Craig Crawford's Trail Mix

seven more days, craig. hope helen has at least added a sugarplum to your gruel, loosened the chain a bit and piped in muzak carolling just to give you a sense of the holidays.

our gracious host toiling way.
http://www.heritage-history.com/books/bachman/inventors/zpage188.gif

"I am so disheartened about the Democratic party -- much of which has become intolerant and ugly name callers. You may talk "change" but all I see is more of Bush-style stomping on individual thought."

patsi, being from the extreme eccentric fringe myself and in complete self-interest, i totally agree with your sentiment.

Good morning, patd -- and thanks. I believe we have to watch out for group think every bit as much as we did under Bush. The right wing considered themselves the "righteous ones" and now I fear our own party sees itself wearing a halo while carrying a sword. And anyone who remembers their history knows that the Crusaders wiped out some Christian villiages on their way to fight the evil East.

Hope Solar stops by, because I wanted to let him know that almost all my chickadees are in the nest -- my son-in-law has to work part of the day today before he drives in -- but a great time is being had by all here. The granddaughter and I watched Madagascar and played with our action figures yesterday....

My son and I always shop for the dinner groceries together...and he's up pre-dawn ready to head for Kroger's.

I'm already thinking about which small gift I could sneak off to let Maria open early this morning. (We've been dipping into her Christmas stocking since she arrived....)

It's all good. I would give damn near anything if my children and grandbaby lived here in Nashville...

Anecdotal reflections of the economy....not to be a downer on a Christmas Eve morning...but my daughter told me yesterday that she has now lost one half of her 401K. ONE HALF!

I well remember years back, when she was first given a big promotion at the record label...her father (wisely I thought at the time) advised her to take that huge raise and put every bit of it into the company's 401K matching funds. He also advised her to stay away from the tech stocks no matter how exciting they looked...and to put together a balanced, safe stock portfolio. She did and it flourished. She did it all exactly right -- never changed her lifestyle from worker bee to exec.

Had a good cushion when she decided to take time off from the career path to spend the first years at home with her baby. It gave her the feeling that she might get back to her college roots and begin to do some art projects -- designing children's clothes, making art quilts....on and on.

And now within a matter of months half of it is gone.

I was thinking this morning -- she'd have been just as smart to have done what all the other young music manager types were doing -- taking cruises and driving new cars. Because half of it is all gone. For naught.

Morn'n
So the Dem's are no different !

But at least as per Craig's post today - they are much more Republican then some Republican's

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/12/biden-lays-down-the-law.html#comment-184714

No reason for Obama to be off of the mainland before releasing the Blogo statement, was there?
Had to laugh at Cheney trying to poke at Biden with the impotent-vp lingo. Every time Cheney opens his mouth, he removes any doubt that he is an evil, crazy so-n-so.
Funny how folks are surprised by Obama; this is the bottom half of manic-depression. Still, I think we were better to go with Obama than McCain. Let's give him a chance. He's already worked harder than W did in the past 8 years.
I think it's interesting that he is giving everyone the opportunity to speak rather than just playing it from one side like the far-left liberals thought he would do. You don't find concesus by shutting people down; that just antogonizes them.
Obama may not be what many people thought was being advertised, but he may be exactly what we need.

Merry Christmas!

th "tough cop" vpeotus joe and new friend
http://www.zootoo.com/petnews/bidentonowadoptashelterdog-1083

highly recommend to joe the dog training books that these guys wrote.

http://www.newsketemonks.com/dogs.htm

Merry Christmas back at you !!!

And thanks to Craig for a Merry Place to let it all hang out!!

Now off to shop.......

Last Minute Ping

food alert! beware of faux bonbon

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/dec/24/food-and-drink-christmas

Until we meet again, may peace be with you while I seek it for myself.

Posted by: Bear | December 23, 2008 2:28 PM

and peace and joy and love also be unto you, bear

"almost all my chickadees are in the nest "

Patsi, I hope you'll post some Holiday pictures for us. Glad to hear you spoiling that beautiful little grand baby of yours

Time to Reboot America
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/24/opinion/24friedman.html?_r=1

sorry to hear about Bear....

Patsi,

A couple of years ago my bank advisor and others talked me into putting most of my savings into Mutual Funds. I didn't want to because I had a bad feeling about doing it. Well I took their advice and put everything but what I needed to buy some land into some funds. I couldn't handle the anxiety so I didn't watch the funds.

When everything started to tank I called another advisor, the first one left the bank, and asked should I take it out. She said no because I hadn't lost anything until I take it out. I called my accountant and he said I couldn't even get but $3000 loss on income tax a year for the loss because it is considered a long term capital loss.

I didn't even have much saving until the last ten years because I didn't have the extra money left over. I didn't realize that the money was in a fairly aggressive, high risk fund.

I now have less than half of all my savings left and I had planned on retiring within the next 5-10 years.. It was a significant amount of money and it has caused me extreme grief about it all. It was money I had already paid taxes on.

When I learn about the connections our government reps, both parties, have with these financial institutions and how these institutions have treated our money I am overwhelmed with anger.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/12/biden-lays-down-the-law.html#comment-184719

Blue, Were you being facetious about the "no need to be off the mainland". This was the date arranged for the memorial for his grandmother and wth family for Christmas among all the things to take care of considering the aftermath of the election, selecting cabinet, and preparing for the innauguration.

This truly silly Blagojavitch matter just came up in the same time sequence.

Watching Cheney whine is great fun until I remember he isn't yet safely consigned to oblivion and the judgment of history. I don't trust him until he finally is boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart

mornin' and happy almost Christmas.

I hate that Bear will be absent from here, but deep down inside (where all the stuff that people rarely see, and shouldn't is), I think Bear will be fine.

