PATRIOTIC PALAVER

There is an inordinate amount of yada-yada about patriotism in the current political battle. For sure, true patriotism has nothing to do with talk, and everything to do with behavior.

The people that irk me the most are the ones I call "lapel pin patriots". They believe patriotism is as shallow as wearing a tiny American flag in the button hole. I don't own one of those pins, but I know I'm as patriotic as one who does, and a damn sight less hypocritical.

The most cogent remark about patriotism is the following:

"Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel"

                                              Samuel Johnson (1709-84)

 

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IF YOU LOVE WAR-------------------

-----------THIS WILL MAKE YOUR DAY!

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Bush signs bill funding wars into 2009 

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/06/30/bush.supplemental/

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Are we borrowing the money from China? Will we be able to make the payments on the debt, or will they "foreclose" on us?

REAL ESTATE DISTRESS SALES

I've been doing some internet real estate search for single family houses in South San Francisco, CA that are listed as the following: Preforeclosure, foreclosure, notice of default, bank owned, etc. In this town of 60,000, there are literally 100's of listings of distress sales.

What does this mean for the economy? Is this a bottom, or a symptom of more to come? What does it mean to the financial institutions that hold the mortgages? If they have loaned more than the properties are worth, will they be able to eat the loss without serious ramifications for their depositers and shareholders?

The combination of greed and foolishness is, as always, bad news. The lessons of "Black Friday" 1929 are too soon and too easily forgotten.

George Santayana (1863-1952), a Spanish philosopher, essayist, poet and novelist once said that "those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it"

 

A MASTER CRAFTSMAN

It is always a great pleasure when 4 pm on a Saturday comes around because I can turn on the tv to the PBS channel and watch the NEW YANKEE WORKSHOP with master woodworker Norm Abram. What a treat it is to watch a true master practice his craft.

Then, sad to say, when this program is over and I switch to the news, I see people that are running our country and have no clue as to what they are doing.

 

 

THE BUSH REPUBLICAN LEGACY

FUTURES MOVERS

Crude ends at a record, scores 3.6% weekly gain Prices trade near $143 on amid dollar weakness, output concerns

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http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/futures-movers-crude-oil-trades/story.aspx?guid=%7B36A2085F-AE26-4BEB-9803-F53F0C05C14D%7D&dist=hplatest

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I surely do hope that all the Bush supporters are happy with this disasterous state of affairs. When you see oil futures at $143 per barrel, and rising fast, think value of the dollar, not cost of crude. A stupid war, massive debt owed to foreign powers, and idiot economics are the prime movers in this fiasco.

If a few years ago, your dollar was worth a dollar, it's worth 50 cents at the pump now, and sinking fast.

Don't all you Hummer and SUV drivers just love those gas hogs as they drive you over the economic edge?

BYEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!

UNITY, NH

Quite a remarkable sight. A white woman, a brown man, both United States Senators, one of which will likely be President of the United States next year.

The world I was born into, this could never have happened. Truly it is written, "the times they are a-changin'---"   Bob Dylan

 

 

OIL AT $140 AND CHANGE

I wrote the following on May 27th when oil closed at just below $130 per bbl.

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"I have a theory, that's not pleasant to contemplate. I think maybe the folks that have control of the crude oil supply, (middle east folks) know it makes no sense to challenge us militarily, but by slowly driving up the cost of energy, they can eventually wreck our economy.

'Why would they do this?', you may ask. THINK IRAQ, among other things."

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Today oil futures are trading at $140 and change.

While we are wrecking Iraq, we are also wrecking ourselves.

"When will they ever learn?"