Happy Halloween

Trick-or-Treat?

History traces Halloween back to the ancient religion of the Celtics in Ireland. The Celtic people were very conscious of the spiritual world and had their own ideas of how they could gain access to it - such as by helping their over 300 gods to defeat their enemies in battle, or by imitating the gods in showing cleverness and cunning.

Their two main feasts were Beltane at the beginning of summer (May 1), and Samhain (pronounced Sah-ween) at the end of summer (Nov. 1). They believed Samhain was a time when the division between the two worlds became very thin, when hostile supernatural forces were active and ghosts and spirits were free to wander as they wished.

During this interval the normal order of the universe is suspended, the barriers between the natural and the supernatural are temporarily removed, the sidh lies open and all divine beings and the spirits of the dead move freely among men and interfere sometimes violently, in their affairs.

The Celtic priests who carried out the rituals in the open air were called Druids, members of pagan orders in Britain, Ireland and Gaul, who generally performed their rituals by offering sacrifices, usually of crops and animals, but sometimes of humans, in order to placate the gods, ensuring that the sun would return after the winter, and frightening away evil spirits.

To the Celtics, the bonfire represented the sun and was used to aid the Druid in his fight with dark powers. The term bonfire comes from the words "bone fire," literally meaning the bones of sacrificed animals, sometimes human, were piled in a field with timber and set ablaze. All fires except those of the Druids were extinguished on Samhain and householders were levied a fee to relight their holy fire which burned at their altars. During the Festival of Samhain, fires would be lit which would burn all through the winter and sacrifices would be offered to the gods on the fires. This practice of burning humans was stopped around 1600, and an effigy was sometimes burned instead.

Some trace the origins of present day "trick-or-treat" to Samhain, which was the supreme night of demonic jubilation. Spirits of the dead would rise out of their graves and wander the countryside, trying to return to the homes where they formerly lived. Frightened villagers tried to appease these wandering spirits by offering them gifts of fruit and nuts. They began the tradition of placing plates of the finest food and bits of treats that the household had to offer on their doorsteps, as gifts, to appease the hunger of the ghostly wanderers. If not placated, villagers feared that the spirits would kill their flocks or destroy their property.

The problem was... if the souls of dead loved ones could return that night, so could anything else, human or not, nice or not-so-nice. The only thing the superstitious people knew to do to protect themselves on such an occasion was to masquerade as one of the demonic hoard, and hopefully blend in unnoticed among them. Wearing masks and other disguises and blackening the face with soot were originally ways of hiding oneself from the spirits of the dead who might be roaming around. This is the origin of Halloween masquerading as devils, imps, ogres, and other demonic creatures.

Traditional Halloween symbols (witches, black cats, pumpkins, candles, masks, parties and pranks) appeared in the U.S. during the late 1800's.

Bats, owls and other nocturanal animals, also popular symbols of Halloween, were originally feared because people believed that these creatures could communicate with the spirits of the dead.

The Jack-o-lantern is the festival light for Halloween and is the ancient symbol of a damned soul.


All that being said, the biggest problem with Halloween is what the candy companies have produced.

Who came up with the idea of bite-size and fun-size?

I really hate it when I get home after knocking on all the doors and have to unwrap all those little candy bars.

When I come to your door this year, if you don't want the trick, I suggest you have the king-size candy bars.

Day Off

Well, time got away once again so there will be no post today.

Another American Scam Part 2

This year with the price of gas hitting over $4.00 a gallon, tax breaks for the new green society, Al Gore making his case about global warming, using the wind and the sun, and all of a sudden America seems eager to kick its addiction to oil and other fossil fuels.

Yesterday I discussed solar. Today, let's look at the wind:

In 1854 Daniel Halladay develops America's first commercial windmills, with wooden blades that pivot as wind direction changes.

In the 1930s some 600,000 windmills dot rural America, grinding grain and pumping water.

Their use declines after the New Deal links rural communities to central electrical grids.

In 1941 the first wind turbine to supply power to a community was erected at Grandpa's Knob, a mountaintop near Rutland, Vermont.

In 1980 Congress increased tax credits for companies using solar, wind, and other renewable energies.

In 1985 wind turbines in California produce enough electricity to power 400,000 homes.

In 2006 the first sea-based wind farm in the U.S. was proposed off Cape Cod.

