11 year anniversay of a sort...

Today marks what would have been the anniversary date of the 11th year I was employed at FADAL.Too bad it ended back in March.

Maxcor wants so much to be the big machine tool player on the block that now they are buying Excello. Seems all the once mighty have fallen beneath the thumb of Maxcor. All hail Maxcor!!! At least Haas is still independently owned. Hardinge is still struggling as an independent manufacturer.

For all their desire to be the biggest, Maxcor has thus far failed to truly capitalise on what made these companies successful in the first place, the CUSTOMER. Their focus has been more on maximising "value" ($$$in their pocket) than the ultimate value-customers who come back-. Fadal, Cinncinatti and the other Maxcor companies all failed in those regards with the corporate takeovers of the 1980's and 1990's. For all the efforts of the mergers of Cinncinatti-Lamb, Giddings&Lewis, Thyssen-Krupp the focus was always on $ not the customer ultimately. The true focus is to line the pockets of the small group of investors who make up companies like Maxcor (or Goldman Holdings who held Bridgeport until Hardinge took them in). If the merger/buyout/takeover doesn't produce the desired $$$/time, then it is disbanded, sold, dumped on the wayside for some other hopeful investor to wrangle their brand of corporate "magic" and attempt to turn a profit by selling it again.

All through this sad process, the brand names once proud are reduced to hyphenations and subtexts of the merger corporation or is some cases, lost for all time.

Irrational Inflation Fears Fueled by Irrational Exuberance of Investors!!!

Seems that those duly appointed-though not elected- gurus of all hallowed finances, the FED RESERVE bank has decided to throw the economy from it's fragile recovery headlong into a glaring red tailspin of rapidly epic proportions. Seems things were too positive in the economy for those financial wizards, who obviously have some wealthy friends, needed a well timed market downturn to capitalize their profit margins for 2006. All this leaves the rest of us bottom feeders, who were finally making money and actually had some savings again, with dwindling investment accounts and 401K's, while the fat cats buy up the scattered monies of the nouveau poor.

Unless you are born rich or steal your money or are just plain lucky one is destined to be a wage slave for those who control the worlds finances. Oh %$&*@#! well.....

Cinco De Mayo should now be " Nothing Mexican" Day

Perhaps we gringo Americanos should try a reciprocal boycott and stop hiring illegals for the day (at least those not too drunk for 5/5). Should promise to be as much of a non event as the left's new MAY DAY celebrating not only communism but now illegal immigracion. Viva la Migra!

Too much depressing funk to put up with! Sheeesh! Between the bleeding heart ACLU (Anti-Christian Liberation Union) and much of the liberal half of our own elected government, we conservative middle class are the next endangered species. Don't wait for them to block taking away our liberties and freedom though.

So for this upcoming Cinco de Mayo don't buy any Mexican food, beer or visit Tijuana. Let Mexico, which doesn't even celebrate cinco de Mayo feel the sting of a true boycott....less americano dolares going into their country.

Too bad Vincente Fox is all for the new legalisation of all drugs in Mexico. He doesn't realise that it will change absolutely nothing for Mexico. The average Mexicano is too poor to afford food let alone drugs! But now the average Mexicano can get rich SELLING drugs to rich Americanos. Ay caramba!

Mexico's May Day, "Nada Gringo"

In the papers today I see what could be more fuel to fire the anti illegal immigration issue. Seems Mexico City is having a "nothing Gringo" day, ie no Big Macs. Fine with me. They might be a little healthier for a day. Perhaps we here in the USA should boycott ALL Mexican restaurants on May 1. While shopping, check those labels for "hecho en Mexico". Want grapes? check where they are from. Cheap clothes? Check where they are from. Perhaps this will be a true economic battle which Mexico can't compete given the USA's voracious appetite for Mexican food.

The only true way to stem the flood of illegals (mostly Mexican-South American) will be for those countries to improve their standard of living. As long as the US turns a blind eye to illegal immigration, Mexico will be more than content to keep its people in abject poverty at home, thus essentially forcing the US to pay what Mexico can not or will not.

Why May 1 anyway? Seems a bit communist to me. Soviet communism always celebrated their 'victorious' state in May.

WMD's in our own backyard, and front yard, on freeways, at the supermarket...they're everywhere!

Just when you thought Iraq was safe and no WMD's were found, here they are in our own streets!!!!

Yes, Weapons of Musical Destruction! Those boomboxes we are mercilessly subjected to by the juvenile minds of Blingworld and Crap music. They are the true enemy within. The subjugation of what passes for music in the form of booooommmmm boxxxx muuuuuuusic. All we sentient beings hear is the dull thudding boom reverberating across the once peaceful suburbia of the American dream. But lo, modern urban terrosts have found a way to cut through the safety of suburbia by boooommmiiinnnggg their message of anti establishment through your living room wall at all hours of the day and even through the night. There is no longer and implied sanctity of night being quiet. The new boombox terrorists must be heard! We will not be let to sleep while they have angry thoughts to beam to suburbia.

Many thanks to Aunt Chrissy for the idea of WMD's