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Tying the Ribbon on 2008

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

We continue to look back at 2008 with a few more news quiz questions, and a call-in, year-end, question of the day:

If 2008 was a fable, what's the moral of the story? Comment below!


Comments

  • [1] Luke Barclay from New York December 31, 2008 - 10:03AM

    "Don't Believe the Hype"


  • [2] Petra Alexander from New York December 31, 2008 - 10:23AM

    "You win some, you lose some."


  • [3] Kate December 31, 2008 - 10:33AM

    Don't live beyond your means.


  • [4] Cynthia from Brooklyn, NY December 31, 2008 - 10:34AM

    The bigger the bubble, the more likely it is to burst.


  • [5] eugene December 31, 2008 - 10:35AM

    Trust but verify or how due dilligence can keep an economic system healthier.


  • [6] ruth from NJ December 31, 2008 - 10:36AM

    Don't be greedy if you share a stomach.


  • [7] Cynthia from Brooklyn, NY December 31, 2008 - 10:36AM

    The bigger the bubble, the bigger the pop!


  • [8] adam from new york December 31, 2008 - 10:38AM

    If we continue to allow our emperors to wear no clothes, we all wind up penniless, destitute, and naked.


  • [9] Skip K from East Elmhurst, NY December 31, 2008 - 10:38AM

    Crime _does_ pay.


  • [10] Isaac from prospect heights December 31, 2008 - 10:39AM

    We need a social systems which protects the most vulnerable and need to regulate capitalism so the extremes of greed and poverty are not continually perpetuated.


  • [11] Andrew Thomas December 31, 2008 - 10:39AM

    In the prophetic words of Ice Cube:

    You better check yo self before you wreck yo self.


  • [12] Alice Toklas from Manhattan December 31, 2008 - 10:40AM

    Hindsight is 20/20. Let’s work on our short-sightedness. From electing George Bush TWICE to a total turnaround in support for the Iraq war to the bailout...are we always doomed to regret and repeat our mistakes?


  • [13] markBrown from sos-newdeal.blogspot.com and markbnj.blogspot.com December 31, 2008 - 10:41AM

    Easy. Greed Sucks. Do unto OTHERS as you'd have THEM do unto YOU.


  • [14] Thomas Eccardt from Manhattan December 31, 2008 - 10:44AM

    Ignore politics and current events at your own risk.


  • [15] Rapti from Upper East Side December 31, 2008 - 10:45AM

    If you were foolish enough to sing all the summer, you must dance supperless to bed in the winter.


  • [16] Ophelie Z from Astoria December 31, 2008 - 10:49AM

    Caveat Emptor...in spades.


  • [17] Kevin from NYC December 31, 2008 - 10:49AM

    Life is just a day at the beach, sometimes its bright and sunny, sometimes it’s cold, windy and overcast, sometimes it’s a hurricane.


  • [18] Anelise from DC December 31, 2008 - 10:50AM

    Credit Card is not the solution of all the problems.


  • [19] Popo December 31, 2008 - 10:50AM

    Take the money and run; because if you don't, someone else will.


  • [20] Genji from LES December 31, 2008 - 10:50AM

    Keep hope alive but, the house always wins.


  • [21] GL from NJ December 31, 2008 - 10:53AM

    Bad guys finish first, nice guys pay the check.


  • [22] MMN from Midtown Manhattan December 31, 2008 - 10:53AM

    Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. But seriously!


  • [23] Daniel Latorre from Brooklyn December 31, 2008 - 11:02AM

    Democracy will be destroyed by ANY fiscal-driven ideology's inherently unsustainable ways if Democracy isn't seen as interest-group advocacy work that citizens, teachers, and journalism *must* refine & participate in *each generation* of humanity.


  • [24] jane from connecticut December 31, 2008 - 11:05AM

    as you sow so shall you reap


  • [25] Katherine from Manhattan December 31, 2008 - 11:09AM

    Appearances are everything.


  • [26] Paula from Morristown, NJ December 31, 2008 - 11:09AM

    If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.


