Everything wrong with "Green Lantern"

It all starts with an oath, an announcement of a calling, a drive, a determination. Their power is will, and with this they proclaim it's power, is unwavering discipline, and the brotherhood of which they have sworn their allegance.

In brightest day in blackest night No evil shall escape my sight.Let those who worship evil's might Beware my power, Green Lantern's light!!!

They are the core, the Green Lantern core warriors who defend the 3600 sectors of the known(or at least considered under the jurisdiction of The Guardians of Oa) Universe. Now the name of this blog is "everything wrong with" and it was hinted at in my "We are the Core" throwback blog that was lost to some weird technological fluke. The sad part about Green Lantern is that the movie would have been just fine if somebody didn't decide the rush in the last 30 minutes. This movie was like a tall show cake or a sugar sculpture, it took its time, it had a vision, and it was trying to come on down to the presentation.... And somebody got antsy. I will cover a lot of what was right or at least serviceable first, while I haven't seen the movie in years the problems that it had still haunt me to this day. Because I really wanted this movie to work, even though this movie was delaying my ability to get a Deadpool movie(which, have you seen it DUDE when you get it right you get it right) it had the right actor, it had the potential to open up DC's movie universe to include other characters that Superman and Batman(which is sorely needed) and it would give more people a look into a pretty cool comic book character, and then the last 30 minutes happened. So lets get on in to it

Nice guys: a revisiting pt. 1

Waaaay back in January I wrote a blog This one now in that blog I did my little lament about why it sucks being a nice guy. And it still does, trust me it really does. Then a few weeks ago a friend @tracyreneejones wrote an article on the blog IoM&R (which is one of my favorites by the way, I love the various topics from political commentary to social issues in the various minority communities, it's run by the always passionate @rippdemup a fellow memphian and good online buddy) which struck a few cords for a multitude of reasons, it was about abusive black men and how they treat black women now as I am wont to do, I mentioned a few disagreements I had with some of the premises in the blog. And as usual I got some of what is a typical mistreated females response, one of which is untrue. I know exactly how it feels to be harassed when walking down a hallway getting unwanted attention from people you either barely know or really don't feel like interacting with.

Little thing about thinking ONLY you have had a hard life, you don't realize when you are pissing in someone else's face. Now this would be a great time for an anecdote about how and why I completely understand how the women feel sometimes, thing is I don't feel like sharing it. See part of the reason I am so patient, compassionate and comforting is because I understand, that leaves us a little problem though. If your entire stance towards me is that you should be as aggressive as possible because I won't see the stupidity of some people, that I will not understand the pain of being verbally accosted, physically assaulted, and preyed upon by groups of people you have done nothing to. Then when I try to explain to you a solution all you are going to do is treat me like something you stepped in. Which will bring out the less than nice side of me, again being nice is a choice, a hard life choice because if you look around at the world "nice guys" don't last that long. This isn't marvel or dc. There are no super heroes, when you come to the rescue people rarely remember that past you pulling their buns out the fire. So if you push Mr. nice, Mr. Compassionate, Mr. Professional one time too many the guy who has been pushed many times through out his life, spit on, and belittled wakes up.

People don't just target you for teasing because you are of the opposite sex. They don't just target you for aggressive interaction if they find you attractive. They target anyone they feel is weak or vulnerable. Now yes WOMEN for the most part have that stereotype stamped on them at birth, but if you are shorter, skinnier, fatter, taller, you have a slightly abnormal feature well away we go. Though we lie to ourselves (and our children) when we get older about how the world is, and what it takes to get along in this world, the truth that would set us free is pounded into our heads on a regular basis. Ladies and gentleman "Bullying" the new hot political topic of this cycle isn't new, women being treated as sexual objects, nor intelligent people being ridiculed, nor attractive people being thought of as air heads. Sexual orientation, non existent,  high or hyper sexual desires, quirks, eccentricities, abnormalities you name it the world has seen it before.

The issue is, because we like to pretend that it USED to be so great, we fail to fix the problems we already know are there. As I said it sucks being a nice guy because when you try to NICELY inform people of a better way to do something, you are going to get attacked. Then as you try and civilly maintain a discourse with them of course as they THINK they see weakness they pounce. And when they pounce just like anything else in nature if they were not correct in their assessment of the situation they leave themselves open, and survival of the fittest demands you attack this unprepared soul.

