Miss Ginny's Diary Dec 7th 2009

Hey there – it’s me Ginny (actually my proper name is Virginia-Lee). My human mother (HM) calls me Miss Ginny because she says it is easier and sounds nice. It is afternoon tea time which HM likes to have. She is working on her books and the day’s housework and cooking is done and she is pleased. HD (human dad) is at work. I have curled up on the ironing and I am surprised HM hasn’t shifted me. My sister ShooShoo is sleeping as is my cat-mother, Lapper. HM’s old cat Carrie, is snoring her head off. She has just turned 17 cat years. She belonged to HM’s mother and when the old lady passed away HM brought her to live with us. I like her – she is no bother except when she wants her food and then she gives HM a hard time until she gets it. ShooShoo teases her a lot and both HM and HD are always reprimanding my sister. We have lived in a high desert area for nearly 4 years and HM says she has had enough of the heat and just recently, HD agreed with HM so I expect within 6 months or so we will be on the move to a cooler climate and somewhere near the ocean maybe. HM badly wants to see some rain and be able to have a garden. We used to live in the Pacific Islands and HM likes to go fishing and I have to say that it is great to have fresh fish for our meals. Carrie has woken up and got the sneezes. She is giving ShooShoo a bad look as my sister is sitting staring at her. Carrie has been in the family for all but 9 months of her 17 years. She can be a crank-pot and if you get too close to her she will give you a paw-cuff. HM told my sister to watch her ‘meows’ as she (ShooShoo) talks back to Carrie. Lapper is glaring at GAD (great aunt Daisy). My mother has a mean stare at times. She’s a bit jealous of GAD lately as GAD lost her mate Percy and she has been getting a bit of extra attention recently. They were both in the family long before we call came along. Percy was a terrific tabby cat who went to God quite suddenly a while back. We all miss him greatly but rest in the knowledge that he is in heaven with the Big G. Whoops HM just fell over a chair and GAD had a little freak out. HM told GAD that she is ok and GAD gave her a few meows and a nose rub on HM’s leg. GAD is a very large and lovable grey tabby with huge whiskers. She plays with my sister and me and she likes to play in the bathtub where she chases her tail very fast. HM has just asked me what I’m doing. Well I’m just climbing around our small kitchen. She calls me her kitchen supervisor. HD is home and he and Carrie are discussing who has the right to a certain chair. Carrie is a chair sneak and it will be interesting to see who wins the battle.




Well I’m gone for the moment and I will see you soon.



Meow to you all. Ginny.

Miss Ginny's Diary

HOUSE ABUKOFF welcomes a new addition to our family. Miss Ginny’s Diary will appear in the FEATURES section on a fairly regular basis. It is primarily aimed at younger readers and for all those among us who have a love of cats. Miss Ginny is a small, calico cat who lives in the southwestern United States. It is her take on her daily life. It is written on her behalf, by one of our regular contributors. Enjoy it.

Go Ask Harry!

Just a little note. The same 'man' who complained about sweaty tourists stinking up the capital (uh, Harry, you actually work for those people, by the way) was asked about Afghanistan, and angrily and dismissively told the reporter to "Ask Tiger Woods". Mister Reid, your attitude is elitist and ill-mannered, and inconsistent with the behavior of someone who wants to keep his job. But please, don't change on my account. I'm sure you'll do fine in whatever your next job is.