Wind currently accounts for only 1 percent of U.S. electrical production. Yet it's the fastest-growing energy source, representing a third of all new power generation in 2007.

The basic technology—a rotor to capture the wind's energy and a shaft to convert it—hasn't changed much since the Dutch used windmills to grind grain.

In the modern version, aerodynamic rotor blades grab the wind, and a generator converts the mechanical energy into electricity.

The Midwest and Plains states have the highest wind potential, with Texas already leading the way.

New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg envisions an offshore wind farm that could supply 10 percent of the city's electricity needs within a decade.

The world's largest wind farm at Altamont Pass, California, USA, consists of 6,000 wind turbines generating 1 TWh of electricity per year.

Wind farms supply about 1.5% of California's electricity needs. To produce 1,200 megawatts of electricity (an output comparable with that of a nuclear power station), a wind farm would need to occupy around 370 sq km/140 sq mi.

Such generators tend to be noisy, and are therefore situated in thinly populated areas.

Their ecological credentials are otherwise considered to be good, but the amount of power generated per turbine is small.

Wind project proponents may face opposition from area residents concerned about sound level, light flicker, appearance, and the other impacts of wind turbine placement.


NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) spells trouble for wind. A field of whirring turbines can be loud and unsightly. In some communities, wind farms have pitted residents who lease their land to wind companies against neighbors with ruined views.


Change is definitely in the air when Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens announces he's building a wind farm likely to be the world's largest. Upon completion, in late 2014, Pickens's 4,000-megawatt farm will be able to power 1.3 million homes.

Generating wind energy is easier than getting it to customers: The infrastructure does not yet exist to bring energy from remote, high-wind regions into large numbers of homes.


The infrastructure that does not yet exist to bring energy from remote, high-wind regions into large numbers of homes will represent huge steel transmission towers with large wires. These will have to cross areas that people will not like, some of which will be through scenic areas.


Also of note as mentioned, to produce 1,200 megawatts of electricity (an output comparable with that of a nuclear power station), a wind farm would need to occupy around 370 sq km/140 sq mi so that should give you an idea of how much land Pickens's 4,000-megawatt farm will require.

2008 Congress is working to extend tax credits for solar and wind power set to expire at year's end.

I would bet you have heard all about solar and wind but you have not seen this quote from Patrick Moore, cochair, Clean and Safe Energy Coalition:

"Nuclear energy is quite simply the only non-polluting energy source that can replace fossil fuels. It's a fairy tale that wind and solar can do the job."

I ask you, do you really think these are a more viable answer than fossil fuels and nuclear generation?

In closing, the other thing that is never mentioned is the fact that if there are cloudy days and days without wind, what will you think when you get home and flip on the light switch and you have no lights?

That's the part no one talks about. Even with wind and solar generation, the power companies will have to have other forms of generation on standby for those times. Standby means they are in operation idling so the generation can be increased as demands rise.

What that means is you will pay higher power bills than you do now because you will be paying for standby generation.

Hopefully these last two posts will enlighten you as to what I feel is another great American scam.

Another American Scam Part 1

This year with the price of gas hitting over $4.00 a gallon, tax breaks for the new green society, Al Gore making his case about global warming, using the wind and the sun, and all of a sudden America seems eager to kick its addiction to oil and other fossil fuels.

"Enough solar energy falls on the surface of the earth every 40 minutes to meet 100 percent of the world's energy needs for a year."
--Al Gore, former U.S. vice president

Talk is cheap, but solar is not so cheap no matter how much hits the earth.

There are a lot of people licking their chops on how they are going to use green to make their green money on wind and solar.

I'm not necessarily against wind or solar power, but there are a few things that seem to be left out along the story telling way.

Let's discuss solar:

This is nothing new. In fact, in the 1860s Auguste Mouchout developed the first solar steam engines, forerunners of modern parabolic dish collectors, which concentrate the sun's heat to produce steam that powers electrical generators.

In 1939 MIT scientists build Solar I, first solar-heated house in the United States.

In 1954 Bell Laboratories developed the first silicon solar cell; produces enough energy to power common electrical devices.

In 1979 Jimmy Carter installs solar panels on White House roof.

In 1986 Ronald Reagan removed them.

What did Ronald Regan know? More than Carter that's for sure.

Maybe Gore is correct when saying enough of the sun's energy reaches the earth's surface to satisfy all our energy needs. What he doesn't say is there is a huge expense in harnessing it in usable form.