Nice to know (actually it's not) that I'm not alone in the 401k blues cafe. Mine isn't as bad as some, but big hunks of it have dropped 30% inthe past 12 months. Good thing retirment isonly an abstract concept at this point - Mrs. P says nyet until LP gets through college. I talked recently with a couple of guys who seem to know things financial about moving the MF parts and "growth" parts to cash or cash equivalents, and they said don't do it - they think the big drop was over the past 18 months and doing anything now is just too late and may compromise the returns any recovery yields - of course if I'd have asked them 18 months ago, they would have said don't do it.

Ping you think you might explain exactly what you're referring to? Can't tell from your post, but if it's just pat's comment, that opinion don't make it so - and really, shouldn't we withhold judgment until after the Obama admin takes office? There used to be this "first 100 days" thing - I'm willing to give him that,and more if he needs it (and after the slaw Dumya haas made of the place, it will take much longer than that to make much progress). Based on your past comments generally, Dems being the same as Reps would be a good thing, wouldn't it?

in dispirit of christmas

http://mobile.washingtonpost.com/news.jsp?key=331099&rc=al

Yes, jamie - don't taunt the big cats - and particularly the nasty rabid one in the middle cage - until you're sure the cage door is closed and locked.

What Bear wrote last night sounded extremely worrisome. Does anyone know him very well?

pat, but there is one good side to that WaPo downer piece - I don't know what the official WH ornament is because I didn't see the "Laura puts down the cigarettes and takes enough vallium to show America the White House decorations" special on HGTV this year. I count that as a blessing.

http://mobile.washingtonpost.com/news.jsp?key=331021&rc=to

I hope Cox doesn't wrench his spine from patting himself on the back. Yes, he's done a marvelous job. I see a Presidential Medal of Freedon in his future.

ct, patsi's daughter, tm lurkers too dispirited to hit the submit key to even share their dispair, there was a piece in nov on msnbc that's food for tho't.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27791582/

Patd,

I read the article you cited. I have decided that the universe just doesn't want me to retire. I am not very disciplined and too much time on my hands could be dangerous. I have lots of things I need to do but have always liked the fact that I have an excuse not to get to them. I guess I will work until I drop dead.

Last minute presents for your totally dysfunctional aquaintances

http://morgenfiles.blogspot.com/2008/12/mos-last-minute-gift-ideas.html

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/12/caroline-and-hillary.html#comment-184636

LOLOL.

Last time I checked, Swiss political philosophy from1758 was not binding on American citizens born in 1961, no matter Justice Scalia's fondness for it.

Patsi

Glad about all the chickadee's all in where they are supposed to be,,,I woke up to the loss of mobility-----forgot that even though Im still in decent shape-- I am in no condition to go out and play i the snow with a bunch of teenagers-----I coulda tied one on and not felt as bad----all I want for Christmas is to do it all over again....HA,,,,,and as C-bob says -----atta girl for your group think post----------the extreme left can't see them selves as book ends to the extreme right ---cos they don't bother to read the books in the middle----us welcome to the Independents-----we see things a little more realism,,,,,OK now the serious part ---when you r near little Maria----give her 3-4 consecutive smooches ,,,than take a deep breath--put you lips on her cheek again and blow a little hard----that is what all the kids here call an uncle Solar kiss ----Have fun :-)))))

CT----

I t was all down hill from the day of the first farmer,,,and as Jamie says---over population.

The replacement of reciprocity society's -----the idea of Capitalism, and all of the other keep up with the Jones''s attitudes --did us in.

Most don't know that the hunter gather's spent very little time in working----for example the Eskimo,,,and t he Semai,,and Bushman, worked at subsistence about 15 hrs per week,,but now it is what it is, as they say---our 201K is all that we are looking at also----but hang in there---it is easier to be positive ,,than negative on one's self.??

Patsi--no matter how much your daughter has "lost", she has done the right thing by doing the 401k. Consider this, if she had pissed away her money as her associates did, she would have 50-pct of a heck of a lot less.

The market fluctuates. Always has, always will. Both of you must stop agonizing. Don't look at it every day. If the savings are in a conservative, balanced portfolio managed by someone like Vanguard, it will return to its former ways.

She has how long until she will retire--something like twenty years? In market terms, that's a long, long time. Plenty of time to turn what remains into a fortune.

Probably the best counsel you can offer her now is to continue past saving habits, and to work to become totally debt free before entering real retirement.

Flatus
BA (Finance), MBA

" He's already worked harder than W did in the past 8 years. "

Very, very true, Blue. I like almost all of Obama's decisions and have said so as they came. The FISA vote and Rick Warren...blech. BUT I know he'll be a thousand times (or more) better than what we've had.

"When I learn about the connections our government reps, both parties, have with these financial institutions and how these institutions have treated our money I am overwhelmed with anger. "

Carol -- I am reminded of something an old woman selling vegetables at the Nashville Farmer's Market said when my son was campaigning in the 2002 Dem congressional primary. She was telling me that she'd just received her late husband's life insurance check, and decided to just put it in a savings account. She said some financial type told her she was making a mistake not investing it. Her answer:

"Put money in the stock market with a Bush in office? I might as well shove it up a pig's ass."

Good advice, Flatus -- she'll probably just go back to work earlier now than she might have.

Patsi, Flatus is right (at least I fervently hope he is). We have a great bulk of our anticipated retirement funds in real estate - suddenly a 10% loss in value doesn't seem so bad.

Flatus
Correct me if I am wrong on this-----What I am advising all my relatives that ask--or talk about the money that has been lost---thru whatever---401K's drop in the home value----there is still a way to get that back--------by payting (if you can--and when you can) 100.00,,,or 10.00 a month extra toward the principle of your home----that will save a huge amount of interest money over the long run---and get your house paid off a lot faster???