More Derailments on the Hope and Change Express

One of the moments I've been waiting for since Barack Hussein Obama was appointed... I mean, elected, (Well, not really. Ballots were never counted at the Democratic National Convention) has finally arrived, and he did not disappoint. With two wars on, there just had to come a point when the Commander in Chief would have to pretend that he represents the interests of the entire country. He would be forced to give the impression of being tough on the war front to satisfy anyone with a lick of common sense while properly serving the political bosses responsible for getting him appointed... er, elected. And he bobbled it like a master. But then I suppose that something like that is bound to happen when you make decisions beyond your pay grade without a teleprompter. I'm not talking about the 30,000 versus 40,000 debate. That is a decision, that while a mistake in my opinion, could be considered an honest difference in judgement. What I'm talking about is the month that he spent dithering about it, and then the naive, senseless and dangerous time table of 18 months, as well as the vow not to win, but rather to end the war. Tell me, Mister Obama, will we see you posing in front of a "Mission Accomplished" sign in your reelection campaign spots? Or is that timing just a coincidence? Nobody, not even his liberal overseers are willing to publicly endorse the foolish notion of an arbritary time table. Chris Matthews... yes, Chris Matthews even questioned it. Chris Matthews, who seems to get a shiver down his leg everytime Obama enters the conversation. It's almost like someone having the sense and courage to walk out on a deranged, racist preacher rather than sit listening
obediantly for twenty years, until election time comes up. This was the moment I knew had to get here, and while I am pleased to see Mister Obama show his incompetence, I fear for us. He has four years to do incalculable damage to the country and the world, and Ronald Reagan is, sadly, no longer available to rescue us.

I, Barack Hussein Obama do solemnly swear or affirm to fundamentally change the United States of America

"I, Barack Hussein Obama do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

Just so we have that straight. That's an oath, not above his pay grade, that he took. In public. Well, once in public, and once, correctly, in private. But it is a legally binding oath. So some might start to privately wonder just what he meant when he announced his intention to fundamentally change the United States of America. Preserve. Protect. Defend. Fundamentally change. It would pay to be wary of someone who can say both with a straight face. But it goes deeper than that. If he signs a piece of legislation entitling Congress to do something for which it has no constitutional authority, can he really say that he has preserved, protected and defended the constitution? And if he knowingly takes an action (by signing that legislation) that violates that oath to preserve, protect and defend the constitution, could the case be made that he commited perjury, thereby opening himself up for impeachment?

Just saying....

Kate's Cooking: Simple and Quick Cookies

SIMPLE AND QUICK COOKIES

Following on from the last cooking column, today we will focus on economical cookies that are quick and easy to make and like the last column, most of the ingredients will likely be found in your everyday kitchen. Personally, I do not like to have a mug of coffee or a cup of tea without having something to eat and cookies that I can ‘dunk’ in the drink are great – it seems to bring out the flavor of the cookie (or biscuit in British countries). Younger folk might enjoy making these cookies – under adult supervision. Both of the recipes are great to put in school lunches, work lunches or pack up a few and take to the grandparents and friends if you are visiting. I just love to get homemade baking. Here then, are two recipes I found (and expanded on with my own experimentation in the case of the Crinkles), when I was living in Australia and they have become family favorites.


WEEKENDER BISCUITS (COOKIES)

125gm (4oz.) butter or margarine
1/3rd cup sugar
1 egg
2/3rd cup sultanas
1 cup self-raising flour
2 cups lightly crushed cornflakes

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat well. Fold in flour and sultanas and mix well. Drop small amounts (a large teaspoonful) of mix into cornflakes and roll lightly until coated. Placed on greased oven trays (baking sheets) allowing room for spreading. Bake in a moderate oven for about 15 to 20 minutes until nicely golden. Cool on wire racks.


CRINKLES

125gm (4oz.) butter or margarine
½ teaspoon vanilla essence
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind (zest)
1/3rd cup white sugar
1/3rd cup brown sugar (lightly packed)
1/3rd cup peanut butter
1 ½ cups plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Cream butter, vanilla, lemon rind, both sugars, peanut butter until well mixed. With a wooden spoon, work in flour and soda (which have been sifted together). The dough should be quite stiff. Roll heaped teaspoonfuls into balls with floured hands and placed on greased oven trays (baking sheets). Press cookie balls down with a floured fork, first one way then the opposite way or you might like to use an old fashioned potato masher as I do, to get the crinkled effect. Bake in a moderate oven for around 15 minutes. Keep an eye on them to avoid too much browning. Cool cookies on the oven trays and then lift them on to wire racks.