I like being a nice guy because I think it makes my mother proud, I think when my aunts and cousins see me they think wow thats a pretty good guy we are related to. Now no they don't know everything about me, they aren't privy to my love of large reared women, or pornography(or at least I hope my mom isn't that would be creepy), erotic literature, how deep the depths of my curiosity goes, or how cold I can be. So the "my mother/other matriarchal figure thinks I'm blank" defense is not to about be used. Now I personally think I am a guy they would be proud to meet in the streets some where. While not physically with me now, I would like to hope my wife thinks back to our many years together and says "while he has his faults, my husband tried to be the best man he could no matter how hard the situation". Would be a great time to mention how proud my dad is of me, but in truth we butt heads more often then we heap praises on each other. I think we have the stereotypical male relationship I love him, he loves me but you know what that dude right there pisses me off(I am speaking as both of us right now I'm sure I piss him off with the way I try to weigh all sides and approach a problem with different angles being discussed before hand. And I so LOOOOVE the way he just looks at a problem says what he thinks will work and walks away.) and he needs to remember who I am.

I would like to think that while when we were all together and still developing into the people we would become that those who went to high school with me saw a young man who wished to give more to the people around him than he wanted to destroy or take. My harsh tongue was developed under their unyielding tutelage, my thick skin tanned to perfection by their dislike of the weakness they saw in my heart because I wanted to be me and not just like them. And that me was someone who could be your friend even if it wasn't popular, who could work together with you even if socially we didn't get along, and could speak with you civilly even if just moments before harsh words had been exchanged if the current moment required cooperation and concentration. Thing is, for now that is not normal oh no! If I don't like you then every second I am around you I'm supposed to make it my SOLE FOCUS to make your life miserable and make people take sides. I'm supposed to be irresponsible with my actions, unthinking with my interaction and ignorant of my responsibilities to the group and situation I may be involved in. Hey I've got a rectum like anyone else and if it is feces or mud slinging time trust me I have nice sized hands we can get the party started(you would not believe how much mental yoga it took to create that statement without an expletive slipping out, and I've been drinkin how ya like me now).

I was the lone wolf when younger, the cub moved from his pack to be added into a new one, surrounded by those who's initiation rituals he had not been privy too, who's defining moments he had not be there for. Who's hierarchies he did not yet know, armed only with a "be nice to people" and "treat people how you want to be treated" mentality I walked into the lions den with no armor on. I mean we're all kids right? It's supposed to be fun and games and learning right? Why do I need armor, I'm gonna come in here and get to know everybody and we'll probably become friends or at least most of us will.

Except you don't get that same love of just walking in the door to warm faces when they have no clue who you are. They don't know your mom makes the bomb peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, or that she makes those gooey chocolate chip cookies from scratch that you love and SOMETIMES will be willing to share(what I love chocolate chip cookies so eat me). That you had some nice toys you would love to share with them, well but you guys live sooo far away and I can't walk to your house(YET) and my parents get home so late from work in this commuter society. So for the longest my classmates were not my neighbors and as such I stayed the perennial outsider far longer than was normal. Oh I did make some friends, but I made far more tormentors kids can be cruel and I learned that early, my big hearted tail who's eyes would gush at any moment because I could feel someone else's pain(I still remember my SNAPPING turtle who I was crying because it bit my finger but bawled louder when my cousin shot the poor turtle for biting me) was not ready for those who just saw my friendliness as something to be exploited.

Okay that's a SEMI anecdote, wasn't planning on it but the sake' had other ideas. Anyway as I come forward in life I realize okay no people really DON'T treat people how they want to be treat, and they aren't really nice. But you know what I kind of like it, yes I earned plenty of scars, welts and bruises trying to be THAT guy, you know the one willing to swim against the current because well IT'S GOING SO FAST BECAUSE OF THE WATERFALL, or it's going so fast because nobody has stopped to look where we are going, it's they are going that way and well I guess we should be going that way. Well most of the time I didn't want to go that way, things people were scared to admit they liked, you know what you don't like me no damn way and I do like that. "Nah that ain cool to me, no I don't want to try, sure I can help you carry it, but nope no thanks I don't need it."