Solar cells made of silicon convert sunlight into electricity, which is then wired to the power grid. For decades, they've powered calculators, satellites, and homes.

While solar is a nice idea, since the 1860's we have not been able to make the price of installation, maintenance and payback feasible.

Cost has been the main impediment to a large-scale shift to solar. While the sun is free, the hardware and the labor needed for installation that converts it to usable electricity is not. Not to mention the amount of land required.


A solar farm has opened in Spain that consists of 120,000 solar panels over 100 hectares (247 acres). It also has a peak capacity of 20 megawatts and it can power up to 20,000 homes—making it the world's largest solar farm to date.

Again it takes 247 acres and 120,000 solar panels to power 20,000 homes.

But technological advances have helped cut costs by some 80 percent since 1980, with further declines expected.

Costs have been cut by 80 percent since 1980 but solar is still cost prohibitive without subsidies.

Scientists are experimenting with other materials to capture more of the sun's power and cut manufacturing costs.

One technique, known as concentrating solar power, uses an array of mirrors, lenses, and liquid-filled tubes to turn the sun's intense heat into steam, which then powers an electric turbine.

Advances could one day allow the sun to replace coal and nuclear plants as our main source of electricity.

I wonder why we never hear these important talking points? Maybe no one is talking.

This ends part 1 of what I perceive as a major scam the majority of Americans are unaware of, but will pay dearly for.

Tomorrow in part 2 I will discuss the wind.

Off Day

Well, I worked Sunday and since I write this in the evening for the next day, there will be no post today.

Friday's Food For Thought

When times get hard and it becomes difficult to put food on your table, you might be smart to be friends with a Mormon family.

For years, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have counseled members to have a year's supply of food and other essentials.

Our son's dog that we have visiting has become great friends with Buddy whose family, Curt and Peggy, are Mormon so we might have an inside track should we get hungry.

Of course during hard times there may be others knocking on their door as well so I hope Buddy has a say in the matter.

I'm sure if that time comes, Curt and Peggy might ask "'Do I share with my neighbors who are nonmembers who do not have a year's supply?"

Do they have to share with us? No, they don't have to share.

I hope they believe rather than have to, they get to share!

They could not possibly eat food and see Chloe, Zoe and their parents hungry.

If the time comes we are hungry and just in case Curt and Peggy don't really agree about sharing their food, I think I will remind them: Giving of ourselves is often easy during times of plenty, but giving during our own times of need is a much greater sacrifice and greater opportunity for us to have (and practice) charity for others.

If that guilt trip doesn't work with Curt and Peggy, I hope Pat and Wally have some left over homemade bread, cookies and cake they will share.

Maybe I should remind all of them it is a good idea to have a huge supply of steaks on hand.

If times get worse, just remember this, when your doorbell rings it won't be Avon calling.

Speaking of food, I used to eat a lot of natural foods until I learned that most people die of natural causes.

Fish is good food. I used to go fishing with a friend until one day the weather was bad and we have never fished together since.

He refused to go with me anymore, so thinking I had done something wrong, I finally asked him why he didn't want to go fishing.

The following is the explanation he gave me: "I have stopped fishing."

Saturday morning I got up early, dressed quietly, made my lunch, grabbed the dog, slipped quietly into the garage to hook the boat up to the truck, and proceeded to back out into a torrential down pour.

The wind was blowing 50 mph. I pulled back into the garage, turned on the radio, and discovered that the weather would be bad throughout the day.

I went back into the house, quietly undressed, and slipped back into bed. There I cuddled up to my wife's back, now with a different anticipation, and whispered, 'The weather out there is terrible.'

My loving wife of 20 yrs replied, 'Can you believe my stupid husband is out fishing in that crap?'

I still don't know to this day if she was joking, but that is why I have stopped fishing.

Well I certainly feel better about that.



In closing I will remind you of an Important Notice in case you missed it:

Due to recent budget cuts,

and the rising cost of electricity, gas and oil,

the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

Sincerely,

The Government

Bad Moon Arising

You hear on the news and read in the paper about how bad people are suffering from the economy.

Do you ever wonder how bad it affects others?

An example is a guy that owned a construction company that was doing real well when times were good.

Then the bottom starts to fall out of the market, but he has spent a lot of money for material on some of his commercial complexes and, as is normal in the industry, he has not collected money up front for that material.

