Every Part Is Good

Hair Down There

-Until next time…

To Bailout Or Not To Bailout

-It’s interesting to see “Congress” in action.

The United States of America gives away $760 billion dollars to the large east coast insurance and banking institutions – that take our money for this and that.

A Democratic Congress, unwilling or unable to approve a $25 billion bailout for Detroit’s Big Three, appears ready to punt the automakers’ fate to a lame-duck Republican president.

Caught in the middle of a who-blinks-first standoff are legions of manufacturing firms and auto dealers like those right here in Minnesota – Minneapolis and Duluth — and millions of Americans’ jobs — after Senate Democrats canceled a showdown vote that had been expected Thursday. President George W. Bush has “no appetite” to act on his own.

U.S. auto companies employ nearly a quarter-million workers, and more than 730,000 other people have jobs producing the materials and parts that go into cars. About 1 million on top of that work in dealerships nationwide. If just one of the auto giants were to go belly up, some estimates put U.S. job losses next year as high as 2.5 million.

2.5 million jobs?

Let me see, does this make sense … yes for $760 billion dollars on one hand and no for $25 billion on the other hand … and then there are those 2.5 million jobs?

But then the Congressmen were more worried about the CEO’s flying in on their “private jets” … hmmm, 2.5 million jobs.

Isn’t the automobile industry one of the “major backbones” of our economy?  Oh ya … then there are those east coast banks and insurance companies.  Hmmmmm

I don’t think my bank got any of that money … the gals down there make minimum wage … $6.15 per hour.

I know my local insurance agent didn’t get any of that $760 billion … he’s still slaving away every day …

I’m not sure I fully understand the “equality” or lack there of … our government has.  Isn’t everyone or every agency supposed to be treated equally.

Wouldn’t we all be better off is we all helped one another through this economic crunch – regardless of who we are?

-Until next time…

To Park Or Plow

-Good morning – it’s darn cold outside – I just let our dog in.  Brrrrrrr!

-Today’s weather forecast for our corner of the world is:

Breezy. Increasing clouds. Isolated flurries. Highs 17 to 22. Northwest winds 15 to 25 mph.

Those strong winds will drive the “wind chill” down making those temperatures feel more like 5 degrees above zero today – not good nor enjoyable.

Heavy snow will be falling along the South Shores of Lake Superior beginning tonight lasting through Friday morning.

-Mike Huckabee, the former Governor of Arkansas, and Republican presidential candidate appeared on The View Tuesday, where he spoke about same-sex marriage.  Huckabee said that gay rights could not be equated or compared to civil rights because gays have not experienced violence against them, unlike Blacks.

Huckabee stated:

“People who are homosexuals should have every right in terms of their civil rights, to be employed, to do anything they want. But that’s not really the issue. I know you talked about it and I think you got into it a little bit early on. But when we’re talking about a redefinition of an institution, that’s different than individual civil rights. We’re never going to convince each other…But here is the difference. Bull Connor was hosing people down in the streets of Alabama. John Lewis got his skull cracked on the Selma bridge.”

I guess all of our gay brothers who have been beaten and lost their lives for being gay just don’t count!

-Thinking my back would be better and would get better is what happened – until I bent over to give the dog (who, incidentally is doing better than he was a few days ago) my back still felt a bit “twitchy” at bed time.

For the most part all day long, my back was good – I did things around the house – but it must be just the way I move slightly forward or lean forward that gives it a little “twinge”.

-After Steve got home last night – he was busy as a beaver working on his blog “Steve On Sinema“. I’m not sure exactly how much time he spent – but I know it was quite a while. You might just want to pop over to his blog and take a look at his latest posting – entitled “Hot DVD Release Of The Week“.

It’s a really great post … gosh maybe he can take over for me here – and I can “retire”!

-Sexiest man alive?

I don’t think so…

What do you think?  Post a comment.

-On a sad note this morning, my cousin “Jo” called me last night – and after a few weeks of tests, cat scans, MRI’s and so forth – her doctor called and said she has “Cystic NeoPlasm”.

In essence, she has “two masses” on or near her pancreas that need to be removed in addition to her spleen and some other tissue.

Needless to say, when she called me last evening about 4:50 p.m., she was distraught and noticeably shaken in her voice.

Steve and I feel so bad for her – she’s really the most “bubbly” of persons that I know – and my heart goes out to her in every way.

I sent her an email after she called and told her that I was available to her for whatever it was that she needed at any time.

-Things we’ve read…

• The U.S. Government spent $277,000 on pickle research in 1993.
• An ounce of platinum can be stretched 10,000 feet.
• Penguins can convert salt water into fresh water.
• The most powerful electric eel is found in the rivers of Brazil, Columbia, Venezuela, and Peru, and produces a shock of 400-650 volts.
• It is illegal to mispronounce ‘Arkansas’ while in the state of Arkansas!

-A week from today is Thanksgiving Day … this year will be totally different for me, as I’ll be staying home without Steve.

Steve is journeying over to south west central Minnesota to spend the Thanksgiving Holiday with his family and friends.

I, because of the dog and the situation here at home – will be staying here.    … It will be the first time in ten Thanksgiving holidays that we will be apart on Thanksgiving.

I went to the store yesterday and bought just a few small things to put together for my Thanksgiving here at home – but it sure won’t be the same for me this year.

Steve’s uncle and cousin from down south will be here this year to celebrate the holiday with his family.

Life for me will just go on, but it sure won’t be the same at all.  I’m thankful we’re together, I won’t be thankful we’ll be apart on that day.

-Here in Minnesota this morning … With about 18% of the vote recounted, Coleman still leads Franken — but by only 174 votes. Franken’s gain owed much to a swing of 23 votes in the Democratic stronghold of St. Louis County.

Hopefully within a few more days this recount thing will be over and Minnesota will know who is going to be their senator in Washington.

-I was going to go into the big city today … and go to Sam’s Club to get a few items for the house, but as of now I’m not sure if I will or not.  My back is feeling so so … not real bad or anything, just a bit uncomfortable – for which I might just decide to stay home.  Besides that … when I went to pay my health care yesterday, it was discovered that some how when I retired and made my first payment in July – that payment was in reality for the month of August and not July.

Turns out, I still owe for July – and so today I’ll have to fork out another $541.62 on top of the $541.62 that I paid our yesterday.  So this month’s health care costs will be $1,083.24 – ouch!  More money down the tube.

That little surprise certainly did not make me happy yesterday – their error and now it’s my loss.

-Steve will be up in about eighteen minutes or so, and as for me – well I’m not sure what I’m going to do today.  We have a city ordinance where we live that say from November 1st to April 1st – we can’t park on the city streets between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., so we moved our cars off the street last night into the drive way in the back yard.

So when 6:00 a.m. rolls around this morning, I will go out and move my car and Steve’s car to the front street.

The city ordinance is so that snow plows can plow the snow during those early morning hours – so that good folks like Steve – can get out to go to work after 6:00 a.m.

Only bad thing is – the dumb city never starts plowing until at least 6:00 or 7:00 a.m. – so why have a city ordinance requiring no on-street parking between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.?

I don’t know the answer either – as I’m sure you don’t!

Go figure.

-Well guys, that is about it for this morning … I’m going to quick cook up some oatmeal for my breakfast and read the rest of the news on the internet – then shower and see what day holds for me.  As for my partner, Steve … well it is back to work for him this morning and again tomorrow.

We both want to wish each of you a “great” Thursday.  Here is hoping that you have the best day possible.

We’ll see you back here again tomorrow about the same time.

-Until next time…