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/24/us/politics/24obama.html?_r=1&hp

Looks like a lot of no smoke and no fire to me. And it's consistent with Balgo's glowing comments about Obama. If Fitzs investigation squares with this report, so much for sliming Obama and Emmanuel over trying to pressure Blago.

payting=paying

Seems like the demand side is a stronger influence on crude prices than supply is right now. Crude is now below $40/bbl - based mainly on increased inventory as a result of decreased usage. Seems like there IS an alternative to "drill here, drill now" - it would simply be called "use less." Anhh? Anhh?

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2008/12/24/business/business-us-markets-oil.html

ct -
Good post, lousy subject matter, but you tell it well. And it prompted Pogo to give us all another verbal nugget -

The 401K Blues Cafe

Playing my snakeskin violin in the 401K Blues Cafe.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/12/biden-lays-down-the-law.html#comment-184748

Patsi, this is like the second wife of a Mormon being auctioned to the highest bidder in a gold camp in the Musical Paint Your Wagon. The husband: "You don't know what you'll get!". The wife: "No, but I know what i've had!"

Well, good friends, I am going to leave now and won't be back until next week. I saw this at NYT today, and think it is particularly poignant.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/24/opinion/24wed4.html

Merry Christmas or whatever you celebrate.

" If Fitzs investigation squares with this report, so much for sliming Obama and Emmanuel over trying to pressure Blago."

Pogo, who has really been sliming Obama over Blago? (Fox News doesn't count....and even there I've noticed that everyone is quick to say there's no evidence of collusion.) It would be stupid for O to have dealt in any way with Blago's pay for play. And O ain't dumb. Nor would it have profited him in the first place.

"The husband: "You don't know what you'll get!". The wife: "No, but I know what i've had!"

ROFL, Jamie -- yes, exactly.

Solar, I suppose a lot of the potential gain by paying down the principal depends on the interest rate carried on the mortgage---and, if that rate is very low, if more money can be made in traditional financial market investments.

But, I if they aren't confident in their ability to invest in financial instruments, then paying down their mortgage early is certainly an attractive thing to do.

I would like to think that if a relative had something like 22-years left in a 30-year mortgage, how would they do if they refinanced taking out a 15-year mortgage at a much lower interest rate. They could conceivably pay no more out of pocket every month while cutting the payment period by many years.

Looks like it's a morning for a theme song -

A pirate looks at 40 - Jimmy Buffet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQGTaS0IFOs

I made enough money to buy Miami , but I pissed it away so fast.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/12/biden-lays-down-the-law.html#comment-184754

Solar,

If there is any way someone can make 13 mortgage payments every year instead of 12, it can save them a huge amount. Just schedule a half mortgage payment every two weeks.

http://www.1stop-mortgagecalculator.com/bi-weekly-mortgage-payments.htm

Have a good Christmas, Pogo. Be nice to Mrs P and li'l P. :)

Jamie

Thank you for that mortgage calculator---going to down load and print it----a few copies----they can see for themselves

Have a very nice Christmas.

Chole

Will be thinking of you---have a wonderful Christmas,,,,give my hoss an apple for me.

RR-----have as nice a Christmas as you and Rick can---hey I didn't stutter Rick, Rick, oh my it just slipped out,,,,naw it didn't:-))))

I referred to something yesterday that stuck in my craw. And I was rather cryptic . It was a segment I saw on Lou Dobbs, and for me it was gut churning . The whole thing was so breathtaking, it demanded a post that had a little depth .
See last Thursday, Lou Dobbs had on a convicted felon working for the Heartland Inst., telling us that the earth was in fact cooling. This whole segment also had Chad Meyers telling us some other breathtakingly stupid stuff.
At the same time, The American Geophysical Union yearly meeting was taking place in San Fransisco , and they told us that 2 Trillion tons of ice has melted in the last 5 years.

So, once again here's my little retort -

Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Lou Dobbs Gives Us All a Lump of Coal for Christmas
You had a clear chance to cover the most important news last week. But you missed it.

Crap ..... the link ;

Lou Dobbs Gives Us All a Lump of Coal for Christmas

http://the-shin-bone-star.blogspot.com/

Colorado Bob

If the top of your head won't blow off, you might read this op ed piece from the right wing and ignorant asses who actually believe this garbage.

http://capoliticalnews.com/s/spip.php?article1111#forum138127

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/12/biden-lays-down-the-law.html#comment-184768

No you do it because you're bored and want to start a fight for no good reason. Take the boys for a walk or something.

Just got back from last minute Walmart shopping and a very skimpy Christmas.

Thanks everyone for the advice and sympathy. I am thankful that I do have most everything paid off even though it aint much baby but all I got.

My little dog and I will get by and we did pay off our little camp on the river, a wonderful place to comtemplate life and the alligators don't mind watching me cry.

I am starting to make peace with my grief but I still wish some heads would roll. I would like to take everything else I have left out of the bank, especially after hearing the CEO of my bank say he didn't have to say what they have done with their share of the bailout money, but that would be even dumber.

You know stupid me didn't even realize that putting money in these investments was not much different than blowing it at one of our numerous casinos we have here except I got no free drinks or a trip to the buffet.

Carol

Craig...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your loved ones. May your year be filled love and joy.

God Bless.

Thanks AP, and thanks to all for keeping this blog such a lively place during my little "distraction." Gonna grab 2 days with the family and then back to work. Back here in full force Jan. 1. Looking forward to playing with you guys again.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

I have had a burning question for a while but didn't want to sound Gordish. Do you think that there are people who participate on blogs who are paid to represent/present a certain point of view?