Guess what, the builder doesn't pay the contractor but his creditors are hounding the contractor for payment.

His business has until now been very successful, so he has a house in Vegas and a vacation house in Colorado.

Also, like most would do when they are successful, he has a lot of toys including a twin engine airplane to commute between Colorado and Las Vegas to maximize his time, which when you own your own business, free time becomes important.

He has three kids between 20 and 26 years old whom he is helping with living and education.

He also has purchased or leased equipment which have payments due, payroll, taxes, licensing, insurance, office, warehouse, airplane hanger and a whole lot of other expenses that come due.

Then the bottom falls out and there is no work.

So I ask you, what would most people do in a situation like that?

What he did was go to his insurance company and add five million dollars to his insurance policies death benefits bringing the total of two and a half million dollars for each of the kids should something happen to him.

At age fifty, with a failing economy and no income to speak of coming in, the timing and expense of adding to the insurance policy is interesting to say the least.

Was it a premonition, a coincidence, or maybe contrived?

No one will ever know for sure, but just three months after taking out the additional insurance policy, he and his wife were flying to their house in Colorado. As they approached the airport, rather than landing, they circled the airport. Then the plane for some unknown reason nosed down at a 45 degree angle and crashed, killing both he and his wife.

Was it a pilot error, mechanical failure, or despair? The truth will probably never be known.

When times get worse, death will become a more viable option to many.

I see the bad moon arising.
I see trouble on the way.
I see earthquakes and lightnin.
I see bad times today.

Dont go around tonight,
Well, its bound to take your life,
Theres a bad moon on the rise.

I hear hurricanes ablowing.
I know the end is coming soon.
I fear rivers over flowing.
I hear the voice of rage and ruin.

Hope you got your things together.
Hope you are quite prepared to die.
Looks like were in for nasty weather.
One eye is taken for an eye.

Political Viagra

With all the news about affairs in politics, I see why so many people spend so much money to run for a political office.

Look at all the sex they have while in office, and remember these are just the ones we hear about.

Come inside, take off your coat, I'll make you feel at home.
Now let's pour a glass of wine 'cause now we're all alone.

I've been waiting for you girl, just let me hold you close to me,
'Cause I've been dyin' for you girl, to make love to me.

Girl, you make me feel real good.
We can do it 'til we both wake up.

Because I am a Governor, Congressman or Senator and I have the power and I can put you on my office payroll or pay you from campaign funds even if I am a schmuck!!



If you need to find a politician you might want to stop by a couple of bars in ALTON, Illinois.

Woman accused of tending bar in the buff

It's a different take on 'belly up to the bar.'

A 24-year-old female bartender in the Mississippi River community of Alton was charged with misdemeanor lewd entertainment after apparently working in the buff.

Police arrested the woman last Friday at the Pub Room after someone called to complain.

Authorities said the woman had managed to put on a shirt before officers arrived.

It's not the first time it's happened in that area.

Last month in nearby Jersey County, a 33-year-old bartender at The Cabin Incorporated in Delhi was charged with public indecency after sheriff's deputies found her working nude.

Set 'em up Joe, and play ‘Walking The Floor’.
Set 'em up Joe, and play ‘Walking The Floor’.

All my neon neighbors they like what I play
Cause they've heard it every night since you've walked away

Every night I run a needle through ‘Walking The Floor’.
I'm gonna spend the night like every night before.

I pity the poor fool that called to complain.

Just remember, if the world didn't suck, we'd all fall off.

In the 60's, people took acid to make the world weird.

Now the world is weird, and people take Prozac to make it normal.

Wouldn't it be nice if, whenever we messed up our life, we could simply press 'Ctr Alt Delete' and start all over?


Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

Say What

It has become obvious that our education system in the United States is lacking and has been for some time.

Many of you may remember on June 15, 1992, Vice President Dan Quayle corrected a student's correct spelling of "potato" to "potatoe" at an elementary school spelling bee in Trenton, New Jersey.

Now, a Senator and Vice Presidential candidate Joe Biden gave us, “I have a three letter word for what’s important to Americans! J-O-B-S.”

Our education system needs halp far shire.



By the way, with the holidays coming up, be careful who cooks your turkey.

I have a friend who told me his wife is not a very good cook.

He was telling me the first and last time she cooked a turkey she called the turkey hot line for cooking instructions.