HINTS and THINGS – these will appear in the cooking column from time to time. We welcome any hints you might like to share.

I was watching a cooking show not so long ago and the following was an interesting idea to use up appleskins:

COATED APPLESKINS – cut or break the apple skins to a size you like. Coat with eggwhite and cardamom sugar. Bake in a 100 C. (250 F.) oven for a couple of hours or until crisp. They were used for snacks or drink decorations.


Until next time, happy cooking. Go safely out there.

Kate.

Kate's Cooking: Boxty

(The logo for this column is a picture of a spice market in Provence, France)

Greetings. I am so pleased to be writing for House Abukoff. Where I currently reside it is getting cold and it is time to retreat inside and warm our small apartment by cooking fun things and experimenting. Cooking can be tough these days in hard economic times. Today I am talking about the very versatile vegetable – the potato. My heritage is largely Irish and the Irish have a long history of involvement with the potato. In these modern times there are many new varieties for us to use and more often than not you can find the basic white potato at a good price for those of us who are on tight budgets. If you are lucky enough to be able to grow your own in a traditional outside garden then that’s great! If you live in a small apartment you can also grow potatoes in a large bucket or planter of solid dirt that has a depth of at least 12 inches or 30cm. Sunny places by a back door or on a ledge or out on a patio are suitable. Plant about 3 or 4 medium sized seed potatoes that have sprouted (the number of potatoes depends on the size of the planter). Cover the potatoes with an inch or so of dirt. Your potatoes will break ground in a relatively short time and bring forth their stems and leaves, then flowers. When the flowers dry and fall off, you can have fun harvesting them. NOTE: if you are growing plants inside and have small children and / or animals in your home, keep an eye on them as the potato leaves etc. are poisonous. Most animals generally have a sixth sense about these things. The following is a great recipe from Ireland. I call it an economic recipe as most folk have the ingredients for it as part of their kitchen food items.

BOXTY

This is a traditional Irish dish. It has an interesting texture. I like to add some chopped spring (or green) onions, chopped chives and black pepper. Salt is optional.

Ingredients:

1 cup each of – grated raw potatoes, mashed cooked potatoes and plain white flour.

* your own choice of seasonings
* chopped spring onions and/or chives
* ¼ cup of butter or margarine – add extra if you want but not too much

In a bowl mix all the ingredients well. Turn out onto a flat, floured surface. Knead a little and roll out like a cookie dough. Using a medium cookie cutter, cut out as many rounds as you can. Melt extra butter or oil in a heavy based or non stick frypan and cook until golden brown on each side. Serve hot.

We like to have them for breakfast and sometimes add bacon to the platter. Personally I find Boxty good to serve with cold meat and salad for a nice lunch.


Happy cooking to you.

Kate

Kate's Cooking

HOUSE ABUKOFF Features Division welcomes columnist Kate and her cooking ideas and hints. Kate welcomes emails from around the world. She is especially interested in ethnic cooking. Kate formerly wrote for a daily newspaper and did their cooking, travel, some political, environmental and kids corner work. Again, we welcome her into our family and hope that she will be with us for an extended stay as we expand our internet activities.

Recession Depression Beaters

I wrote something quite a while ago about recession depression beaters.
Making up simple, free games at home. Like making a basketball hoop out of a
metal clothes hanger. Well, with my wife's help, I've created a card for us
to play. Pretty simple rules, mainly resulting in having to practice basic
math skills, preferably in your head. And again, it's simple and free.

If anyone reading this is curious, I'd be happy to pass on details. But I'd
also like to invite you to post, through the 'comment' feature, your own
recession depression beaters.