Thought for the day :
" The wise shepherd never trusts his flock to a smiling wolf. "

0003 -BC- Servius Sulpicius Galba 6th Roman emperor (68-69)
1745 Benjamin Rush Byberry PA, physician/general (Continental Army, signed Declaration of Independence)
1809 Christopher "Kit" Carson Kentucky, Union Brigadier-General/Indian fighter

1476 400 Burgundy soldiers freeze to death during siege of Nancy
1799 Jakobijns plot against Napoleon uncovered
1814 Treaty of Ghent (end of the War of 1812) signed
1851 Fire devastates Library of Congress in Washington, destroys 35,000 volumes
1865 Several Confederate veterans form the Ku Klux Klan in Pulaski TN
1893 Henry Ford completes his 1st useful gas motor
1942 1st powered flight of V-1 buzz bomb, Peenemunde, Germany
1946 US General MacNarney gives 800,000 "minor nazis" amnesty
1948 1st US house completely sunheated is occupied (Dover MA)
1964 Shooting begins on "The Cage", the pilot for Star Trek
1990 Saddam says Israel will be Iraq's 1st target

I'd like to declare a Christmas cease fire. It would be nice to have everybody lay down their keyboards for 24 hours, and quit picking on one another. Except for Lou Dobbs, feel free to pick on uncle Lou.

Hello all. I got my last christmas present in the mail today. A brand new PUMA t-shirt! Kidding. I got my Jiri Hudler hockey jersey. It snowed here all day yesterday. We got rain this morning and now we're getting a wet snow. CT, I don't think people on blogs are paid to represent a certain point of view, but if somebody here wants to throw some money my way, I'll support their point of view, regardless of how crazy I may think it is. Kidding, again. Anyway, Merry Christmas to all.

"Gordish"

lol, Goot one carol.

Christmas cease fire of 1914----the politicians make us kill one another----the soldiers must follow orders----but they know that it is not what they really want to do-------Bush sold us the war thru the fear for our country-----It is very easy to start a war----but not so easy to get out of one

http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog/2008/07/29/the-christmas-cease-fire-of-1914-a-look-at-military-history/

Making matzoh ball soup and getting ready to go to SF tomorrow for Kung Pao Christmas

http://events.sfgate.com/san-francisco-ca/events/show/85531441-the-16th-annual-kung-pao-kosher-comedy-jewish-comedy-on-christmas-in-a-chinese-restaurant

It used to be wonderful on Christmas day --Chinese food and a movie...now everyone goes to the movies --what are Jews to do?

KGC, sounds like Adam Sandler's Christmas! He said he was trying to explain to his daughter why she couldn't sit on Santa Claus' lap at the mall. He said, we're Jewish, we can't do that. But, you get to sit on your aunt's lap and she has a beard, so it's almost the same thing. He said his Dad's answer to his questions about Christmas were simply, "Shut up and eat your Chinese food!"

It's Dr. Benjamin Rush's birthday, which gives me the pleasure of telling one of the great little details in American history.
Dr. Rush knew everybody, and everybody knew him. He was as famous in his day as one could get. When it came time for Thomas Jefferson to send Meriwether Lewis to Philly for a crash course on plants, animals, medicine, navigation, and all the supplies for the trip to the Pacific, Lewis stayed with Dr. Rush. Benjamin saw to it that Lewis was exposed to as much information as they could think of for the expedition, and gave him a crash course in medicine.

Now at the time, there was a theory that held that laxatives had a powerful curative value, and Dr. Rush was a big proponent of this theory. He made laxatives that were nicknamed "Rush's Rockets".
The Corps of Discovery carried several hundred of these things with them. They had so many in fact, it was one of the few things they didn't run out of on the whole trip, and Lewis wasn't shy about giving them to his men. This makes all the more sense when one learns that the Corps of Discovery was eating 10 lbs. of meat per man, a day, when they had it.

The other two things they never ran out of :
Gun powder and lead.

I saw this on another forum that read.

"Great minds discuss ideas.
Common minds discuss events.
Small minds discuss people." Eleanor Roosevelt

Corey

Thanks for the Adam Sandler story...pretty funny!

If anyone missed Rachel's comments on Pastor Warren last night, there is a video on her site replaying them. Pretty interesting but it wouldn't be in keeping with C-Bobs request. I am feeling fiesty today.

http://airamerica.com/maddow/

KGC

The theaters will be glad to see you. All the December movies are bombing, including the ones likely to be up for Oscars. Box office is really off and movies are supposed to be recession proof. I think they have finally priced themselves beyond most people's pocketbooks.

Wish I could join you as I was recently bemoaning the total lack of a decent Chinese restaurant anywhere near me.

Lewis and Clark only lost one man, Sergeant Charles Floyd. It is believed that a ruptured appendix was the cause of his illness and death. Lewis was powerless to save him., otherwise Dr. Rush did a pretty good job.

Sgt. Floyd was buried 4 times . I've slept next to his grave on the Missouri, it's a beautiful spot.

http://www.essortment.com/all/sergeantcharles_rwnm.htm

KGC -
Try Brad Pitt ..... Benjamin Button.

Another beautiful place on the Missouri is Ft. Benton, Montana. From the marker at Ft. Benton -

Captain Clark with members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition camped on the site of Ft. Benton June 4, 1805.
Originally a trading post of the American Fur Co. it became head of navigation on the Missouri with the arrival of the first steamboat from St. Louis in 1859. She boomed in the early 60s as a point of entry to the newly discovered placer mines o western Montana. Supplies were freighted out by means of ox teams and profanity.
An early observer states, "Perhaps nowhere else were ever seen motlier crowds of daubed and feathered Indians. Buckskin-arrayed half-breed nobility, moccasined trappers, voyagers, gold seekers and bull drivers... on the opening of the boating season..."
-----------
This is as far west as one could go on a steam boat on the Missouri.

"Try Brad Pitt ..... Benjamin Button"

Hey CBob, That's opening here tomorrow. Have you heard it's good?