He said she told the hot line she bought a 15 pound turkey and asked how long it needed to cook.

"Just a minute," the hot line operator said. The friend's wife said "thanks" and hung up.



Speaking of friends, I got some bad news from a friend the other day.

He said his wife of 40 years was lying on her death bed and she told my friend to open the chest at the foot of the bed which had been off limits to him their entire marriage.

He opened the chest and much to his surprise, he found three ears of corn and $100,000 inside.

"Why are there three ears of corn in here?" he asked.

She said, "Every time I cheated on you, I put an ear of corn in the chest."

Well my friend decided to forgive her, but then asked about where she got the $100,000.

She replied that every time she got a bushel of corn she sold it.


Editioral comment on my part:

Times are hard for everyone these days and everyone is stressed.

Now is the time to do something nice for people. Every time you see someone without a smile, please give them one of yours.




Reminder to my readers: Today is another 7 A.M. to midnight shift so there will be no post Tuesday.

Friday's Stimulation

Judge Throws Out Lawsuit Against God

LINCOLN, Neb. A judge has thrown out a Nebraska legislator's lawsuit against God, saying the Almighty wasn't properly served due to his unlisted home address.

State Sen. Ernie Chambers filed the lawsuit last year seeking a permanent injunction against God.

He said God has made terroristic threats against the senator and his constituents in Omaha, inspired fear and caused "widespread death, destruction and terrorization of millions upon millions of the Earth's inhabitants."

Chambers, who has served a record 38 years in the Nebraska Legislature, is not returning next year because of term limits.

Four things come to mind here.

The first is this is a clear case of how politicians don't have enough to do.

Second, this is a prime example of how politicians waste the taxpayers' dollar.

The third is what is in the drinking water in Nebraska? They have term limits that let you serve 38 years.

Fourth, Thank God for a wise judge.




What's for dinner?

Family cremated mom on BBQ, kept benefits

CORNING, Calif. -The family of a dead elderly woman cremated her remains on a makeshift barbecue and continued collecting her retirement checks amounting to more than $25,000, authorities in Northern California said.

Ramona Allmond's daughter and grandson were arrested Sunday on suspicion of embezzlement, elder abuse and disposing of a body without a permit.

The only statement the daughter and grandson had was that mom/grandma was a tough old broad and they should have fattened her up a little and marinated her longer in the barbecue sauce before the barbecue.


Speaking of Moms

This woman has to be a prime candidate for mother of the year.

Mom allegedly takes daughter to fight, intervenes

VICTORVILLE, Calif. -A mother who took her 12-year-old daughter to a Victorville park to fight another youngster has been arrested after allegedly jumping into the fracas.

The woman was jailed for investigation of corporal injury to a child.

San Bernardino County Sheriff's investigators say the 31-year-old woman took her daughter to the Mojave Desert park to fight the other 12-year-old girl.

When they arrived, the girls began fighting. Witnesses told deputies that the woman intervened when her daughter appeared to be losing.

The woman allegedly grabbed the girl's hair and slapped the youngster in the face.

I say the mother should have stayed out of the fight so the daughter would learn that you can't always win and she should learn to fight better.

With the price of gas these days, I will say it is admirable of the mother to drive the 12-year-old rather than make her ride her bike to the fight.


A good reason to stop by Wag's Blog

Surfing The Web Stimulates Older Brains

Googling is good for Grandpa and Grandma, says a new study by researchers at UCLA.

The study, which looked at brain activity during web searches, resulted in a fascinating finding: Middle-aged to older adults who know their way around the Internet had more stimulation of decision-making and complex reasoning areas of the brain than peers who were new to web surfing.

Here is a great opportunity for you to get your friends to stimulate their brains and also to recommend my blog as one of the places to stop. They can also expand their horizons with the cutting edge posts that appear here.

A friend in need is a friend indeed. Email them now and they will owe you a huge debt of gratitude.

A Woman And Her Money

With all that is going on with Wall Street today, I thought you, my readers, might find this interesting.

The Witch Of Wall Street

Henrietta "Hetty" Howland Robinson Green (November 21, 1834 – July 3, 1916) was an American businesswoman, remarkable for her frugality during the Gilded Age, as well as for being the first American woman to make a substantial impact on Wall Street.

