Government Spending

People who know me fairly well, know that I am a news and "human interest story" junkie, but not nearly as knowledgeable as I would like to be. That being said, one of my favorite "must see" television shows is Charlie Rose on PBS. I fell asleep last night and missed it, but caught the 5:00 AM rebroadcast this morning.

There was a very interesting interview with Felix G. Rohatyn concerning government spending and its importance. A little review of some government spending that was at times seen as foolish and wasteful have been anything but. Some of the government spending discussed included Thomas Jefferson pushing for the Louisiana Purchase that allowed for westward migration and the creation of markets for eastern goods. The transcontinental railroad would not have been built without the expenditure of Federal monies, nor would the Panama or Erie Canals.

More recently, President Eisenhower pushed for the Interstate Highway System. How many of us and our cities depend on I74, I55, I155, I80 and all the other local and national interstates?

Seward's Folly - the purchase of Alaska? Deemed totally unnecessary at the time. And no, I will not mention a former candidate for Vice President at this point!

Other government spending? How about the G.I. Bill? Homesteading? Land Grant Colleges? PBS & NPR?

Just this morning on the news, I heard about how our Junior Congressman from the 18th District had secured funds for more than one local fire department. Someone in Kansas might call that an "earmark", but to those community fire departments, its an "atta Boy!"

Banks and businesses have been "nationalized" in the past and then after time, been "privatized" again.

Someone smarter than me should make the case for government investment in infrastructure and causes for the greater good. Oh, wait. Some of those smarter people are. For myself, I have no need of a $600 screwdriver, but I sure could use streets without potholes, bridges that do not collapse and sewer systems that do not overflow.

Note to my government: Invest in the U.S., but do it wisely. Please.

Dirt

Title get your attention? Its not what you think, or maybe it is. Either way, it needs to be a poster on the wall to remind us of what is right with the world. There is a lot wrong, but as long as you can answer the question "How are you?" , with....

"I'M ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE DIRT"

all is not lost and there is hope!

Shocked and Saddened

I made a trip down to PAWS today. I wanted to extend my thanks to the Animal Control officer that came out on a Sunday to capture the two Dobermans that were running loose in the neighborhood and wouldn't even let me stand on my front porch. I also had a small collection of coffee cans to donate. They keep pet food in them, as do I here at home.

I can't go to PAWS without at least going through the rooms and hoping that every critter finds a good home. There were quite a few blue dots on the cage markers, so I guess those are the lucky ones so far.

As I was leaving, a man and a young teen walked in, father and son I assumed. The teen was carrying a very little dog. They walked to the counter to surrender the ball of fluff. When asked why they were surrendering, the adult said, "We don't need him anymore." The staff member behind the counter was as shocked as I and repeated his statement. He said, "Yes, we don't need him anymore, we do a lot of traveling....." How much traveling do you do when you have a school aged child?

This adorable little ball of fluff is a 6-month old, tea cup maltese. I wanted to cry, but then thought, lucky dog. Someone will fall in love with this little darling and pamper him the way he should be. I don't know if the father was trying to punish the teen or what the real reasons for surrendering the puppy were.

Best of luck little ball of fluff. I hope your "forever home" treats you well.

OK, I'm Impressed

My flight to Detroit (via Northwest Airlines)was approximately three hours late leaving Peoria. The incoming flight had mechanical problems and had to return to the Detroit Airport and was delayed while they brought in a different airplane. With all the delays experienced with airlines, I just hoped that a plane would arrive from Detroit and thus make a return flight with me aboard.

The plane arrive, had a quick servicing and we were off for the short flight. All is well.

Today, I received a letter of apology from the General Manager of Customer Care for Northwest Airlines. Not only was there what sounded like a sincere apology, but also the addition of 1000 bonus miles to my WorldPerks account!

Two thumbs up for Northwest Airlines!

Sad Morning

As much as I knew it would happen, I did not expect it this morning. Smokey died this morning. I fixed his food (canned food and water blended together). He lapped up every bit of it and came in from the back porch. He walked around a bit and I sat back down to the computer. I heard an unusual "cough" sound and looked to see which animal it was. Smokey was lying on his side next my chair. He was not in his usual "I am resting" pose. I touched him and he moved slightly, one last heave of his chest and he was gone.

He had shown no signs of illness, had eaten a good breakfast and slipped away in what appeared to be a peaceful manner. I shall miss him greatly.

The vet will preserve his body until I can make arrangements to bury him. They are making a paw print for me. I will treasure that paw print and the many memories of my feline friend.

Rest in peace, Smokey. Rest in peace.

Brain Dead

In the last month or so, I have started at least three posts and quickly deleted them all. Nothing seems witty, crucial or worth exercising the keyboard to write. The economy sucks pond water, the animals are healthy, I go to work and come home. I have no kids in school, so as disturbed as I am about District 150, I question my right or ability to rant. Most news is depressing and I try to stay positive and not dwell on the negativity. In an effort to ramp up my attitude and create an "attitude of gratitude", I offer up the following:

I am grateful for:
1. a roof over my head
2. a furnace that works
3. having a job to go to
4. having reliable transportation to get me to that job
5. having food in the freezer
6. having friends who care
7. my two kids
8. my Grand-daughter
9. my Grand-son that is "in the hopper"
10. my daughter-in-law
ll. my "soon to be" son-in-law
12. having a warm bed to sleep in
13. reliable Wednesday garbage pick-up
14. clearance sales
15. the co-workers who gifted me with deer salami and deer sticks
16. PBS
17. used appliances that have been reliable for the last 15 years
18. the plastic on the windows of "this old house"
19. getting the "cool" round metal trash can that I asked for at Christmas
20. having been a "guest" at my daughter's home last weekend
21. a direct flight to Detroit that only takes a little over an hour
22. the little aches and pains that let me know I am alive
23. Dr. Fishkin
25. snack size caramel rice cakes
26. my vet that gives me a 10% discount because of all my animals
27. "do nothing" evenings or week-ends
28. 50 degree days in the middle of winter
29. the comfortable old rocking chair
30. my independence

I should do this more often. Maybe that way, I can hold on to this "attitude of gratitude. Feels pretty good!

I Tried

I tried, I really did. I just couldn't do it. I spend a lot of time at the computer, both with home and work. Chat, games, e-mail, an occasional blog or post and sometimes some real work gets done. I haven't watched a lot of TV for quite a while. Don't get me wrong, the TV is on, I was just listening, not watching.

In an ongoing effort to simplify, I gave the 40 inch rear projection (HDTV, but not digital) TV to my son and his family and replaced it with a new 26" LCD, digital tuner TV. I figured that it would be fine since I normally did little more than do a side glance if something sounded interesting. What I encountered was one big FAIL! Even the occasional side glances were disappointing. The more I looked, the less I liked it.

I am not an extravagant person, but I do tend to get the things I need and a lot of the things I want. I wanted a different television so I went shopping. I checked several stores and the price tags were more than I was willing to pay. I was on what must have been at least my third trip through the stores when I happened to see a TV that had just been moved to the "open box" area. It wasn't even priced yet. A salesperson looked up the new price and I asked if he would connect the TV so I could see the picture.

Needless to say, that 37" set came home with me. I had originally been wanting a 1080i set, but this 720p looks just fine. Of course, it did not fit on the new TV stand I had put together for the 26", so it was time for another shopping trip.

I have actually found myself spending less time at the computer for the last couple of days and the index finger on my right hand feels almost normal due to the decrease in game playing. I may actually begin to enjoy television again!

FOR SALE: 26" LCD television (720p) with stand. Reasonable. SOLD!
Any takers?
Wow! A quick reader has taken both!