Solar,
Thanks. You have a wonderful Christmas too...and I'll be thinking of you too. (Cheyenne talks to me and she said to tell you thanks for the apple.) :)

Fort Benton, Montana pictures on Montana Pictures.Net

http://www.montanapictures.net/fort-benton-montana.htm

ct, "extremely worrisome" re bear's post is exactly how i would describe it and the quick responses to him of concern from trailmixers of varying stripes seem to support your intuitive reading. even gordo let us see a glimpse of heart in his 4:00 comment to bear's announcement. these are dark and scary days for many of us so the good times together here on the trail are not wasted.

Chloe -
Some buzz that it is.

We are going with the David Brenner show
but I have heard good things about Benjamin Button and it's on my list.

Thanks CBob. It looks better than the Tom Cruise movie that's opening.

Those Montana pictures are beautiful! I didn't realize how gorgeous it is there.

Those Times Square pictures are great. Man, that's a lot of people.

"I have heard good things about Benjamin Button and it's on my list."

It's on mine now too Katherine.

Patd,
I didn't want to put into words what I was worried about when I read Bear's post but his post sounded a bit terminal. I pray there is another explanation

I'm worried about Bear too.....hope his post just meant he had other fish to fry than carp! :)

40th anniversary of seeing the dark side of the moon

http://arstechnica.com/journals/science.ars/2008/12/24/40th-anniversary-of-seeing-the-dark-side-of-the-moon

More than eight in 10, or 82 percent, of those questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released Wednesday approve of the way Obama is handling his presidential transition.

That approval is up 3 percentage points from when CNN asked the same question at the beginning of December. Fifteen percent of those surveyed disapprove of the way the president-elect is handling his transition, down 3 points from the last poll.

Obama's approval is higher than George W. Bush eight years ago. Bush had a 65 percent approval rating during his transition, and Bill Clinton was at 67 percent in 1992.

"Barack Obama is having a better honeymoon with the American public than any incoming president in the past three decades. He's putting up better numbers, usually by double digits, than Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan or either George Bush on every item traditionally measured in transition polls," said Keating Holland, CNN's polling director.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/24/obama.approval/

Tis the season for serious depression even without considering all the other good reasons.

From Larry Bell over at the Steel Guitar Forum

Hard Candy Christmas

http://www.larrybell.org/mp3/HardCandy.mp3

My heart sank when I read Bear's post, but there are many ways to read it so I'm determined to give it space and hope.

I wish you all wonderful holiday celebrations, full of warmth and laughter and comfort with family and friends safely around you. That's what I look forward to for myself.

My happy christmas song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3R5TrIPbIs

Senor Fish

Happy Holidays! and you too Ms.boo

I wish it would stop raining so I could take the dogs out!

Boo, kind of like you are giving Obama, space and hope?

Hedge fund executive Ezra Merkin has been sued again for entrusting investments with confessed swindler Bernard Madoff, this time by New York University, which said it lost about $24 million.

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE4BN3ZT20081224

nice thought, nice song, nice singer, nice pictures.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouUXmLkMS-s&feature=PlayList&p=6B396275949658F0&playnext=1&index=8

Ct and all the others who have lost money to the chicanery of some who can't get enough of the stuff -
I am sick at heart from what I hear has happened to you. The one thing you have gained is the well wishes of thousand of people you've never met because this has been done to so many. You aren't alone and you have so many people as angry as you behind you.

Ct - you're awfully strong.

Ct - just read your post. Yes, I guess you could say that I'm giving Obama space and hope, altho I don't know if you're being sarcastic or not. Space and hope - what more can we do? The space and hope for Bear is more personal and heartfelt since I feel I've known him as a person here, and Obama is someone I want to do a job for me, but indeed space and hope is called for, I think.
I hope.

Muddy in 64

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3ZTJusC3Xs

Sturgeone

Happy song complete with a commercial for Ford

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEeeGMpM_Nk

Sturge, From a Distance, one of my favorite songs. I have been known to sing it at work when I feel one of the nurses is being less than compassionate with one of the inmates we provide medical care to. Life is a test and I do believe God is watching us.

"That means it is now increasingly likely that only 99 senators will be sworn in when the 111th Congress convenes Jan. 6, with that Minnesota seat remaining vacant at least until Minnesota officials certify a winner."

today's cq article re mn vacancy overlooks the ny and il vacancies... they seem to assume that paterson and blagojevich will make their appointments by jan 3.... that's what 10 days? guess they know something.

snowzilla
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWWotvCusO0

Sturg -
Muddy sounds better than Bing Crosby this Christmas.

The 401K Blues Christmas & the last 4 weeks of Bush World have started. Time to take the bit in our teeth. Judging by that CNN poll most of us seem ready for it. We have little choice in the matter, may we all do our best ........ We're gonna need it.

Jamie -
Johnny Otis - Willie and the Hand Jive

Sweet

401K Christmas Blues

Well it's sneekin' up on Christmas
And my pantry is bare
I got in early with Bernie
Yes, Well it's sneekin' up on Christmas
My wealth is gone in thin air.

Well it's sneekin' up on Christmas

( Help me out here kids)

Well it's sneekin' up on Christmas
And my pantry is bare
I got in early with Bernie
Yes, Well it's sneekin' up on Christmas
My wealth is gone in thin air.

Well it's sneekin' up on Christmas
My Hedge Fund's gone bust
Well it's sneekin' up on Christmas
My parachute ain't packed
And my quarterly statement
Just gave me a heart attack

well it's sneakin' up on christmas
and my butt been draggin' low.....
yeah, it's sneakin' up on christmas
and my butt been draggin' low
I 'magine this time to-morrow
It might be scrapin' on the road.....

Well it's sneekin' up on Christmas
And my pantry is bare
I got in early with Bernie
Yes, Well it's sneekin' up on Christmas
My wealth is gone in thin air.