Hetty Green was a mean-spirited, tightfisted, shrewd woman! Born Henrietta Howland Robinson in 1835, she is listed in Guiness Book of World Records as the greatest of misers. Hetty's father, Edward Mott Robinson, and her aunt Sylvia Ann Howland both died in 1865, leaving her an inheritance of nearly $10 million (worth some $185 million in today's dollars). Hetty immediately began investing in the financial markets, scoring her first major success after the Civil War as she bought depreciated U.S. government bonds from skittish investors. Her philosophy was simple: "Buy cheap and sell dear"--and she had an instinct for knowing when which was which!

Hetty Green gained her nickname, the Witch of Wall Street from her fellow investors who often chuckled when Hetty arrived in her usual garb - a long, black 'dress' and solid black petticoat. Hetty's thriftiness caused her to rarely wash the dress, except occasionally the hem that drug the ground.

Hetty herself lived in cheap boarding houses in Manhattan and Brooklyn, taking public transportation to her Wall Street "office"--the vault of Chemical National Bank. There she sat, clipping coupons from her municipal bonds, and diligently pouring over financial reports and forecasts. Known as The Witch of Wall Street, Hetty's disposition was so repugnant that she had no friends and people avoided her.

Even Hetty's son was the recipient of her mean-spirited cheapness. When he injured his knee, Hetty refused to pay for a doctor and treated the injury herself. Two years later, when her son's knee still hadn't healed, Hetty dressed him in rags and pretended to be a charity case. When the doctor learned who she was and demanded payment, Hetty left his office in a rage. Several years later, the boy's leg had to be amputated.

She never turned on the heat nor used hot water. She wore one old black dress and undergarments that she changed only after they had been worn out. She did not wash her hands and rode an old carriage. One tale claims that she spent a night looking around her home for a lost stamp worth two cents.

Hetty herself lived off cold oatmeal because she was too stingy to heat it, and died of apoplexy in an argument over the virtues of skimmed milk. The year was 1916, and she left behind every penny of some $100 million (equal to about $1.5 billion today). Friendless and pathetic, Hetty Green was reputedly the wealthiest woman in the U.S. at that time.

One thing in this story that jumps out at me is the fact that this was an American businesswoman,the first American woman to make a substantial impact on Wall Street.

I would say that is more than substantial, she made a huge amout of money. Maybe we need a woman running our country and Wall Street.

They say being rich is not the key to happiness.

I say if I were rich and the key I had was not the key to happiness, I would buy a new key.

Why Didn't I Think Of That

Oh heck no I'm not that smart so I'm stuck working for a living.

Speaking of working, tomorrow is a 7 A.M. to Midnight day so there will not be a post Wednesday.

Monday Monday

I had a great visit from son Tyler this weekend.



Ty was in town for a friend's wedding but we had some time together so it was a great visit.

It made for a couple of late nights, and Sunday will be a late night as well because of work, so this will be a short post today.

Friday

Happy Friday!!

Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

Have a great weekend.

Political Wisdom

Pretty wise words.

During this political season let's be reminded of these wise words.

You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.

You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.

You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.

You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.

You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.

You cannot build character and courage by taking away men's initiative and independence.

You cannot help men permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves.




Oh yes, those words were said by Abraham Lincoln.

Bailout BS

I don't know how everyone else feels about this financial mess our country is in, but here are my comments.

The government is bailing out Wall Street, the banks, the auto makers and others.

The government is going to form committees to study how something like this happened.

When all the rhetoric filters down, everyone wants to blame all the people that bought homes they could not afford.

Here's a news flash! I don't know anyone that has ever bought a house that they could afford.

This is nothing new. It has been going on since the first house was built and put up for sale.

A house is the biggest investment a person makes in their lifetime. The average person has tried to buy a little higher value to eventually make a little money for their retirement.

In the end what the government's study group will determine is that it was the home buyers that caused this mess because that is an easy answer and dodges the real problem.

It is a sure bet the value of the dollar, imports from other countries, a war, and wasteful government spending among other things had nothing to do with this.

The interesting thing is, as best I can tell, with the exception of 401K's, none of the bailouts actually help out an average citizen, and quite frankly I'm still not sure that it will help our 401K's.

The money given to the automakers does no good if people don't have a job or any money to buy a car or buy high-priced gas.

With the cost of everything, food is becoming an issue. Rather than subsidizing the automakers, we should subsidize the grocery stores.

