARACHUTE ---- I hope you really feel this market "adjustment". It will be a TRUER THAN YOU THINK adjustment. In the next 9 months, it is my suggestion that you meet the poor person who hasn't worked in the PAST six months and tell him/her how far you've fallen.

Maybe they'll have more sympathy than you think...or you've had for them.

Why would I make this announcement?

Go look around the corner at someone who used to drive a nice car or pay a market rate mortgage or live in an apartment they could afford four years ago and tell him or her how sorry you are that they can't have those things anymore. Because, believe me, those people are real people. And you don't have to look far to see them in person.

Happy Summer!

JRJunior