Sunday Reading

Since returning to work I splurged a bit and am getting the New York Times delivered on Sundays.  I’ll do it as long as the half-price offer continues and then will have to go back to reading it online.

Here is just a taste of what I learned today:

1. There are times when listening to your heart, more than your head, pays off.
2. I could buy this lovely “piece of art” for that special someone on my shopping list who has everything.
3. If things aren’t going all that well for me these days, I can ask someone else to pray for me and hope god answers my prayers.  One group alone gets 1.3 million annual requests.
4. And if that doesn’t work, then I can find solace elsewhere, I suppose.
5. If I were to have that child referred to in an earlier post, I could pay $149 for a genetic test that would tell me those sports in which my child would excel.
6. It was interesting to learn that Washington, DC has $2.3 million less to spend this year on Obama’s inauguration than it did for George W. Bush’s 2nd inauguration in 2005.  They are estimating 1.5 million spectators for Obama’s inauguration versus the 300,000 that showed up for GWB.

This, of course, was all in addition to several articles on the Mumbai terrorist attacks, the last minute hijinks of the Bush administration, and a bunch of other stuff I will have forgotten by Wednesday.

Bumper Sticker of the Day

I should really do some research to see if I can discover what GWB’s net worth was in 2000 and what it is today.  Anyone know?  Available at Bumper Art.

Ghost President

Besides pardoning turkeys, what has George Bush been doing?  It’s probably a good thing he’s become our ghost president.  He can do less damage that way.

Getty Image

Light Posting

It looks like my laptop will be taking a trip to the doctor to have a very nasty virus removed.  When I wasn’t working I let my antivirus program expire and now I’m paying the price.  This is something called the DeeWoo Network Manager.  I’m a far cry from a computer geek so I can’t read logs, etc. and have decided to let someone else deal with it.  I don’t know if the virus is also responsible for the explorer.exe problem I’m having, but the icons and taskbar keep disappearing so I’ve had problems copying or backing up data, etc.

I might put a few things in the queue for posting throughout the week, but expect it to be spotty untl I get the laptop back. 

Ugh!

In The Arms Of The Angel by Sarah Mclachlan

I think Sarah has one of the most beautiful contemporary sounds around these days.

Spend all your time waiting for that second chance
For the break that will make it OK
There’s always some reason to feel not good enough
And it’s hard at the end of the day
I need some distraction or a beautiful release
Memories seep from my veins
Let me be empty and weightless and maybe
I’ll find some peace tonightIn the arms of the Angel far away from here
From this dark, cold hotel room, and the endlessness that you fear
You are pulled from the wreckage of your silent reverie
You’re in the arms of the Angel; may you find some comfort hereSo tired of the straight line, and everywhere you turn
There’s vultures and thieves at your back
The storm keeps on twisting, you keep on building the lies
That you make up for all that you lack
It don’t make no difference, escaping one last time
It’s easier to believe
In this sweet madness, oh this glorious sadness
That brings me to my knees

In the arms of the Angel far away from here
From this dark, cold hotel room, and the endlessness that you fear
You are pulled from the wreckage of your silent reverie
In the arms of the Angel; may you find some comfort here

You’re in the arms of the Angel; may you find some comfort here  

UPDATE:  Link fixed.

Mom-to-Be?

I’m in my 50s, so I think it’s safe to say this is very unlikely.  Somehow my name, address, and phone number ended up on a list to the contrary.  I’ve received several phone calls from marketing people trying to either get my opinions about baby-related stuff or maybe they were selling something.  I’m not sure because I cut them off quite quickly.

Now I’m receiving the magazine, American Baby, a free publication that apparently is difficult to cancel.  I couldn’t find an address or phone number in the magazine and online wasn’t much help because the mailing label doesn’t contain my subscription number.

Then a couple of days ago I received a baby formula sample in the mail.  I’ll drop it off at the food bank down the street from where I work on Monday, but I’d sure like to know how my name ended up on that list and how to get myself off it.  Will I be getting related info for the next 18 years?!

Bumper Sticker of the Day

Is it Christmas yet?

Black Friday

I hate shopping no matter what time of year so you won’t find me getting up in the middle of the night to be the first in line to buy more crap I don’t need.  But I did find a bit of good news in yesterday’s Denver Post about the demise of clamshell packaging.  For years I’ve struggled with this annoying method of preventing shoplifting and, at times, have refused to buy something unless the clerk at the store was able to open it for me before I left the store.

According to the editorial in the paper, 6,000 people end up in emergency rooms each year due to injuries caused by opening these packages.  It is also bad for the environment.  So I’ll be saying good riddance to this packaging along with the end of the Bush era.  (Now if only I could open up the bleach bottle, etc. I’d be a happy camper.)

Hallelujah!

Bumper Sticker of the Day

I think life begins at birth so you better enjoy it while you can!

Tone Deaf General Motors

I’m disgusted with those who are trying to blame the auto workers and their union for the mess the Big Three find themselves in these days.  The workers aren’t making the decisions about profitability and what type of vehicles to make, and contrary to what’s been reported, the workers aren’t earning $70 per hour.

Yesterday while commuting to/from work, I heard an interview with William Ford, the executive chairman of Ford Motor Company.  He admitted that it was a mistake to fly to Washington in a private luxury jet, although he also said Ford is not in the same situation as GM and Chrysler with respect to finances.  Ford was hoping to ask for a line of credit, just in case the economy continues to sour.

Today, however, I read where GM has requested flight privacy from the FAA so the public won’t know where and when its executives are flying.  As much as I don’t want millions of autoworkers to lose their jobs, I do want to see the high flying executives who have run their companies into the ground removed from their duties.  Why this isn’t a condition to public financing is beyond me.