Highway Robbery

I was in the grocery store the other day when I saw a lady (and I use the term loosely) looking at a package of hotdogs that was like $1.49 or something like that. Now take note that this lady shows up to buy things
only in the first week of the month, using her "EBT" food stamp card. She saw the price, tossed it back in the wrong place, and said, derisively, "Highway robbery." And I'm thinking, "No, highway robbery is what you live on from the first of the month... to the first of the month." I didn't say it, because I would suddenly be a racist (to finish painting the picture), and probably get shot and/or arrested. The same person who on the first of the month buys only T-bone steaks and soda and potato chips, and by the last of the month is shoplifting. All the while tapping away on her i-phone. Lady, buy some ground beef and canned vegetables, and kool aid. Sell your i-phone. And if you think grocery prices are too high, stop stealing groceries. Stop taking perishable items from their section and dropping them somewhere else. Every time the store loses a product that they paid for because of your thoughtlessness, they lose money. When they lose too much money they're forced to raise prices. And then someone either steals it or destroys it. What you and people like you are doing is highway robbery.

The Old Farmer`s Almanac

From the official website:

Since 1792, The Old Farmer's Almanac has spoken to all walks of life: tide tables for those who live near the ocean; sunrise and planting charts for those who live on the farm; recipes for those who live in the kitchen; and forecasts for those who don't like the question of weather left up in the air.
The Almanac, North America's oldest continuously published periodical, comes out every year in September. The latest edition is on sale now wherever magazines and books are sold—and in our Web shop.
Our operation is based in Dublin, New Hampshire. The words of the Almanac's founder, Robert B. Thomas, guide us still: "Our main endeavour is to be useful, but with a pleasant degree of humor."
In recent years, we've expanded The Old Farmer's Almanac line of products—always with an eye on Mr. Thomas's wise words about keeping things fun and practical—so that now we produce many calendars, cookbooks, journals, the All-Season Garden Guide, music CDs, and many handy reference charts.

How the Almanac Got Off to a Good Start

Under the guiding hand of its first editor, Robert B. Thomas, the premiere issue of The Old Farmer's Almanac was published in 1792 during George Washington's first term as president. Although many other almanacs were being published at that time, Thomas's upstart almanac became an immediate success. In fact, by the second year, circulation had tripled from 3,000 to 9,000. Back then, the Almanac cost only six pence (about nine cents).
An almanac, by definition, records and predicts astronomical events (the rising and setting of the Sun, for instance), tides, weather, and other phenomena with respect to time. So what made The Old Farmer's Almanac different from the others? Since his format wasn't novel, we can only surmise that Thomas's astronomical and weather predictions were more accurate, the advice more useful, and the features more entertaining.
Based on his observations, Thomas used a complex series of natural cycles to devise a secret weather forecasting formula, which brought uncannily accurate results, traditionally said to be 80 percent accurate. (Even today, his formula is kept safely tucked away in a black tin box at the Almanac offices in Dublin, New Hampshire.)
Thomas's last edition, in 1846, was not much different from his first, over 50 years earlier. However, in that time he established The Old Farmer's Almanac as America's leading periodical by outselling and outlasting the competition. He died in 1846 at the age of 80, supposedly reading page proofs for the 1847 edition.

The Almanac Hits Its Stride

The new editor, John H. Jenks, was helped by the fact that Thomas had already calculated the astronomical material for several future editions. In 1848 Jenks permanently and officially added the Old to the title of the Almanac. It had been previously known as The Farmer's Almanac, except in 1832 when Thomas had inserted the word Old (but he inexplicably dropped it from the title three years later).
Jenks's next "permanent" change came in 1851, when he featured a "four seasons" drawing on the cover by artist Henry Nichols. In keeping with Thomas's fickleness, Jenks dropped the new cover for three years, then reinstated it in 1855, when it became "permanent" once again—and it's still being used today.
In 1861, Charles L. Flint became editor and provided his readers with a heavy emphasis on farming. The next two editors, John Boies Tileston and Loomis Joseph Campbell, served short terms and did little more than keep the Almanac going in the traditional format.
Robert Ware took over as sixth editor in 1877, but his main interest was the publishing business, and he probably delegated many of the editorial tasks. Ware's brother, Horace, took the reins in 1900. During his 19 years as editor, he began to orient the book toward a more general audience by replacing the scientific agriculture articles with general features on nature and modern life.
The eighth and ninth editors, Frank Newton and Carroll Swan, kept the Almanac tradition alive even during times of war and the Depression. (Even to this date, The Old Farmer's Almanac has never missed a single year of publication.)