No work and no taxes collected means higher taxes for those that do have a job. Politicians have no clue.

It's so bad, one presidential candidate suggests we need to redistribute the wealth.

What anyone makes in private industry is not what people should be worrying about.

Sure a lot of CEO's are way overpaid and a lot of people are underpaid, but that is the way the free market works.

Do we need the government to tell each and every one of us what we should be allowed to make and how much we need to be taxed to give to others? No.

I remember when businesses were sold a bill of goods about how to have their employees give to charity. United Way was invented and the workers were told what their fair share contribution should be. Who are they to judge what is fair to one or the other?

I have said it before and I will say it again - rather then all the rhetoric about the rich and the poor not paying taxes, just change our tax system and go to a flat tax.

Tax a working person a flat 10% allowing no deductions. Not only does that become fair, but it also taxes those that are skirting paying their share.

Interesting enough, I suspect the government would actually raise more money in taxes than they do now.

Reform the welfare system to clean that up and make it functional, and give foreign aid to the country that needs it the most. Yes, that country is the United States.

I have a lot more, but unfortunately I type slower than I think and well, I think you get the problem.

In closing I suggest you prepare yourself because the next government bailout will be the state of California.



Reminder - today will be a long work day so there will be no post Wednesday.

Happiness

Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.
Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865)

The secret of happiness is to make others believe they are the cause of it.
Al Batt, in National Enquirer

Happiness is nothing more than good health and a bad memory.
Albert Schweitzer (1875 - 1965)

The happiness of a man in this life does not consist in the absence but in the mastery of his passions.
Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809 - 1892)

A person is never happy except at the price of some ignorance.
Anatole France (1844 - 1924)

Happiness arises in a state of peace, not of tumult.
Ann Radcliffe, The Mysteries of Udolpho, 1764

The discovery of a new dish does more for human happiness than the discovery of a new star.
Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755 - 1826), Physiologie du Gout, 1825

Happiness depends upon ourselves.
Aristotle (384 BC - 322 BC)

Happiness is that state of consciousness which proceeds from the achievement of one's values.
Ayn Rand (1905 - 1982)

Do not weep; do not wax indignant. Understand.
Baruch Spinoza (1632 - 1677)

Content makes poor men rich; discontentment makes rich men poor.
Benjamin Franklin (1706 - 1790)

If there were in the world today any large number of people who desired their own happiness more than they desired the unhappiness of others, we could have paradise in a few years.
Bertrand Russell (1872 - 1970)

All I can say about life is, Oh God, enjoy it!
Bob Newhart (1929 - )

The pursuit of happiness is a most ridiculous phrase; if you pursue happiness you'll never find it.
C. P. Snow (1905 - 1980)

Cherish all your happy moments: they make a fine cushion for old age.
Christopher Morley (1890 - 1957)

This is the best kind of voyeurism, hearing joy from your neighbors.
Chuck Sigars, The World According to Chuck weblog, October 14, 2003

Sometimes it's hard to avoid the happiness of others.
David Assael, Northern Exposure, Our Tribe, 1992

All sanity depends on this: that it should be a delight to feel heat strike the skin, a delight to stand upright, knowing the bones are moving easily under the flesh.
Doris Lessing

Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going too fast - you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.
Eddie Cantor (1892 - 1964)

A lifetime of happiness! No man alive could bear it: it would be hell on earth.
George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950),"Man and Superman" (1903), act I

Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.
George Burns (1896 - 1996)

To be stupid, selfish, and have good health are three requirements for happiness, though if stupidity is lacking, all is lost.
Gustave Flaubert (1821 - 1880)

Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.
Helen Keller (1880 - 1968)

Man is the artificer of his own happiness.
Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862), Journal, January 21, 1838

If we cannot live so as to be happy, let us least live so as to deserve it.
Immanuel Hermann Fichte

I am a kind of paranoiac in reverse. I suspect people of plotting to make me happy.
J. D. Salinger (1919 - )

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet.
James Oppenheim

At the height of laughter, the universe is flung into a kaleidoscope of new possibilities.
Jean Houston

Happiness: a good bank account, a good cook and a good digestion.
Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712 - 1778)

The bird of paradise alights only upon the hand that does not grasp.
John Berry, Flight of White Crows

Both Parties Are Guilty

Ever wonder why our country has so many problems?

We have all the experts telling us there is a financial crisis that needs an immediate fix.

This just two weeks after we were being told our economy was strong.