Well it's sneekin' up on Christmas
My Hedge Fund's gone bust
Well it's sneekin' up on Christmas
My parachute ain't packed
And my quarterly statement
Just gave me a heart attack

I got them government certified
Dipped in oil and refried
401K Christmas Blues

Well it's sneekin' up on Christmas
And my pantry is bare
I got in early with Bernie
Yes, Well it's sneekin' up on Christmas
My wealth is gone in thin air.

Well it's sneekin' up on Christmas
My Hedge Fund's gone bust
Well it's sneekin' up on Christmas
My parachute ain't packed
And my quarterly statement
Just gave me a heart attack

I got them government certified
Dipped in oil and refried
401K Christmas Blues

well it's sneakin' up on christmas
and my butt been draggin' low.....
yeah, it's sneakin' up on christmas
and my butt been draggin' low
I 'magine this time to-morrow
It might be scrapin' on the road.....

The more bows on the package the better.

Volcano - Jimmy Buffett

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxuaUaS4rU0

----------------

I don't know, I don't know
I don't know where I'm a-gonna go when the volcano blow

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/12/biden-lays-down-the-law.html#comment-184716

"It's all good. I would give damn near anything if my children and grandbaby lived here in Nashville..."

Patsi
Yes it would be wonderful if they could all live near you.I know that feeling well,wish some of the family lived around here too.I'm glad your getting to enjoy little Maria,like Chloe said earlier hope you can post some pictures.

This is one of my favorite Buffet songs for the lyric

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMozCfz0cZM

And for pure fun

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn7l0FJMQD0

Patsi wrote last night. "How can you possibly believe that anyone concerned about Rick Warren representing "American Faith" at the Presidential inauguration is simply being mind controlled by the right wing. Do you realize how COMPLETELY ridiculous that post was?"

I actually think that there are some people who don't care, except for it's value to divide people. People are talking about Warren as if he is a nazi. Warren has never suggested a 'final solution' for the GLBT, or that GLBT be denied jobs, businesses, or education. If I seem over that top on this, it is because other people are over the top about Warren, and the hatred expressed is exacerbated by provocateurs.

Also, I did apologize to Lampe. And, yes, I've done it before. I am PASSIONATE when people attack Dems, the poor, the sick, the disadvantaged, our minorities (including GLBT), the helpless and homeless. My passion gets me into trouble. I

don't know what I can do at this point besides apologizing and asking for forgiveness, and working on not doing it again. If you are going to throw my past mistakes in my face, I expect that I'll soon revert to being overly sensitive, vengeful, and as mean-spirited as karl rove on a poisonwood spit.

Well it's sneekin' up on Christmas
Waitin' for '09
Yeah it's sneekin' up on Chistmas
Everything's gonna be fine

My kind of Christmas, my kind of year
Everything will be great, nothin' to fear.

In case you haven't dropped by today, I've been adding one carol each hour to my site with short histories and the lyrics. Tried to pick some of the ones you don't hear as often these days. They will keep adding until shortly after midnight Pacific time

http://jdurward.blogspot.com/

ROFL, X-rep....No don't turn mean and vengeful, fer Chrissakes!

My kids have gone to another gala for the time being -- but we've had a great day. So I am in a mellow mood...and willing to talk about Rick Warren.

I haven't seen anyone try to turn him into Hitler, but I do understand fully that his beliefs about gays and the subjugation of women should be anathema to Democrats.

Please be aware that we have been the party of dissent long before you joined us. That's WHY we are a great party. We don't march in lock step.

At Christmas time there was a man, who looked so out of place. As people rushed about him,at a hurried sort of pace. He stared at all the Christmas lights, the tinsel everywhere. The shopping Center Santa Claus,with children gathered near. He heard the people talk about,the good times on the way. Of parties, fun and food galore. And gift exchange that day. I'd like to know what's going on, the man was heard to say. There seems to be some sort,of celebration on the way. And would you tell me who this is, all dressed in Red and White. And why are children asking "HIM" about a special night. The answer came in disbelief, I can't believe my ear. I can't believe you do not know, that Christmas Time is here. The time when Santa comes around, with gifts for boys and girls. When they are asleep on Christmas Eve,he leaves them books and toys. The man you see in Red and White is Santa Claus so sly. The children love his joyful laugh, and twinkle in his eye. The children learn of Santa Claus,while they are still quite small. When Christmas comes "HE" is the most important thing of all. The stranger hung his head in shame, He closed a nail pierced hand. His body shook in disbelief. He did not understand. A shadow crossed His stricken face, His voice was low but clear. "AFTER ALL THESE YEARS,THEY STILL DON'T KNOW." And JESUS SHED A TEAR.

A few years ago some teens out West decided to celebrate Christmas by kicking in the heads of homeless old men who were asleep on the street.

I think that by comparison, Santalolatry is fairly insignificant. It is certainly grossly materialistic, but then so are 4th of July and Mother's Day - days that possitively celebrate our materiality. Can the Christian celebration of the Incarnation of Spirit be anything but materialistic ? After all, Incarnation implies materia. But, what do I know, I'm not Christian.

Christmas, Chanukah, and Kwanzaa all celebrate the endurance of light and good. For Christians and Jews the celebration of resurrection and redemption comes with the Easter/ Pentacost and Pesach/Shavuot cycles. So, the mention of the wounded Y'shua seems to me to be a little Easterish and therefore out of season. But, what do I know, & blah, blah ?

Well it's sneekin' up on Christmas
no money for the stocking
Looking all around the house
for something I could be hocking

It's sneakin' up on christmas
and here I'm caught up in their nets
yeah, it's sneakin' up on christmas
and they done took away my jets
Used to be I was smokin' cubans
now I'm out cheer bummin' cigarettes........

so a christian complains about the commercialism of christmas....and who made that possible? christians.
so it's kind of a christian civil war. Jeebus vs. Santa Claus.......Steel Cage Smackdown Plenty of people stand off and look at that whole december ritual as if it were glorified TV wrestling.........