Greatest of All Almanac Blunders

Roger Scaife was appointed editor in 1936. His term coincided with the only time in the history of the Almanac that it declined precipitously in circulation and financial stability. (The 1938 edition had a circulation of only 88,000, compared with 225,000 in 1863!) Scaife also committed the greatest of all Almanac blunders: He dropped the weather forecasts! In their place, he substituted temperature and precipitation averages. The public outcry was so great that he reinstated the forecasts in the next year's edition, but it was too late to save his reputation.
Robb Sagendorph knew a good deal when he saw one, and in 1939 he bought The Old Farmer's Almanac and became editor. Sagendorph, who had moved his family to tiny Dublin, New Hampshire, four years earlier to start Yankee Magazine, now held the future of the Almanac in his hands. Luckily, he had a strong grip, a keen sense of the publishing business, and a nurturing heart devoted to tradition.
Sagendorph, feeling that tradition was the Almanac's strongest suit, immediately reestablished its format and editorial style to be more as it was under Robert B. Thomas. As a result, The Old Farmer's Almanac became witty, wise, and more entertaining, as it had been a hundred years earlier.
In 1942, a German spy was apprehended by the FBI after being landed on Long Island, New York, by a U-boat the night before. The impact of this event was felt all the way to Dublin, New Hampshire, because The Old Farmer's Almanac was found in his coat pocket. The U.S. government speculated that the Germans were using the Almanac for weather forecasts, which meant that the book was indirectly supplying information to the enemy.
Fortunately, Sagendorph managed to get the government to agree that there would be no violation of the "Code of Wartime Practices for the American Press" if the Almanac featured weather indications rather than forecasts. It was a close call that almost ruined the Almanac's perfect record of continuous publication.
The story since World War II has been one of growth and expanded range. The Almanac passed the four million circulation mark in the early 1990s. Robb Sagendorph died in 1970, after 30 years as editor, and his nephew, Judson Hale, took over.
In 2000, Janice Stillman became the 13th (and first female) editor of The Old Farmer's Almanac. She maintains the style established by her predecessors, the editorial direction taken by Hale, and a true dedication to hundreds of years of tradition while striving always to appear brand-spanking-new.

Words From The Gipper

Quoted from The Patriot Post Monday Brief

September 14, 2009
Vol. 09 No. 37

"We warned of things to come, of the danger inherent in unwarranted government involvement in things not its proper province. What we warned against has come to pass. And today more than two-thirds of our citizens are telling us, and each other, that social engineering by the federal government has failed. The Great Society is great only in power, in size and in cost. And so are the problems it set out to solve. Freedom has been diminished and we stand on the brink of economic ruin. Our task now is not to sell a philosophy, but to make the majority of Americans, who already share that philosophy, see that modern conservatism offers them a political home. We are not a cult, we are members of a majority. Let's act and talk like it. The job is ours and the job must be done. If not by us, who? If not now, when? Our party must be the party of the individual. It must not sell out the individual to cater to the group. No greater challenge faces our society today than ensuring that each one of us can maintain his dignity and his identity in an increasingly complex, centralized society. Extreme taxation, excessive controls, oppressive government competition with business, galloping inflation, frustrated minorities and forgotten Americans are not the products of free enterprise. They are the residue of centralized bureaucracy, of government by a self-anointed elite. Our party must be based on the kind of leadership that grows and takes its strength from the people." --Ronald Reagan

House Abukoff: Services, Affordable Books and Curios, and Opinions http://houseabukoff.blogspot.com
The Place for Affordable Books (hard to find and others), DVD's, and General Treasures http://abukoffbooksandcurios.blogspot.com
The Internet's Only Reliable Blog http://kapactsrant.blogspot.com
Not Just a Game, It's a Star Trek Experience http://fantasytrek.blogspot.com

The Cheetah Conservation Fund

Another highly recommended website!

Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Mission

To be an internationally recognised centre of excellence in research and education on cheetahs and their eco-systems, working with all stakeholders to achieve best practice in the conservation and management of the world's cheetahs.

NASA's Human Spaceflight Realtime Data

Another great website for you sky-watchers. On this site, amongst other things, you can find out when you can view the International Space Station (ISS) in your night sky.

NASA's Image of the Day...

You may notice "NASA's Image of the Day" to the right. We at House Abukoff have always been fascinated with NASA and space science. This is a wonderful website full of interesting pictures that are updated every day. Enjoy.

Real Strength

I used to think that in order to be strong I had to be cool and tough and cynical. I'd heard about 'the meek shall inherit the earth', but I thought that it was more an empty promise than anything else. I thought that the strong and the rich and the cynical would really inherit the earth. Ah, but I was wrong. At least in a way. The strong really will inherit the earth, but the strong aren't the people with the biggest sticks. Real strength doesn't come in a weapons locker or a gym, or a smart comment, for that matter, and meek doesn't mean you let everyone push you around.

Meek, in this sense means humble. Deeds rather than words. A person who feels the need to blow their own trumpet and brag about everything they do, or even shout others down because they think that's the only way they can make a point is not really strong. That person is really afraid that what they have to offer isn't good enough to stand on its own. Real strength means working hard or doing the right thing even when it isn't easy. It means showing people what you can do rather than padding your resume. People who can do that really will inherit the earth.

Kapact's Rant: Fear and Manipulation Part One

It's been a long time since I've written a rant, due to various and sundry RL issues. Not that there hasn't been plenty to rant about. But I also think that there are plenty of angry bloggers on both side of the great partisan schism that has really paralyzed our country. I think I've got a good voice and a fairly balanced viewpoint, but I also have to question the value of any single angry rant. So I'll talk not specifically about the wrongs perpetrated by all of our politicians (because we all know about them anyway) from a partisan standpoint, but hopefully from a non-partisan point of view. I mean, as much as I think we were safer when George W Bush left office than when he came in, there is really no question that he was ineffectual domestically. There are others more responsible for our current economic mess than he, but he played a part.

I'd actually like to talk about the role that fear plays in how politicians manipulate us. Politicians have since the dawn of time used fear to control their subjects, and our government today is no change. The extreme right makes us fear things like gay marriage and alternate lifestyles, really things that we may think is wrong, but don't in fact threaten the country. I believe myself that marriage is between a man and a woman, but I don't feel threatened by people who feel otherwise, and I don't think that the government needs to weigh in on the subject. I also don't like the idea of abortion, unless in case of rape or if the life of the mother is threatened, and I don't want my tax dollars going to fund abortions. But I also don't care for the government weighing in on the matter with its clumsy hands. It's a complex issue, for sure, because there is no question that a fetus is alive. It has a heartbeat, it moves and it kicks. If that is the case, then abortion, killing it, is murder. So maybe the debate we need to have and resolve is not whether or not women should have the right to choose, but whether or not they should have the right to choose to murder the lifeform that they helped to create. Maybe the debate should be at what point the fetus is entitled to protection under the law. There are serious rights and wrongs there, and again, the issue is not simple. A person's right to choose is vital to a free nation, and any restriction of that right needs to be undertaken only after the most careful deliberation. On the other hand, at what point is abortion murder? It is a fiendishly complicated issue, but it is also a weapon used by extreme far right politicians to manipulate the public. We must fear, and therefore put a stop to these evil people who are destroying the moral fibre of the country.

The far right, however, is not alone in using fear to manipulate the public. I'll talk about that next time.