  • [27] Theresa from Brooklyn December 31, 2008 - 11:09AM

    Regulation is not a dirty word.


  • [28] ann rory from nyc December 31, 2008 - 11:09AM

    PAY ATTENTION....to the man behind the curtain


  • [29] Dan from Brooklyn December 31, 2008 - 11:10AM

    What goes up must go down.


  • [30] steve in greenpoint from greenpoint, brooklyn December 31, 2008 - 11:10AM

    When the emperor has no clothes, it's your wallet that gets stripped naked.


  • [31] Elena from Brooklyn December 31, 2008 - 11:10AM

    Don't put your eggs all in one basket!


  • [32] sean the dog walker from Brooklyn December 31, 2008 - 11:10AM

    4 legs good 2 legs bad


  • [33] Karen from New Jersey December 31, 2008 - 11:10AM

    Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. (Santayana)


  • [34] Richard from NYC December 31, 2008 - 11:11AM

    If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.


  • [35] superf88 December 31, 2008 - 11:12AM

    Wall Street Capitalism a zero-sum game!


  • [36] Leo from Queens December 31, 2008 - 11:12AM

    The moral is that: We should not allow incompetents and criminals to take over government. Otherwise we end up with a society destroyed by organized crime (Madoff, Financial company CEOs, Democratic and Republican electec officials, etc.) or worse - a society destroyed by Violence. Look at Mexico. That's where we are heading!


  • [37] Neph from NYC December 31, 2008 - 11:12AM

    My choices:

    1. Don't get too comfortable!

    2. Pay attention; what you don't know CAN hurt you.

    3. A turd in the hand is worth two terms of Bush... and vice-versa.

    4. All of the above.


  • [38] Henry Glass from Rivervale, NJ December 31, 2008 - 11:12AM

    Unlike Gordon Gekko in Wall Street

    Greed is not good!


  • [39] David Epstein from West Village December 31, 2008 - 11:12AM

    The wolf in sheep's clothing probably lives in a multi-million dollar apartment on the Upper East Side and plays LOTS of golf.


  • [40] Sean Mahon from millburn nj December 31, 2008 - 11:13AM

    Greed is not good, greed does not work.

    America can still surprise the world and reinvent itself


  • [41] Frank from New Kingston NY (catskills) December 31, 2008 - 11:13AM

    Those who don't understand history are doomed to repeat it.


  • [42] hjs from 11211 December 31, 2008 - 11:13AM

    YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!


  • [43] Gene from New Rochelle December 31, 2008 - 11:13AM

    Neither a borrower nor a lender be.


  • [44] james from brooklyn December 31, 2008 - 11:14AM

    'MIND THAT MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN'

    No one is a guru or a magic man. Just because you have a title (stockbroker, bank president, chairman of the federal reserve) does not mean you are an expert. Always hold authority's feet to the fire. Common sense still has a place America.


  • [45] Henry Glass from Rivervale, NJ December 31, 2008 - 11:14AM

    Unlike Gordon Gekko in Wall Street

    GREED IS NOT GOOD !!


  • [46] Elena from Brooklyn December 31, 2008 - 11:14AM

    Correction to wording of last comment:

    Don't put all your eggs in one basket.


  • [47] Loretta Morris from NJ December 31, 2008 - 11:14AM

    Re: Election and Obama

    If the mainstream media happens to like the would-be emperor who has no clothes, it doesn't matter -- they'll still flack for him.


  • [48] Amy from Bronx December 31, 2008 - 11:14AM

    Take the hardships we are given & learn from them. Re-evaluate how we got to this dark place & use this to change how we see & do things.


  • [49] Julie from Manhattan December 31, 2008 - 11:14AM

    Sometimes dreams do come true (re: Martin Luther King's speech and the election of Senator Obama)


  • [50] Dan Smith from Brooklyn December 31, 2008 - 11:14AM

    If something is too good to be true, it probably isn't.


