Sunday, December 25, 2005

Went to the movies tonight with my family in the middle of a sloppy, Midwestern snow storm. I guess everyone got their white christmas in van wert county this year. If you get the chance or are looking for a fun movie to watch over the holidays, try out Fun with Dick and Jane. Not only was it a great comedy but it also poked fun at big CEO's and the trend of employee mistreatment and executive investment. Former employees are driven toward the criminal underworld in an attempt to pay their monthly bills and provide for their family while former company executives contine to live the big life during the depression of bankruptcy. There is even a short commentary with Dick's former CEO in which he explains that everyone in the company felt the stings of the bankruptcy; even he felt the cruel blow---having to sell one of his vacation homes, either the one at Jackson Hole or somewhere else, he couldn't remember at the time. My favorite scenes include the heroic ending for the former employees and their families, and a great sequence where Dick (Jim Carey) tries to get work at a big box store. When he interviews and does he drug test you can even notice a big anti-union poster in the employee break room. I had to laugh at that sight, and look forward to seeing who directed this film. Probably the greatest part of the movie is the final credit sequence where the special thanks are given to former executives (some currenty jailed or soon to be indicted) of companies like Enron, Worldcom, and Arthur Anderson. All in all, I was happy to see a decent remake of a great film AND have it close to home during the holiday season..... one that probably sees quite a few families pinching pennies and thinking about their financial future because of the continual trend of corporate neglect and mistreatment of their employees. I invite all of you to do your shopping and daily business at local mom-and-pop stores and corporations that actually care about their employees and see them as part of their bottom line just as much as cash flow.

Happy Holidays to you all.
On this day I would like to say Merry Christmas, Happy Hannakah, and soon to be Happy Kwanzaa I believe.

On a personal note, I think we should all say a little prayer for our president during the holiday season. May he clear his thoughts and open his mind and heart to the American people in 2006, rather than the corporate big wigs and fundamentalist thinkers.

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