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Outsider Views: Dedicated to The Future - by Mike Pouraryan

 
Welcome to Outsiderviews. This forum provides an opportunity for outsiders to think and reflect upon our ever-changing world. Thanks for your visit and your interest.

Inter-Faith Relationships U.S. Economy - Outsider Views: Dedicated to The Future

As 2009 arrives......

January 1st 2009 03:42
: ..And Not a Moment Too Soon....
Many parts of the world have already ushered in the new Year. It all started in Auckland, New Zealand:

Auckland, New Zealand
Quite a Sight!!!


2008 has been quite a year. The past six months has seen change more than I have ever seen. As I bid 2008 farewell, I start 2009 with a renewed sense of optimism and hope. It is a tall order as people are dying in all corners of the world. It is a tall order as people continue to be denied their basic rights of self-determination. It is a tall order when wars continue to rage on with no end in sight. It is a tall order when our economic prospects are as gloomy as ever. Yet, I see no other choice. I see no other way. Failure to get up and fight is even worst!!!!



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Our Economic Tsunami (Cont'd)

November 30th 2008 16:29
: Will things be the same?
The Economic Tsunami that has engulfed the U.S. and the world seems to have no end in sight. The Chinese President came out to warn about the expected challenges. Here in the U.S., I went out to assess how things were during Black Friday. Many were out, but I found shoppers not to be as keen as years past. People were out looking for bargains. For instance, I saw a 42" Flat Screen for $ 700. The retailers are truly desparate. The desparation shows because the numbers I saw being reported showed a 3% rise. It is a 5% decrease from last year. The more disturbing fact is that there had to be deep discounting to lure shoppers in. I see them being in the Red quite a bit longer.


I was thinking about the future of retailing. I see a very, very bleak future for retailing because the distinction is becoming less and less. When people start competing on price only, all bets are off. I see the following retailers standing after the storm: Walmart, Target, BestBuy & Kohls. On the high end, I see Macys and Nordstroms surviving right now. I also see players like Ross, Steinmart & Loehmans surviving as well because of the interesting niche they have developed. Beyond that, I don't see a place for players like Sears, Penney's Dillard and bloomingdales. What we are seeing in Retail is going to cause some profound challenges for mall operators such as Simon in the U.S. Some of niche players who have high debt will also go by the wayside as well.

As people fall upon hard times, the blood letting does continue. I think there is an old saying whereby you know when there is a recession where you neighbor loses his job. When you lose your job, then you know there is a depression. My neighbor has lost his job. I also had a chance to chat a few yesterday. Her Mother was laid off seven months ago and has not been able to find anything yet. Such stories are everywhere and will continue to be so. It will go on for a while.

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In the Midst of All the Gloom, So much hope!!!

October 20th 2008 16:49
: An Example to Us All....
We all know what a tragedy Katrina was. The bigger tragedy was the inept Government response at all levels to the disaster. To this date, the images and the stories that come out are a reminder to us all about what not to do. But, the beauty of America has also come out. The stories of luminaries like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are but one example. But, there is one that took my breath away. Liz McCartney is one such person.

Liz McCartney She and her companion quit their jobs and moved to New Orleans to help rebuild St. Bernard Parish. They helped to launch the St. Bernard Project . For $ 12,000, they are rebuilding homes. They are working to bring back St. Bernard Parish one house at a time. It is the committment of such people that serves as inspiration to us all. After digging around a bit, I found this story of them featured on DarynKagan.com:



Liz McCartney has been nominated as a CNN Hero. She's actually a top 10 finalist. It is a richly deserved honor. She and the other 9 finailsts are why I continue to believe that our best days are ahead of us. I don't envy the Blue Ribbon Panel of distinguished World Citizens who have the task of choosing the winner. To me, they are all winners and they should never forget that.



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General Powell is now on the record

October 19th 2008 16:51
: Quite an indicement of the Republican Party
General Powell went on the record earlier on U.S. National Television. He has endorsed Barack Obama for President. I found his near repudiation of the right-wing shift of the Republican Party especially pointed. Senator McCain's judgement was the key question, as I saw it. As I listened to General Powell, what especially drove me was how General Powell addressed the question on Muslims on in America:


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What Future Should We Hope For?

August 20th 2008 22:07
: A little humor will never hurt.....
Campaigns are serious business. Campaigns are a chance to debate and reflect upon the future. As I was reviewing my daily analysis, I thought some humor was in order. Senator McCain's visit to the oil rig prompted a response from the Democrats. I I have commented on the idiocy of this push by Senator McCain. I did get a kick out of the ad,though:


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The Saddleback Civil Forum On August 16....

August 13th 2008 04:05
: Maybe Rick Warren Will Try and Talk Some Sense....
By now, I am sure everyone has heard about the upcoming get-together Barack Obama and John McCain have got planned for August 16. For those who are interested, the details are available at Really Long Link It is also going to be broadcast live on CNN, as well as streamed over the internet.

I view this get-together as significant. First of all, it will in a forum moderated by a very interesting man. Rick Warren, Saddleback's Senior Pastor, started this church from virtually nothing a little over 25 years ago. I remember the time when the campus Saddleback Church is now was being built and how it evolved. I view his message of love and compassion as refreshing. He is truly one purpose driven man that should be listened to. I have also been quite taken by his humility in spite of his power and that in and of itself makes him credible in this increasingly cynical world that we live in


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