Monday, December 29, 2008

Time, Times, and half a Time


What an exciting time to be living. This blowing of the shofar is not for some Passover celebration. Soon it will apparent who the true anti-Semites are. In the end Israel will stand alone. It will be abandoned by all, even the U.S. The response of most Americans to the destruction of Israel will be "pass the potatoes".




When I look into the eyes of this IAF soldier I read one thing: Masada. They are not going to walk into the gas chambers again.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Father of the Bride

Babba is taking a pro-active role in planning the wedding!

Saturday, December 20, 2008

What happened to my country?

This article by Mark Steyn sums up all my feelings on the economy. The American auto industry is moribund. This new bail-out is like an embalmer: he just makes the corpse smell better for awhile. George Bush did just enough to postpone the demise of GM and Chrysler til March. We do this in the hospital also. It's called "let's operate on grandma even though it's hopeless, just so she doesn't die on Christmas".

I don't remember anyone asking for a bailout when the furniture and textile industry of the south collapsed thirty years ago. It's like we have become a nation of panhandlers. The whole economy was built on the illusion of prosperity. I feel so stupid---I never realized that most companies have to borrow money to meet payroll. The lessons of the great depression, such as "save for a rainy day" have been replaced by a new philosophy: "We made it through today". I remember that TV commercial of the fella boasting about all his expensive toys and then remarking; "and I'm in debt up to my eyeballs". The country went on a buying spree sustained by easy credit and manufactured need. If you wanted a new luxury car and could only afford a used Corolla, you just financed that BMW for six years. You really couldn't afford that 20,000 square foot mini-mansion so you got an adjustable rate mortgage with a balloon payment and hoped you wouldn't get the flu and miss a day's work. We had the appearance of prosperity but underneath it everything was leveraged to the max. Our country is now in the denial phase and inching closer to the anger phase. The government is trying to suspend reality and halt the grieving process with a Prozac placebo called a stimulus package. They really think we are stupid. Like a cheating spouse, confidence can only be regained with virtue over time. Instead the government is handing out the "morning after pill" and hoping we all suffer from amnesia.

I will miss GM and Chrysler (I think there is still hope for Ford). My first car was a 1953 Chevrolet Bel-Air, like the Chevy in this classic commercial. It didn't come with a " nav-system" or heated seats. The steering wheel was as big as a bicycle wheel and with its kingpin suspension if you didn't slow down you just didn't make the curve. We were a Chevy family. I had three cousins who were mechanics for Soundview Chevrolet. (When it was time for a safety inspection we didn't have to bring the car in.) There were no child safety seats; my father just removed the rear inside door handles after the third time I fell out of the car. I remember sitting on my father's lap and shifting his 47 Nash when I was about five years old. My parents might not have been attuned to child safety, but they never had a car loan.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

This Christmas, Surprise Her

I go through all these contortions to try to surprise CP for Christmas. Since I only shop on-line I have to order stuff on secret credit cards, have e-mail confirmations deleted, watch for order updates etc. My plan to secretly get CP a violin was thwarted when the kids tried to buy her one. The thought of the two of them spending more than $50 never occurred to me. So Carol is now playing her Christmas present since I wanted her to take advantage of the full 45 day trial period. Besides, the rental fiddle (you know, the one with the big number "2" on it' like a bowling shoe) needed to be returned.

I wanted her to have something to open up on Christmas morning, so I stealthily ordered her a music stand from Amazon. The music stand was delivered while I was at work and needless to say CP now knows she is getting a a music stand. I'm considering surprising her with four new tires for her Element. I'm concerned that I would come home and find the Goodyear Blimp hovering over the house.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Our non-caged, free-range, locally grown, 100% recycled, eco- friendly, Al Gore endorsed Christmas Tree

This year we gave in and bought an artificial tree. Mainly I got one because CP's Christmas Party is Weds. and I can't seem to keep a real tree moist for more than 8 days. I drill holes in the bottom, I add aspirin to the water, I turn off the heat I've even tried starting an I.V. in one. Whatever I do The tree seem to turn into a potential fire-ball after a week in the house.

This tree is so bright with it's 300 l.e.d. lights it can be seen from outer space. It's like the sun went nova in our living room. I may have to get a rheostat to make it dimmer. This mass of blinding light uses about 25 watts of electricity from our clean-coal burning power plant. Best of all thanks to the Obama recession CP got it for 50% off. It was either 50% off or they would throw in a General Motors SUV.

That 23 lbs. of organic waste in the foreground is Bo. He is taking a break from eating the tree.

Monday, December 08, 2008

Unholy Fire

At last, a preacher in whom there is no guile. At least when they present these dinosaurs as an offering they won't try to crawl off the altar; they probably won't start. Couldn't they at least find a gold model to worship? I can just hear the congregation say "we threw all this plastic in the fire and a lemon came out!" Let us all face east and pray to Washington--- from where our bailouts come.