Irrelevant Ramblings

The words to the Think Different television commercials that Apple ran in the late 1990s.

Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

So we’re into 2009, where did 2008 go? What a year it was!  It started out good, got rough in the middle and somewhat corrected itself near the end. In my family we had:

• 1 pregnant wife
• 1 baby boy
• 1 ambulance ride
• 1 titanium rod
• 2 titanium screws
• 3 surgeries
• 3 broken bones (my femur and 2 of my girls arms)
• 5 units of blood (for me)
• 8 stitches
• 10+ morphine hallucinations
• 13 nights in hospital (3 for Simone and 10 for me)
• 26 staples
• 30 sets of x-rays
• 30 days of Physiotherapy (so far)
• 32 trips to the hospital (excluding visiting each other)
• 40+ mg of morphine
• 100′s of pills (prescribed only)
• 7500 pounds of forklift on top of me.

So that’s a brief look at how our year looked. It was a struggle at times, but thanks to God we have made it through.  

We have all been stretched over that past year, but on one more than Simone.  She was pregnant, and taking care of me when I got out of the hospital and the girls when they broke their arms. She has amazed me with all her strength and love. Our family is stronger today because of what she persevered through this year.  

THANKS SIMONE,  YOU’RE NO. 1!!!!!!!!!

I’m not sure about the rest of you, but I am tired about hearing the Big 3 automakers complain that they might be going bankrupt.  Now I understand that there are thousands of jobs on the line, but who do they think they are asking begging for bailout money from the government.  You don’t see Toyota or Honda going to the government begging for a bailout.

When are the Big 3 going to realize that people are looking for fuel efficient cars. Gone are the days of the big V8 and the 4 barrel carb.  People want reliable cars that are good on fuel.  For some odd reason Ford, GM and Chrysler can’t get this through their heads.  

I find myself  laughing when I see ads on TV that say “we have 10 models with 33 MPG or more.”  In what world do they think that is an accomplishment. In 2000 I had a Honda Civic that got 44 MPG (in town), later I had a Jetta that got about the same mileage.  33MPG is nothing to brag about, when the Japanese have had better mileage than this for the better part of 10 years.

That being said if they get the bail out will anything change, I DOUBT IT!  Not to mention this starts a dangerous precedent. Who else gets a bail out? What about the small business who’s going out of business, does he/she get a bail out?

Why are the automakers any more important than the loggers in BC, or the fishermen in the Maritimes, or the small business person? None of which have ever gotten bail outs from the government.

Chapter 11 might be the best thing for these company’s.  Then maybe something will change in the way they do business.

Don’t get me wrong I feel for all the people that could lose their jobs, at no fault of their own, but this problem has been a long time coming.

Just my thoughts!!!