Welcome... I have joined the blog craze!

I am here today welcoming all who are interested to be voluntary readers of my new daily blog. I have a plan for this blog to written on varying issues of interest on a daily basis. Now please, be patient... I have a very high aptitude for procrastination and laziness. Therefore, you may never find a post on one day and the next your mind may be filled with all the glories of great wisdom (or boneheaded thoughts). Also, I have an engineering background not an English degree. So, please excuse me if I misplace a comma or mispell... misspell.

Headlines

• Source: 'BTK' suspect confesses
• Ailing pope continues recovery
• Suicide bomber kills more than 100 in Iraq
• Oscars: Big 'Baby,' high-flying 'Aviator'

Music

Tonight I’m going to see Modest Mouse at First Ave. with Mason Jennings opening. Should be a decent show as it was last November when they played there. Last time The Walkmen opened and they just happened to out perform the main act. I am not too excited to see MM this time as it has become a regular occurrence that they just are not all too excited to perform for their fans. Check out last nights review of the all ages sold out show  Review: Modest Mouse doesn't roar in sold-out show

Movies

The Oscars were last night as you all may know… quite boring if you ask me. Who produced that show, ABC? At times it seemed to very rough around the edges. It was always nice coming back from commercial, cutting into Chris Rock yapping to the audience. The one time “biggest act in Hollywood” had lost a step last night. I believe the once bold quick witted comedian has now become obnoxiously loud and angry. What is he angry at? Who knows, but we can always get a clue from his unscripted comments of white man this, white man that... When did race have to become an issue when it comes to the high society of Hollywood? Aren’t these people preaching to the choir? It has become more and more obvious that Hollywood cannot stop talking about themselves.

Highlights of the night came from a requiem of Johnny Carson. The highlight reel they showed of Carson hosting the Academy Awards previously could have taught Rock a few things. Hilary Swank continues to dominate lead actress roles of women portraying male figures. My favorite moments throughout the night were the actors cutting off the orchestra who was cutting the actors off. Who runs the show anyway? When it is live it is live.

Religion

• Pope begins breathing, voice exercises (headline from msn.com)

I had no idea he quit breathing… was this divine intervention from above? Let’s all hold breath and pray for the Pope. No seriously… keep him in your prayers and thoughts for he is a good man.

Economy Highlights

• Economists are looking for both overall economic growth and consumer spending to slow a bit this year as continued interest rate increases from the Federal Reserve dampen consumer demand. The Fed hiked interest rates for a sixth time in early February and a seventh quarter-point increase is expected when Fed policy-makers next meet on March 22.

• The report on new home sales showed weakness in every part of the country except the West, where sales rose by 5.6 percent to an annual rate of 338,000 units. The biggest decline was a record 40.3 percent plunge in the Midwest where sales dropped to an annual rate of 145,000 units. Sales fell 17.1 percent in the Northeast to an annual rate of 63,000 units and were down 3.3 percent in the South to a rate of 560,000 units.The drop in new home sales was accompanied by a fall in prices. The median new home price — the point where half the homes sold for more and half for less — was $199,400 in January, down 13.2 percent from a median sales price of $229,700 in December. It was the lowest new home price since a median of $196,000 in December 2003.

• After taking account of inflation, consumer spending actually fell by 0.2 percent in January.

Looks as if there might be a change a brewin’… With consumer spending flattening out, look for more of a decline in the future. Along with an interest rate raise we could possibly see a bursting of housing bubbles and a drop in home prices.