Another thing, maybe you don't have anything that I want or else don't have what the service I provided you with is worth meh let me go on because I really did get more out of it than you did. I did something nice and have the memory of it, BUT YOU have this lasting memory of that scrawny, stocky, tubby chocolate kid who helped you out for no reason at all. And it will probably be stuck in your head for a minute, or maybe you scream SUCKAAAAAAH the second you think I'm out of earshot(which is a lot farther than you think) and feel you got over, only to not have anybody to help you take it back when you get done and thus have that lasting feeling of damn I wish somebody else was as nice as that guy. I've got a LOUSY memory, but it gets better the further out from the incident we go(yup weird like that I know) but leaving a good impression means by the time I do remember it, most likely in your mind the grace with which I acted will be exaggerated and I'll seem even nicer than I really am.

There's still this thing though, I am the guy who took all those lumps to get here, which means I probably have a chip or two stuck to my shoulder pounded in over the years for not being exactly like the pride after leaving the pack. It also means that I have more than one pattern by which I can attack you OR the problem. And again, who respects a nice guy huh, yup nobody which means if I have made it this far I must not have a problem getting dirty when the need arises. Hell getting dirty I must not have a problem increasing the depth of the pit. Remember I'm the odd one out here, I'm the respectful one to start, I'm the one NOT going along with everyone else which also means I'm the first target. To stand out is to stand alone until you find others with similarities to you and the go along to get along or else not be the target folks are many, they strike quickly as not to have their loyalties doubted, and they strike hard because otherwise they may be seen as becoming weak and thus a target to be whipped back into shape by the herd they are a part of.

I plopped a part one on the back of this, I think I'm gonna stop here and come back on a different post to finish. editing time woohoo

WHy I wouldn't recommend being a nice guy/good man

There is absolutely no benefit in it. Let's be honest most women are the queens of the listen to what I say don't pay attention to what I am actually doing mindset. I mean from personal experience most who know me will admit yes I am a good guy, no that is not to say pushover yes I can be overly opinionated, strong minded, picky and determined(trying to find a way to say butt hole in a nice way to stay within the guidelines of the blog). I am still a good man though never cheated in my life, I go out of my way to help you hell sometimes out of my way, I am loyal to a fault, and as long as your with me you don't have to worry about being scared that I won't be in your corner.

And all that and 3 bucks might get me a cup of coffee on a saturday night ALONE. Why is this, because most women while to "protect their image" will claim that they are looking for a guy with my general characteristics I'm not who they are looking for. Now I'm not the handsomest cat on the planet, or the tallest(I'm 5'10 so I'm average height), I won't deny that I have added a good 50 pounds since high school, but I know I'm not the ugliest cat and I know as long as I feel you are worthy there is no such thing as me being a tight wad. I may not throw my money in everybody's direction but I will spend whatever on a cause or person who I feel is a worthwhile investment, period. I mean lets be honest, there are a lot of guys out here like me, intelligent, hard working, compassionate, kind, understanding and humble.  As I have said before the names for us are usually Herb, Cornball, Punk, Square, and Lame. The reasons are simple we believe in looking deeper then just ya bra size and your measurements and believe that you deserve to be respected if you have earned it.

Most guys like me feel that if I'm with a woman I think is beautiful and she loves me I am the luckiest man on the planet, I'm not trying to run out and prove I can get 50 women just like you I'm trying to find ways to spend more time with you and maximize the memories. What good is that I guess I mean if your not the top choice of a guy with a harem I guess that ain good enough. It appears that most women would rather have a guy string them along for years because he makes their girlfriends jealous(or wet cause he may just be with you because you and your crew of friends he is planning to hit are pretty) then be with somebody who actually wants to share the rest of their lives with them. Oh I know "successful" women can't find a man, no while some of these women MIGHT be successful some of them are overstating their station and current value. Not only that but they can't offer half of what they are asking for so really how you expect to be given a home run when you may only be giving a double is beyond me ie how you expect to get someone who will fulfill your wildest dreams when you may not even be able to meet that persons expectations halfway is foolish and immature.

I know I often fight with women on this subject for a simple reason, you want me to take you seriously as an individual yet you want to lump me into a group with your ex, some dude who you gave the time of day and wasn't worthy of your time, or the other "top choices" you decide to deal with but are constantly leaving you wanting for more. As has often been said the common denominator going forward in any relationship you are involved in IS YOU. Thats right ladies if you can NEVER find a man that meets your qualifications sit down and figure out if you meet your own qualifications.