Repeating From Last Time:


The housing meltdown which is at the heart of our crisis started in earnest in 1992 when Mister Clinton had the great idea to sell houses to low-income voters who couldn't afford them. No question that both sides ignored the problem but got rich off the over-inflated bubble, but it started under Bill Clinton. The records are there. Here are a few links that show just what I'm talking about:


From The New York Times in 1999: Fannie Mae Eases Credit To Aid Mortgage Lending (http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9c0DE7DB153EF933A0575AC0A96F958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all) "Fannie Mae, the nation's biggest underwriter of home mortgages, has been under increasing pressure from the Clinton Administration to expand mortgage loans among low and moderate income people..."


From the New York Post: Alarms and Denial (http://www.nypost.com/php/pfriendly/print.php?url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/09262008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/alarms__denial_130763.htm)


Bloomberg Financial News: "How the Democrats Created the Financial Crisis" (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aSKSoiNbnQY0)


YouTube: Democrats in their own words (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MGT_cSi7Rs)


YouTube: Burning Down the House (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RZVw3no2A4&feature=iv&annotation_id=event_597487)


YouTube: Obama Ranks Second In Freddie/Fannie Contributions (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-_HlpZ8azA&feature=related)


Now I'll repeat what I said last week. First and foremost, this economic crisis has roots in the Clinton administration. Clinton ordered that home loans be given to families that could not pay them. Granted, Bush should have seen the meltdown coming, but it's a time bomb that Bill Clinton planted under the house. It's up to President Obama to set the tone and the course to rebuild our house. We all share responsibility for doing the hard work, but the President is the boss. The buck stops in the Oval Office. And speaking of the Oval Office, I have to admit that I have liked a fair amount of what I've seen of our new President. Words are cheap, and politicians are good at saying things people want to hear. At the same time, we need this presidency to be successful, and he can't succeed without our support. So while I'll be quick to point out everything that I see him do wrong, I'll also try my hardest to point out everything that I see him do right. I saw him talking to Matt Lauer just before the Superbowl, and he looked, unlike candidate Obama, like a man with humor and compassion and an appreciation for the humanity of the people that make up this country. He was funny and self-deprecating and seemingly unscripted. That man will have my support for as long as he occupies the White House. When he stops being that man, I'll stop supporting him.

What's New Here?

You might notice the Twitter updat e on the sidebar. I decided I was curious enough to sign up. I'm also thinking about a good recession depression beater. Free, simple games. Mrs Kapact and I are making a basketball hoop out of an old coat hanger. We'll use the hook to hang it over the door. Not life-changing, but free and simple and fun. My Fantasy Trek game fits into the same category. :)


Kapact

Kapact's Rant: O.B.A.M.A. (Oh Boy Another Mistake A$S&\#@)

I'm finding it harder and harder to support our President, and I'm really trying. Despite the good that George W Bush tried to do, nobody can really say that he left the country in better shape after eight years in office. Safer, yes, though it cost thousands of lives and billions of dollars. But he is no more a fiscal conservative than Hillary is. Just as you can't tax your way to prosperity, you also can't spend your way there. And Bush spent irresponsibly. Compassionate Conservativism, as Bush tried it, was just fiscal liberalism. Real conservativism, which is compassionate by definition, knows that the government that does least is the government that does best. Every time government tries to improve something by getting its big, clumsy, greedy hands into it, it just makes a mess. And yet, compared to Obama, George W was a dream. Obama embarrasses us at home and abroad in front of foreign leaders. (If you don't believe that, google Obama and Churchill bust, Obama and HMS Resolute, Obama and speaking Austrian, and Obama bowing to Saudi King). Not only that, but he has done wise things like refusing to let some banks pay back stimulus money. No kidding. He says he has no interest in the government running private businesses until a business tries to get out from under the Obama boot. Several banks have tried to pay money back to the government, but the government has refused. Kind of like when a mob 'invests' a little cash into a small mom and pop store as a way of taking it over. The main difference is that the mob isn't taxpayer funded and supposed to be representing mom and pop. And of course, the mob would be more honest. Mr. Obama talks a very good game when he has a teleprompter, but I'm predicting that he's nothing but Jimmy Carter with a socialist bent. I just hope that we're blessed with another Reagan to pick up the pieces in four years.