Sneakin' up on Christmas
Kind of a Christian civil war
To some it's a December ritual
To others a money pit-iful.

change that last line to:
To others it just makes them poor.

Well it's sneekin' up on Christmas
Bush it's almost time to go
and while you may be sad to leave
the rest of us say ho, ho, ho

Merry Christmas, Joyful Kwanzaa, and Happy Chanukah to you all.

Especially, GORDO. Things will not turn out as you hope. However, other things are more important than mere personality. I believe in my heart that your heart will receive compensation for your great love and loss. I believe it, and I hope it for you. May God guide and comfort you always.

May you all (I'd name names, but I might leave someone out and hurt someone's feelings) - and all of your loved ones - have a safe and satisfying, healthy and liberating Holy Days celebration. And may all of our deepest yearnings come to pass.

Creator of all, make it so, please.

Amen.

Goodnight and sweet dreams.

Cbob

Merl Haggard has beat you to it.

For several years in the late 70's early 80's this was my theme song. Broke, taxes due, bank note due. No money for anything else. I remember once having a 5 dollar bill to last me the week and I lost it.

If we can make it through Decemberhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mjMbFpiluU

Jack

one more try

If we make it through december

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mjMbFpiluU

Jack

Lampe's post reminds me of one of the natural puns of the season and my belief if there is a God he has a wicked sense of humor.

Pagans have always had a celebration of lights this time of year and they celebrate the coming of the sun.

Christians chose this time of year to celebrate the coming of the son.

Happy holidays how ever you celebrate it and for what ever reason you do or don't.

Jack

Andy Borowitz sez:: "The recession in the U.S. has just racked up another casualty, the tradition of giving decent gifts for the holidays, with many Americans reporting that they have received the shittiest Christmas gifts in recent memory.

With fewer holiday dollars in their wallets, cash-strapped consumers are resorting to giving such unwanted holiday gifts as shoddy homemade crafts and crumbling baked goods."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andy-borowitz/recession-resulting-in-cr_b_153173.htm

Happy Holidays!!

Ho-ho-ho, y'all.

tt

Edwin Viera
Supreme Court Mocks Constitution

Larry Sinclair
Remembering Donald Young

Click Listen or paste URL in player:

http://64.72.126.49:46152

Jack -
When it comes to writing songs, I got Merle's balls in my pocket. The ghost of Buddy Holly lives with me. He uses my MAC.

And what Merle wrote about all those years ago is a pimple on the ass of what we are facing today Christmas Eve 2008. Now I've noticed some things about the " Jacks " in this corral . Both of them are stubborn as what they are named for. Jack Mules folks, Jack Mules . But I learned to ride on a Jenny Mule at Dangerfield, Texas from my uncle Monk.
He had a a Sherman Saddle to ride her with. He saw my father off to World War II. He taught me about mules. And he liked every mule he ever had. That was 51 winters ago.

Now either cough-up a fir ball for the blues song we're writing or get off the pot.

( Insert dancing smiley faced Santa here. )

Vieira

I fired up the Text Edit folks the word mash is coming.

401K Christmas Blues

Well it's sneekin' up on Christmas
And my pantry is bare
I got in early with Bernie
Yes, Well it's sneekin' up on Christmas
My wealth is gone into thin air.

Well it's sneekin' up on Christmas
My Hedge Fund's gone bust
Well it's sneekin' up on Christmas
My parachute ain't packed
And my quarterly statement
Just gave me a heart attack

I got them government certified
Dipped in oil and refried
401K Christmas Blues

well it's sneakin' up on christmas
and my butt been draggin' low.....
yeah, it's sneakin' up on christmas
and my butt been draggin' low
I 'magine this time to-morrow
It might be scrapin' on the road.....

I got them government certified
Dipped in oil and refried
401K Christmas Blues

Well it's Sneakin' up on Christmas
No money for the stocking
Looking all around the house
For something to be hocking

I got them government certified
Dipped in oil and refried
401K Christmas Blues

Well it's sneakin' up on christmas
and here I'm caught up in their nets
yeah, it's sneakin' up on christmas
and they done took away my jets
Used to be I was smokin' cubans
now I'm out cheer bummin' cigarettes........

I got them government certified
Dipped in oil and refried
401K Christmas Blues

Well it's sneekin' up on Christmas
Bush it's almost time to go
and while you may be sad to leave
the rest of us say ho, ho, ho

Hey Gordo,

For Xmas, I heard Obama was hiding Gift Certificates for the kids in Hawaii. lol

Rezdog----------------

He likes to hide things.

Afraid to listen to the link?

http://64.72.126.49:46152

G Man,

It timed out... what is it, some trojan horse virus ... I've listened to enough of your bigoted buds (like Ed Hale) to get where you're coming from.

a little blues "mood" musics.....eine kleine krabmusic, as it were

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjPezeHN9Hc

muddy and sonny boy II

Paste the URL in a player -- timed out for me, also.

Sinclair is on in a few minutes.

It would help if Obama and Biden got on top of this before another Hurricane completely wipes out NOLA. This study has been going on for years to restore the Wetlands...Long before the effects of Katrina.

http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=11476&page=64

a difference in shading::: Muddy and James Cotton

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K91Qj870HHk&feature=related

If we can make it through December:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWTFXPg1Vb4

Kind of puts it in more of an historical context by looking at the Christmas truce of 1914 in the trenches of France.

For a brilliant narration of a portion of it done by Walter Cronkite with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, listen to this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGdwbzrPHos

I remember Christmas of '65 in Vietnam. We got sick on spoiled Kirin beer that an American businessman sent us from Japan, we stole a generator from the holding yard at the Qui Nhon port so that we could have electricity in our tents, almost plugged one of my buddies when we went in different directions trying to track down a sound that shouldn't have been there, and finally self-anesthetized with the gin a grateful army provided us. That was the fifth of nine Christmases I spent in the Far East during the '60s.