Then our leaders agree to rapidly put together a bill to help save our economy.

Two weeks later the bill is presented, passes the senate and is headed to the house. Obviously time was of the essence.

So the people we trusted that let us down put together a bill and then of all things tack on some of their favorite things.

This bill is so important that they added - that's right they added - things to make some people vote for it.

So this is a bill to save our country and we add things like:

Essential tax breaks for the wool research fund. What else do we need to know about wool!

Tax breaks for the manufacturer of wooden arrows used in toys for children. Price tag, $6 million. Wooden arrows? Aren't these the same people that are telling us that it's politically incorrect to play cowboys and Indians?

Puerto Rican and Virgin Island rum producers get $192 million so they can make more booze!

Tax credit for economic development in America, defined as American Samoa.

A tax break for railroad track maintenance.

A tax break for racetracks.

Provide for the expansion and modification of advanced coal project investment credits.

Expansion and modification of the coal gasification project.

Increased funding for black lung disability fund.

Qualified television and film productions given an extension of favorable expensing rules, $10 million.

We're helping out the TV and film people.

The bill is 435 pages long and written by attorneys. I have given you but a small sample of how our Government is dysfunctional.

As a senator isn't it in their job description to do what is is right for the country because that's what we hired them to do.

Shouldn't a senator be held responsible to do what is right for the country?

This to me is an outrage. We are in dire straits and these are some of the things it takes to pass a rescue bill?

It's time for us all to email our so called leaders and tell them to put the country's interest first and we need to start paying attention to how and who we vote for.

It's time to take America back!!!!

Who Is Counting?

Happy 32nd Anniversary Vicki.

That's right, 32 years ago Vicki lost her mind long enough to marry me.

Let me look back at how we met. I remember it well. I was walking down Las Vegas Boulevard and Vicki was heading the other way.

I'm sure I said:

Pretty woman walkin down the street
Pretty woman, the kind I like to meet
Pretty woman, I don't believe you
You're not the truth
No one could look as good as you
Mercy

Pretty woman, won't you pardon me
Pretty woman, I couldn't help but see
Pretty woman, and you look lovely as can be
Are you lonely just like me

Pretty woman, stop a while
Pretty woman, talk a while
Pretty woman, give your smile to me
Pretty woman, yeah, yeah, yeah
Pretty woman, look my way
Pretty woman, say youll stay with me

Cause I need you
Ill treat you right
Come with me baby
Be mine tonight

Pretty woman, don't walk on by
Pretty woman, don't make me cry
Pretty woman, don't walk away
Ok

If that's the way it must be, ok
I guess Ill go on home, it's late
There'll be tomorrow night

But wait, what do I see?
Is she walking back to me?
Yeah, she's walking back to me
O-oh
Pretty woman.

So I begged, what can I say.

Then came the dreams:

A candy-colored clown they call the sandman
Tiptoes to my room every night
Just to sprinkle stardust and to whisper
Go to sleep. Everything is all right.

I close my eyes, then I drift away
Into the magic night. I softly say
A silent prayerlike dreamers do.
Then I fall asleep to dream my dreams of you.

In dreams I walk with you. In dreams I talk to you.
In dreams you’re mine. All of the time we’re together
In dreams, in dreams.

And there were more dreams:

Sweet dream baby
Sweet dream baby
Sweet dream baby
How long must I dream

Dream baby got me dreamin’ sweet dreams the whole day through
Dream baby got me dreamin’ sweet dreams night time too
I love you and I’m dreaming of you but that won’t do
Dream baby make me stop my dreamin’, you can make my dreams come true


When I am on the patio smoking:

Dream,when you’re feeling blue
Dream,that’s the thing to do
Just watch the smoke rings rise in the air
You’ll find your share of memories there


In closing:

My Prayer

When the twilight is gone and no songbirds are singing
When the twilight is gone you come into my heart
And here in my heart you will stay while I pray

My prayer is to linger with you
At the end of the day in a dream that’s divine
My prayer is a rapture in blue
With the world far away and your lips close to mine

Tonight while our hearts are aglow
Oh tell me the words that I’m longing to know

My prayer and the answer you give
May they still be the same for as long as we live
That you’ll always be there at the end of my prayer

Happy Anniversary Vicki. Thanks for the memories and for putting up with me.

By the way, some of this sounds a lot like they should be songs.