  • [51] Debbie from Jackson Heights December 31, 2008 - 11:15AM

    2008 in a Joni Mitchell lyric: "If you're smart or rich or lucky, maybe you'll beat the laws of man, but the inner laws of spirit and the outer laws of nature no man can"

    looked at negatively: If you give bad loans with adjustable rates where people's mortgage payments double or triple and they lose their houses, you might benefit in the short run, but you will have to face the consequences eventually.

    looked at positively: If you dare to have optimism and hope and idealism and to speak honestly and to listen, people might scoff at you in the short run and say "America's not ready" etc, but in the long run, you will move people (even my dad who voted for W twice!!!) to take a chance with you.


  • [52] hjs from 11211 December 31, 2008 - 11:15AM

    the chickens have come home to roost

    (or roast)!


  • [53] Jinan Martini from Brooklyn December 31, 2008 - 11:15AM

    Be wary of leaders with whom you would have a beer, becasue he will drink you under the table and leave you with the check.


  • [54] Benjamin Rosner December 31, 2008 - 11:16AM

    It is better to cherish the little things in life, because the big things can not exist without them.


  • [55] Loretta Morris from NJ December 31, 2008 - 11:16AM

    Re: Election and Obama

    If the mainstream media happens to like the would-be emperor who has no clothes, it doesn't matter -- they'll still flack for him.


  • [56] mary December 31, 2008 - 11:19AM

    "In media stat virtus"

    Virtue lies in the middle way, or moderation in all things, etc.


  • [57] Eleni from NYC December 31, 2008 - 11:23AM

    Too much is never enough; and the desire for more leads to one's demise ....... unless you have a good lawyer. In which case it's everyone else's misery and the guilty can buy death and live in Costa Rica with an alias. This is the premise of Capitalist Democracy in the US in the 21st c.

    Thanks for the memories Mr Bush and Mr. Cheney.


  • [58] Stanley Kushel from Ditmas Park, Brooklyn December 31, 2008 - 11:29AM

    "Whatever goes up, comes down."


  • [59] Gary Dabbagh December 31, 2008 - 11:30AM

    Feast becomes Famine


  • [60] Eleni from NYC December 31, 2008 - 11:31AM

    Too much is never enough; what you desire more for leads to your demise. Unless you have a good lawyer, then it can be deferred to the demise of others instead.


  • [61] Eleni from NYC December 31, 2008 - 11:31AM

    Too much is never enough; what you desire more for leads to your demise. Unless you have a good lawyer, then it can be deferred to the demise of others instead.


  • [62] Wes Thenor from Great Neck, Ny December 31, 2008 - 11:32AM

    If 2008 was a fable, what's the moral of the story...Don't be greedy.


  • [63] Amy from Manhattan December 31, 2008 - 11:33AM

    Don't sign *anything* unless you've read it all the way through & understand it! Including all the fine print!


  • [64] brian December 31, 2008 - 11:33AM

    Everyone is driven by self-interest; hubris always leads to a tragic end


  • [65] Ron de Villa from New York December 31, 2008 - 11:35AM

    "The fox must not guard the henhouse."


  • [66] Anthony from Westchester December 31, 2008 - 11:35AM

    Greed is a malware of human nature.

    Never turn off your antivirus program.


  • [67] RCT from NYC December 31, 2008 - 11:37AM

    "Every cloud has a silver lining."

    Only 20 days to go!


  • [68] John Celardo from Fanwood, NJ December 31, 2008 - 11:38AM

    Don't let anyone scare you into making a bad decision.


  • [69] David Zarko from Scranton, PA December 31, 2008 - 11:39AM

    What goes around, comes around.


  • [70] RCT from NYC December 31, 2008 - 11:39AM

    "Every cloud has a silver lining"

    (Only twenty days to go.)


  • [71] Paul from Glen Cove December 31, 2008 - 11:39AM

    Don't count your chickens before they hatch.


  • [72] Roz from nyc December 31, 2008 - 11:39AM

    The sky IS falling. What fable?