And, to all, a Merry Christmas,

Night.

401K Christmas Blues

Well it's sneekin' up on Christmas
And my pantry is bare
I got in early with Bernie
Yes, Well it's sneekin' up on Christmas
My wealth is gone into thin air.

Well it's sneekin' up on Christmas
My Hedge Fund's gone bust
Well it's sneekin' up on Christmas
My parachute ain't packed
And my quarterly statement
Just gave me a heart attack

I got them government certified
Dipped in oil and refried
401K Christmas Blues

well it's sneakin' up on christmas
and my butt been draggin' low.....
yeah, it's sneakin' up on christmas
and my butt been draggin' low
I 'magine this time to-morrow
It might be scrapin' on the flo'.....

I got them government certified
Dipped in oil and refried
401K Christmas Blues

Well it's Sneakin' up on Christmas
No money for the stocking
Looking all around the house
For something to be hocking

I got them government certified
Dipped in oil and refried
401K Christmas Blues

Well it's sneakin' up on christmas
and here I'm caught up in their nets
yeah, it's sneakin' up on christmas
and they done took away my jets
Used to be I was smokin' cubans
now I'm out cheer bummin' cigarettes........

I got them government certified
Dipped in oil and refried
401K Christmas Blues

Well it's sneekin' up on Christmas
Bush it's almost time to go
and while you may be sad to leave
the rest of us say ho, ho, ho

(hadda change a word........)

Neuropathy won't let me sleep. I thought something thudded in the fireplace. Crows, probably. Still dying of the dam' West Nile Virus. Here in Minnesota, we've had lots of that.

Thanks for the Mud & Sonny, Sturgeone.
My old heartthrob ( waaay pre-Sweetie) and I saw Electric Mud at Dania Hall in ?68?69? Shortly after that, Auburn Hare wigged out, made a nuisance of himself, and eventually shot the fingerrtip off an inlaw of mine - a Hennepin Co deputy Sheriff. Poor nutty Auburn then wasted the rest of his musical career in prison, strumming the bars. Shortly after that Dania burned down.

Flatus,

?Kirin? Hmm. The way I remember things, if we couldn't get Pabst, Schlitz, Miller, Hamm's, or Bud, it was recommended that we drink 33 Degree - 33 for short. Ba Wa Bam. However, everyone was instructed to examine the bottle first (might harbor dead mice) and vigorously wipe the nozzle if it was not opened in full view - and preferably by the consumer. No wonder you got sick, if you drank Kirin. Was that 'kindly' American business man who sent it a relation of Uncle Ho by any chance ?
( :>D)<

Ree,

I've been reading about the death of the wetlands and mangrove, and the vulnerability of New Orleans since 1970. The first thing I read was written in 1969 - the first year of nixon's misrule. From that time until this, the process has accelerated. Today, Lousie loses more than 50 square miles of land annually.

But, waddahel, they ain't all that many big contributors to the 'publican party down thataway, so sqrooiemawl.

Jeez, this obese burglar dude is lying in our hearth. I don't know if it's a case of a fat guy having a heart attack or Wesdt Nile Virus.

Prolly had a heart attack from carrying that big bag of swag.

It is 7:15 am Belgian time, and I haven't read any posts yet. Yesterday was incredibly tiring at work, but it was a good day as well. I know that many of you are suffering under winter storms and unprecedented levels of snow. Strangely, after moving out of Minnesota in the mid-1980's after a terrible winter in 1983, I sort of miss heavy snows. In a warm, romantic vision by Currier & Ives, I think I would have greatly enjoyed being closed up in my apartment watching the snow fall (we actually did have a Sunday two weeks back where that happened).

Mauro and I enjoyed a lovely dinner with two good friends and it was a wonderful way to end our Christmas Eve.

And as I begin to wake up, and most of you are already in bed with Visions of sugar plums danced in your heads, I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas.

Tom

P.S. Not having a clue what "sugar plums" actually are, here is a recipe found online: http://www.godecookery.com/friends/frec74.htm But here is a cool picture of a Sugar Plum box made in New York City by the United States Convection Company. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8d/Santa_Claus_Sugar_Plums,_1868.jpg/800px-Santa_Claus_Sugar_Plums,_1868.jpg

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

EuroTom,

You miss snows after '83 ? ? ?

OOO000ooooo. U R 1 sick dude.

I shoveled out myself, Sweetie (we weren't yet married) my parents, and my grandmother all 3 mega-storms. I remember seeing snowmobiles going down University Avenue.

If you can be nostalgic for that, you can miss dick nixon, mad dog 20/20, joe pine, and Mrs. Miller.

That was SHOVELING. By hand. 4 different sites. I get pneumonia, low blood sugar, hypothermia, and arthritis merely thinking about it.

Aa
a
a
a
a
a
rr
rgh .

Good night or morning to you all! Didn't even have 1 spare minute to check in on all of you yesterday. Hope all went well. It has been such a strange holiday season for me. My sons have been great- I, decided to get another pellet stove for the living room, They installed that and then a friend gave us an old mantel which we stripped yesterday and hung last night. Never had a proper mantel before and my great grand father's clock and the stockings look great on it! Wished I could show you a picture.

Is there a finished version to the TM Carol?

Patsi, I hope you get your wish someday soon.

Just finished wrapping the presents and hanging stockings, now I'm going to catch a few z's Wishing you all a very merry Christmas!

"Is there a finished version to the TM Carol?"

oldsea, i hope the great editor in the sky did a final merge of it. be great to have a compilation of all the tm poetry and song in our season of discombobulation.

btw,

(((((((((((((((( MERRY CHRISTMAS!))))))))))))))