Well then. It seems I've stirred up a hornet's nest with this one. I'm hearing from people who I hadn't heard from in eons.
One one hand someone made the valid point that going around touting gloom-and-doom will shake the confidence of consumers and investors. This is true - monetary systems used globally are based on the confidence that the declared value on a piece of paper will be backed by the issuing government, and stating one's doubts in the GDP of the country could have a negative effect on this system.
HOWEVER, recognizing doubts could also have a POSITIVE effect on the system also - if consumers and investors see an administration acknowledging current issues with the economy AND THAT SAID ADMINISTRATION IS PUTTING IN PLACE POLICIES AND PROPOSALS TO COUNTER-EFFECT ANY NEGATIVE INFLUENCES, they will stay the course - and confidence in the system can grow. Bush could have given an address to the nation to reassure the public, encouraging them to rally together in these hard economic times, AND put forth some ideas for congress to act on - such as creating new jobs by upgrading the current infrastructure, challenge large urban areas to implement aggressive plans to update and expand public transportation, be a more vocal advocate of nuclear power plants, etc. - rather than just throwing money at the problem. Not that I mind my $600 check, but it was used to help pay for necessities such as rent, utilities and food rather than buying luxury items to stimulate the economy - a scenario that has been seen and heard throughout the nation.
Over the past eight years Bush has shown over and over his steadfastness of ignoring the truth: the fudging of facts by his advisors that lead to the invasion of Iraq, Donald Rumsfeld and his numerous cock-ups, New Orleans, and now rising gas prices. His deliberate avoidance during a press conference in February of predicted $4 a gallon gas prices is a classic Bush modus operandi - pretend the problem doesn't exist and act oblivious....to the obvious. His latest statement is clearly irresponsible when companies such as American Airlines, Citigroup, GM and Bank of America are announcing large job cuts.
Right now I think Bush realizes that his last term as president has been a complete and utter failure, and he is coasting through these last months hoping they will be incident free, focusing instead on doing 'PR tours' around the globe. He's already being called 'the worst president EVER in the history of the United States' (not my words, but a phrase quoted far too many times in the media) and he just doesn't want to add mismanagement of the economy to that legacy - so he pretends all is well.
His approach is downright arrogance and ignorance.
Now, I need to get on top of my TALLER soapbox and address those who predict the downfall of the U.S. - it's never going to happen.
Why?
Americans have proven time and time again their ability to rise to challenges that affect their way of life, using 'American ingenuity amongst other things to conquer crisis. They have taken higher petrol costs and a weak economy as a challenge, and quickly adapt to a new way of life. Persons riding bicycles, and having 'stay-at-home' vacations, trading in gas-guzzlers for hybrids - these are examples of them adapting to change. The previous 'fall of empires' has historically resulted when a nation comprised of indigenous people try to take over the world - the U.S. is made up of a collective of non-indigenous people who came to this country for a better life, and their differences is what makes the U.S. strong and sets them apart from invading empires of the past.
So, don't write 'U.S.' off yet - we'll adapt, then you'll have to adapt to 'U.S.'. After all, "resistance is futile"........
Not much happened this week - busy at school and getting ready for August. 
DAMNN!!!!! THIS IS DEFINITELY MY TYPE........!!!!!!!!!!!!
Today, Estelle Getty - "Sophia" of 'Golden Girls' fame - died after a long battle with illness. She was 84 years old.
For some time now my friend from Rockford has been praising the show "Mad Men" - an original series created and shown on the AMC Channel that had it's first season last year. "This show is pretty good," he remarked one night. "It's based around the lives of advertising executives who worked on Madison Avenue in 1960s - and they try their best to be as authentic to the period as they can. You know, it's interesting to see how much people smoked back then," he mused thoughtfully.
An article in today's Jamaica Observer hinted that the current JLP administration is looking into possibly implementing harsher rules regarding police detention. The proposed changes are raising cause for alarm for some human rights groups. 
While flipping thorough the TV channels this morning I came across a program I used to watch religiously - ABC's 'The View'. 
Today, TV Land's new original program 'She's Got The Look' announced the winner of this season's hunt for the woman over 35 year old with 'the look' . Women 35-and-over from all over the U.S. vied for the top spot in the TV Land prime time in a new modeling competition series. The lucky winner will get a second chance at a supermodel career, a life changing $100,000 contract with the world famous Wilhelmina Modeling Agency, and a spread in Self magazine.
On Monday I went to see the latest Pixar release 'WALL-e'. I had been intrigued by the trailers from previous visits to the cinema and thought that it looked like an interesting ditty. The first 30 minutes of the film show how a lone garbage compactor robot - whose main task is tidying up excessive garbage that today's society seem to generate without much effort - copes with his daily grind. His daily routine is interrupted one day with the arrival of a sleek, modern, curvy robot on a search mission. I can not go into any more details about the rest of the film without giving away a few surprises but I can say this - I was NOT disappointed by my expectations. The film delivered cute and touching story without while imprinting a very strong message on the environment and our role with it. Although there were some concerns that the lack of dialogue in the first 45 minutes may prove boring to youngsters, I heard nary a peep of complaint, only occasionally peals of laughter from the kids that attended. I heartily recommend this heartwarming story for good, light-hearted entertainment for both kids and adults alike. 
Meanwhile, my expectations for the pre-ordained Will Smith holiday blockbuster 'Hancock' were not met: I found the storyline muddled and weak in places, the editing poor, the tongue-in-cheek humor a bit thin and adolescent, and the special effects dull and lack-luster. I must admit that I was disappointed as I've always found previous Will Smith films entertaining (i-Robot, I Am Legend, Hitch), but I was really not that surprised as the pre-opening promotion seemed excessive to me, a tip-off that the movie was weak. The ending felt flat - a theme felt constantly through-out the film.
His name is Robert Rodriguez a known actor, director, producer whose most recent role was in 'Grindhouse' featuring Rose McGowan.
This weekend I spent hunkered down in my room under the comforter with the curtains drawn and not wanting to face the world. The telly was constantly on ME-TV, a channel that shows only classic sitcoms and series from the 50s to the early 90s. During my bouts of wakefulness I caught a few of my favorites such as 'Eight Is Enough', 'One Day At A Time', 'Magnum P.I.', 'The Facts of Liffe', etc - I came across another oldie - 'Voyagers!" starring 80s hearthrob Jon Erik Hexum.