Most relationships are about balance and give and take. While the "classic" role definition may not be necessary role definition is necessary. If you make more fine, you make more but if you don't want him rubbing your nose in how much more then you he makes, and how he is big time and your small potatoes remember that when your in the big dog position. If you don't want to cook and he doesn't have a problem with it you better have something you can bring to the table in it's place, make a mean martini, love the same team as he does something. Most women fall into a trap of they have a set resume they want their man to meet up with yet when it comes time to see what dude wants "well why can't he just accept me for me" and the answer is simple "because you want him to live up to your expectations". And that isn't a bad thing, or a petty thing at all that is as long as you can reciprocate.

If you like long walks in the park, quiet evenings, and a foot massage after a long day when he talks about wanting to go to a ball game even if it's in the snow you better wrap ya behind up and go with him. If he is willing to sit through a chick flick, you better go see at least one action movie or comedy. If while you know you want him close you know you want girl time, if you expect him to trust you until otherwise proven you better trust him. Because honestly the only person you are showing is untrustworthy is yourself, yeah I said it if your saying basically that when out of your sight he would cheat the only way you could think that way is if out of his sight you are doing stuff you know he wouldn't like.  And don't present some ideal woman you think he wants, be willing to find a man who loves the real you flaws and all. Somebody who you ain got to worry about taking your mask off and him feeling betrayed.  If a man can't like you for who you are he isn't worth your time anyway, ever wonder how guys can constantly get told no yet continue to ask women out. Simple we know when we find the right one it will be magical(if we're looking for the right one, if we're just looking for draws it will still be magic just for a shorter period of time, what would you rather I lied to you? Too bad I ain got time for that).

All this being said who still gets the majority of the phone numbers? Who when you ask them are women constantly making excuses for why they date instead of making excuses as to why maybe you just aren't there type? And it's kinda funny because many of the reasons given if a guy were to turn it around on a woman on she would be pissed. Because it has nothing to do with her and everything to do with what you think she will be like because of how she looks, and that is the same way she's looking at Mr. Nice guy. Because he isn't disrespectful he must not be strong, if you think about it though what takes more strength pushing people around so you don't have to listen to them or finding a way to get along and work with them even if you might disagree? Yet not realizing it is a condemnation of themselves women will complain oh well I will just walk all over him, yeah um that isn't a fault on his part if your like that you need to go work on you. Patience is the virtue not an overblown sense of self.

Well bad boys know how to "do it better" yeah okay, if you still ain getting off and he has a long list of things you want to try that he don't is it that he does it better or that he just takes you more forcefully and for that few moments he's there it's raw passion yet your still not fulfilled. Sometimes you have to respect that it takes time to learn what your partner does and does not like, just like it takes time to learn what you like. And if you are unwilling to show that person your probably don't want to be fulfilled, I'm just saying.

Oh yeah nice guys are too shy, well actually a real nice guy is trying to get to know you first, before he goes all out and lets you in he wants to make sure you are worth the time he is gonna dedicate to you, and yes I said dedicate. Because those bad boys who are running their mouths usually forget about you once they get what they want, I mean how often do you complain about a nice guy not calling you back and checking to see how your day is? I mean yes your still going to argue doesn't matter who you are in a relationship with you are gonna have a disagreement and you need to. You have to see if you can work it out with someone when you disagree maybe your right maybe he's right but right ain gonna keep you warm at night. Nor will it hold you as well as the other person will so you have to be willing to come to an agreement and stick to it.  You have to be willing to weather a storm or two together to see how you are gonna deal with the long haul.

I know I know it's a lot to think about, but then again if you want the best how are you just gonna walk in the door and get it without doing any research yes if you blind fold a monkey and give him a dart sooner or later he will land on the name Tiffany, Saks, BMW, or Mercedes but wouldn't you rather take you time and find it yourself and save a lot of time, hassle and heart break?

Don't be flaunting your bliss round me

We all know the saying ignorance is bliss. Thing is I find it funny that because in some peoples uninformed or under informed stupor they expect the rest of us to just let them act out and don't expect any consequences for said actions.