  • [73] Gustav Rech from manhattan December 31, 2008 - 11:39AM

    Do not put all of your assets in one basket (especially one weaved by Bernard Madoff)


  • [74] thom from brooklyn December 31, 2008 - 11:39AM

    "Socialism for the rich": JK Galbraith:


  • [75] Anne December 31, 2008 - 11:39AM

    "Slow and Steady Wins the Race"


  • [76] Anthony from Westchester December 31, 2008 - 11:40AM

    Greed is a malware of human nature.

    Never turn off your antivirus program.


  • [77] Déva from NYC December 31, 2008 - 11:41AM

    The bigger they are, the harder they fall!


  • [78] lynden miller from Manhattan December 31, 2008 - 11:41AM

    Never trust people calling themselves "compassionate conservatives".


  • [79] frank galante from Brooklyn December 31, 2008 - 11:42AM

    The moral of the 2008's story is, "Don't be greedy. Return to living life simply and be happy."


  • [80] Lori Harris from Montclair, NJ December 31, 2008 - 11:43AM

    The Emperor(s) (SEC, Fed, Madoff, Wall Street Bigshots, Auto Big 3) -- very naked!


  • [81] Paula B from Chappaqua, NY December 31, 2008 - 11:45AM

    Dont put a bully in the White House!


  • [82] chefesse from brooklyn December 31, 2008 - 11:47AM

    okay, maybe this qualifies as more of a fairy tale: prince charming rescues us from the burning dungeons of the evil princes of darkness (also known as the evil-doers)

    We're starting our ride off into the sunset, and, as in all fairy tales, we don't know if we'll actually get to live "happily ever after". (They always SAY that, but we never get an epilogue...) But we sure hope we do!


  • [83] b Lynd from NYC December 31, 2008 - 11:50AM

    Invest in gold!


  • [84] chefesse from brooklyn December 31, 2008 - 11:52AM

    wait...the moral of this fairy tale? Sometimes your dreams CAN come true!


  • [85] Maria from Brooklyn December 31, 2008 - 11:52AM

    Think for yourself...too complicated? naw :)


  • [86] HC from nyc December 31, 2008 - 11:53AM

    i have two:

    things always get worse before they get better

    and

    claims of morality are overrated (like for example leaders who claim to be moral arbiters are most likely going to be kicked out for immoral actions)


  • [87] Ronald from Brooklyn December 31, 2008 - 11:53AM

    Greed is good.


  • [88] Sean from Brooklyn December 31, 2008 - 11:54AM

    "The skeletons aren't in your closet, they're in your living room."


  • [89] Harris from NYC-Harlem December 31, 2008 - 11:54AM

    "DON'T JUDGE A BARACK BY ITS COVER"


  • [90] Isabel from Harlem December 31, 2008 - 11:54AM

    Hope can, and hopefully will still, win.


  • [91] Kathy from Hoboken December 31, 2008 - 11:56AM

    Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered


  • [92] Yannie from East Village December 31, 2008 - 11:56AM

    Moral: The emperor STILL doesn't know he has no clothes, and it's mighty cold!


  • [93] tia from east village December 31, 2008 - 11:56AM

    run a decent campaign


  • [94] Mark from Brooklyn December 31, 2008 - 11:57AM

    Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.


  • [95] avessa from manhattan December 31, 2008 - 11:57AM

    caveat emptor


  • [96] Pat from Red Hook, Brooklyn December 31, 2008 - 11:57AM

    To quote Willie Nelson: There's a little old fashioned Karma going down!


  • [97] Sarah Tuft from Manhattan December 31, 2008 - 11:57AM

    Greed is bad. (plus it comes back to bite you in the butt...)


  • [98] Danny from New York December 31, 2008 - 11:58AM

    Be sure you know what the change is before you choose it.


  • [99] Dan Kaplan from Chelsea December 31, 2008 - 11:58AM

    THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE


  • [100] mgduke from hel's kitchen December 31, 2008 - 11:58AM

    the bigger they are, the harder they land on the little guy


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