JUST SOME POSTS

I am an optimist at heart. Senator McCain was ridiculed during the campaign for saying the fundamentals of our economy are strong (there is another post a ways back about that, so read it if you care). They are. When allowed to function, the free market economy is the best system devised. Are there inequalities? - Yes. Are there people that will go broke? - Yes. But, if left to be truly free, there will be a much larger number of people that accumulate more wealth. Our problem now is we are being led into a disastrous economic situation by people that think the down times and the "losers" in a capitalistic system can be turned around and/or saved. That is insanity. There can be no good without bad. There can be no winner without losers. To appreciate the light, one must experience darkness. The "feel-good" notion that we can bail out all the downtrodden and speculators that lost, is not only wrong - it is suicidal to our economy. Here is a blog by a business repo...

I have written one post that included some thoughts about perspective. Here's another - I was just reading a book that takes place in Russia. The time frame is after the fall of the Soviet Union, but one gets the feeling that it is not that long after. One of the chapters in the book goes to a elementary school classroom to a history lesson. A question in asked of one of the little girls in the class - "Who was Abraham Lincoln?" Now, we all know Abraham Lincoln was the 16 th President of the U.S. He freed the slaves, wrote the Gettysburg address on an envelope, and preserved the union of the states with his action in and surrounding the Civil War. We also know he was shot and killed by John Wilkes Booth. The answer given by a Soviet school educated child was - "Abraham Lincoln was a president of the United States. He led a bloody suppression of a revolt by the southern states of the U.S. seeking freedom." How about that for perspective? I was then thinking...

11/26 - I wondered why no one had commented on this one. I forgot to post it. I did it a few days ago. Here you go - I was sitting and talking with my wife and considering what to give folks for Christmas this year. I love to make things. (no really I do) I have made some stuff in the past, but it rarely comes out as I envisioned. I have also had things that did not come out at all. With six kids around the house in earlier years, sometimes NOTHING came out at all except destruction and aggravation. (love ya kids, mean it) I was thinking for the last few years that I wanted to make people wind chimes. Homemade and handmade wind chimes. I have been working with the design in my head now for at least two years. I thought this might be the year I would actually do them. So, I talked it over with my wife, who tactfully agreed. (knowing that disagreement would do nothing) I have done some research online at various places about wind chimes that are available and their costs. I have gott...

Those of you that know me well know that for 15+ years I did not miss a Price is Right Show. I recorded them every day and watched them at night or on the weekends. I love(d) that show...farewell Bob. Here is a link to a video of one of the current Price is Right shows that went pretty well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpMuiYNa3Xo If you want to see excitement and what a good day is - watch. I also just found out that the Time/Life people are putting their 150 years of photographs on the web - with FREE public access through Google Images. I have only started to look, but saw some great photos of the Civil War. These are some of the first photographs taken, and look amazing. They are categorized by decade. They have from the 1860s through the 1970s now. Take a look. If you are a history buff or a photography buff, this is great. Here is a link: http://images.google.com/hosted/life I was going to continue with my theme of change; commenting on the changes in society, cult...

You all have probably heard the "million monkey theory" (or actually the infinite monkey theory) - If a million (infinite number) of monkeys (chimpanzees) were put in a room with an infinite number of typewriters for an infinite amount of time - they would produce the complete works of Shakespeare. I was thinking about this this morning (I think about "stuff" like this) with some of my weirdness taking over. Some thoughts - First, how can an infinite number of anything fit into a room. You would have to have an infinite space. But, that is nit-picking. Then again lower primate societies are built on nitpicking !?! I just read a study (yes, I read weird stuff too!) that showed that chimps "hold grudges" based on grooming (or true nitpicking). If one chimp groomed another and then the nitpicking was not reciprocated , the first chimp would "shun" the non-groomer and attempt to get others to do the same. So, if you put an infinite number of chim...

Well, I guess there are a LOT of idiots out there! This is one time that I hope I am wrong , VERY wrong. Because I feel we just took our great country down a path that we will have a hard time getting back from. If you read these posts regularly, you should have seen one titled "Back in the USSA ". I wrote it the day after our government started a socialist approach to banking and business. Our government now owns a sizable percentage of each of the top banks in the country - socialism. I have seen articles where the government is proposing "buying" sizable chunks of other industries, in the form of loans for equity swaps - socialism. Now we have elected a president that has socialist tendencies and a definite support for socialism in his past. Socialism DOES NOT WORK! I agree in theory it is a wonderful and compelling ideology. Spread the wealth. Take from the rich and give to the poor. Share and share alike. From each, according to his ability; to each, acco...