I know I get accused of being pro man a lot, and yes I am pro man, but it ain pro every man it's pro MAN. You know guys who actually go out of their way to be responsible, respectful, honest and decent. Are they always gonna hit the mark 100% of the time hell no, to date I believe only 1 person hit the 100% always doing the right thing. I do however reserve the right not to include people in the men club who only hit the mark 30% of the time or less. I'm also pro woman, oh I know some folks are rolling their eyes I could care less. I'm pro woman because I want the best for them, it ain all about the draws with me. I really do love women, so if they are making a stupid mistake or following bad advice I try to intercede because I personally hate hearing "I told you so" from people who actually didn't say it but egged me on. Or even better "see I knew all about that should have listened to me" you know that good old I could have told you so but I wanted to let you get your lumps first. Again not pro every woman pro women actually out there trying to do their best to live their dreams, support their families and live a decent life.

So when a man or woman acts out, and I feel they are wrong I am gonna call them on it. Oh I know what will happen, man why don't you give a dog a break you ain perfect either. No I'm not perfect but why am I gonna give you a break if you have shown that it's not A break you want, but 100 breaks, you don't wanna act right you just want to be given a pass when you don't act right. And ladies if your coming out being loud and wrong, really no leg to stand on yet in defense you either spitting the "brothers are worthless, all men ain spit" or my favorite I'm just being sexist. Yeah your bad behavior doesn't change your responsibility nor does it make me a bad person for pointing it out. The only way we find out what is or isn't acceptable is if somebody tells us, because no matter what age people will go as far as you let them. Most of us see or can figure out where the "line in the sand" is drawn but everybody loves a challenge is that really the line or is it just a warning saying look  please try and stay behind this. So how can it be proven to you that yes it's a hardline someone has to tell you. No it doesn't always have to be me but if your interacting with me guess what yes I am gonna tell you.

Another thing if somebody else gets away with something and that is your defense as to why you should be allowed to get away with it to(or someone else) just stop talking right there and realize what you are saying. You already are admitting you are wrong, not only are you admitting your wrong but know you are trying to snitch on someone else and claim see they were more wrong, what ya mama say about tattlin? Sometimes the first person to go flying over the line is the only person who is going to get away with it, simply because now they have everybody watching that spot. Trust me I'm in the surveillance business, the first time somebody breaks in a store from an angle the store owner can't see is when I get a phone call to put a camera there. If you vandalize the store from an angle he/she can't see same thing. Oh and if you and an employee are getting into it and the he said/she said might cost the owner money in goes a microphone or two. Because CYA happens on all levels, "fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me" and most people don't wanna bear responsibility later for your bad acts(hell they don't wanna be responsible for their own, so why pay for yours.

Now if someone else let's you get away with something hey enjoy it while it lasts, twon't be me and depending on how bad you treated the person the last time you got over might not be them the next time either. See some folks also forget that if you get away with something somebody had to be gracious enough to let it slide, so if you act too big a fool and rub the egg into their face they will be waiting until next time to go ahead and get their revenge. Just saying, yes you can show ya whole behind to someone but just because you can doesn't mean you should cause next time they might just kick you in it.

The emperor still has no clothes

I don't know about you but back in late 99, early 2000 I started investing for the first time. Now when I started invested like any other bright eyed and bushy tailed rookie I would watch the various financial channels, and hang on the commentators every word like it was gospel. I'm sure I'm not alone in this initial fascination with these people who are on TV and talk about stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and commodities. Now as I was listening, memorizing what they had to say, and takin notes here and that for stocks I might wanna purchase later I would constantly hear one phrase being repeated over and over again:

Do your DUE DILIGENCE before ever investing in a position

Wow I was amazed I was like hmm this must be important, so I treated it like sage advice. But as I started to take this sage advice I began to realize something if I did do my own research(thats what due diligence means) many times what they were saying on TV about the company and what I would come up with on my own would not match up. Now granted we can all read numbers differently, and maybe the info I got was just a better hunch on my part then what they got. But then I started to notice a pattern, it wasn't just off it was almost deliberately off. Some of the things they were saying were in essence meant to get people to react a certain way, as if they were being told what to say and how to present things instead of doing the due diligence as they were instructing you to do.

Now yes of course some of this can't be helped I mean some companies for the longest time during the early part of the 2000's were masters of the accounting tricks. It started with enron, then it crept into the housing bubble, and now it has fully reared it's ugly head in the mortgage crisis. And do you know what the funniest thing is, if you go back and listen to the "analysts" on most of the financial channels, they didn't seem to see a single thing wrong. They were all too happy to inform you about the new math and the new metrics, and how you could ignore old methods of capitalization and valuation because we were in a brave new world.

Problem with their brave new world, it seems math didn't exist in their brave new world. Okay that is slightly unfair math did exist just not 1+1=2 math or if jimmy has $5.00 and he goes to the store and wants to buy a few snacks and an apple costs .75, a bag of chips costs .35, a soda costs 1.35(remember when a soda was only like 1.00 tops with tax wow) and a pack of cupcakes is like 1.50(let's not even talk about cupcakes). well the first part of the question of course would be does little jimmy have enough. Now he's got 5 bucks looks like he should have enough right if he gets one of each he should be straight right be about 3.95. thats regular math, thats the math we would have gotten a 100% on in grade school.

Thats not the math they were using, because they would be talking about little jimmy having that same 5 dollars to buy those same items at that same prices but tripling how much he bought, and saying it's okay if we know he's only got 5 bucks because we're on that new math and mystically magically in a few days, weeks, months yadda yadda little jimmy will magically have turned that into a 50 dollar profit. Okay slight simplification on how he would have done it but NOT on the attitude. Now the fact that up until saaaaay february of 08 most of these guys had no clue how bad things had gotten were still talking up these companies who were about to tank due to credit default swaps, and being undercapitalized for the amount of debt they had taken on, you would think that they would be A sorry as all hell because the looked like grade A fools and B more vigilant about what was going on after that point. But no most of them had that same mindset immediately after the crisis hell many of them continually look shell shocked.

To make matters worse many of them still want us to believe they have some amount of expertise in the subjects that they are speaking. Ladies and gents if say me or you blew it as bad as they blew it we would be out of a job. You saw the coach of the detroit lions, hell the interim coach neither one could win a game all year they both got the axe, neither one of them cost their teams the amount of money the blunders in the financial market cost. I mean yeah the owner may look at his 3-4 or 500 million dollar investment with it's 300 million dollar payroll and think damn did I waste my money this year. But as the arizona cardinals showed(as did the stl rams, oakland raiders, tampa bay buccaneers, boston celtics, tampa bay rays, boston red sox and on and on and on) you can have a bad year, or a string of bad years and then the next year catch fire and whip either everybody in your path or everybody but 1 team. So you might dump the coach but maybe with the right leadership your players can go from bums to heroes. and if you did decide to give the current coach another chance humble pie would be his everyday dish.

Not the idiots on the financial channels, yeah they did some mea culpa's for a few days but as I was watching a promo for one of the shows(today it was suze orman but some days it's kramer, or maybe the closing bell yadda yadda) and she was like let me tell you what you and everybody else was doing wrong. And I'm looking and I say, um if the persons answer isn't " Listening to you suze" they ain learned nothing over the last few years. Because most folks were calling suze, or they were calling kramer, or they were tuning in to bloomberg, CNBC, Fox business what have you, only to get information from people who have proven to know no more if not even less then the people watching them. Because it seems for some of them the fact that they got to smooze with some of the big wigs they forget to check and see if the persons darting eyes looked energetic or nervous, was it actually hot in the room or was the person panicking.

I call this the emperor has no clothes because these folks are at it again. These guys are talking like they have all this expertise that you should listen to when, the time to have exhibited expertise has passed and these folks ladies and gentleman failed that test miserably. They weren't just surprised at the level of chaos in the financial world they had no idea how it had gotten there. I mean think about it if you did something every day or your life, and were paying attention to how things worked the ebbs and flows wouldn't you through nothing else but watching it over time see when things were maybe going a little off? Shouldn't you at least have had an inkling that hmm damn I mean I hope I'm wrong but this just doesn't smell right?

Or maybe I am expecting something else of these talking heads that is unfair, some common human decency and humility. If you screw up apologize and get down off your soap box and join the rest of the crowd as we try to fix the mess. Don't act like nothing went wrong and it's cool again for you to act all intelligent and high and mighty. Sorry you had your chance to be soothsayer of the economic world, but if your barely doing better then a dart thrown at the stock section of the paper why exactly should I listen to you? Everybody looks good when the market is steadily going up, only people who can guage whats good or bad, and will recover faster or not at all when this are looking bad get "authority" credit.