Repeating From Last Week:

The housing meltdown which is at the heart of our crisis started in earnest in 1992 when Mister Clinton had the great idea to sell houses to low-income voters who couldn't afford them. No question that both sides ignored the problem but got rich off the over-inflated bubble, but it started under Bill Clinton. The records are there. Here are a few links that show just what I'm talking about:


From The New York Times in 1999: Fannie Mae Eases Credit To Aid Mortgage Lending (http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9c0DE7DB153EF933A0575AC0A96F958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all) "Fannie Mae, the nation's biggest underwriter of home mortgages, has been under increasing pressure from the Clinton Administration to expand mortgage loans among low and moderate income people..."


From the New York Post: Alarms and Denial (http://www.nypost.com/php/pfriendly/print.php?url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/09262008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/alarms__denial_130763.htm)


Bloomberg Financial News: "How the Democrats Created the Financial Crisis" (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aSKSoiNbnQY0)


YouTube: Democrats in their own words (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MGT_cSi7Rs)


YouTube: Burning Down the House (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RZVw3no2A4&feature=iv&annotation_id=event_597487)


YouTube: Obama Ranks Second In Freddie/Fannie Contributions (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-_HlpZ8azA&feature=related)


Now I'll repeat what I said last week. First and foremost, this economic crisis has roots in the Clinton administration. Clinton ordered that home loans be given to families that could not pay them. Granted, Bush should have seen the meltdown coming, but it's a time bomb that Bill Clinton planted under the house. It's up to President Obama to set the tone and the course to rebuild our house. We all share responsibility for doing the hard work, but the President is the boss. The buck stops in the Oval Office. And speaking of the Oval Office, I have to admit that I have liked a fair amount of what I've seen of our new President. Words are cheap, and politicians are good at saying things people want to hear. At the same time, we need this presidency to be successful, and he can't succeed without our support. So while I'll be quick to point out everything that I see him do wrong, I'll also try my hardest to point out everything that I see him do right. I saw him talking to Matt Lauer just before the Superbowl, and he looked, unlike candidate Obama, like a man with humor and compassion and an appreciation for the humanity of the people that make up this country. He was funny and self-deprecating and seemingly unscripted. That man will have my support for as long as he occupies the White House. When he stops being that man, I'll stop supporting him.






Fleet Action. Head-To-Head Bare Knuckles Naval Combat. Boarding Party Action. Solid Interactive Storytelling Like No Commercial Game Can Offer. How Much Star Trek Can You Handle?
Fantasy Trek. Not Just a Game. It's a Star Trek Experience
http://fantasytrek.blogspot.com/
The Only Rebel Underground Star Trek PBEMMMORPG

Kapact's Rant: What Mr Obama's Gift Will Cost You

Like most people, I've found a little extra money in my paycheck this week, thanks to Mister Obama. Well, not really. See, the extra cash isn't there because the fat cats in DC decided that they didn't need to get rich for creating and then exploiting crises. And don't try to pretend that they don't exploit crises. Hillary herself said "Don't let a good crisis go to waste." No, this extra cash in my paycheck actually comes from..... me! And you. And every other taxpayer. The Federal government doesn't have any money that we don't give it. So before you fall down on your knees and thank Mister Obama for giving you money, stop. He just did what liberals have been telling us for years is a bad idea. He's letting us keep more of our money. But don't think that he's changed into a conservative. He's just taking money from one hand and putting it in another. He's spending your money to give it to you. By "taxing the rich" he is taking money from corporations, just like the one that issued the check that had the tax cut on it. The same one that will have to raise its prices and/or lay people off and/or cut hours to make up the difference. So when you pump your fist in the air and chant "OBAMA!" like a true believer, think about what that is going to cost you. And hope and pray that it doesn't push your groceries out of your price range, or cost you the hours you need to survive on, or even your job.

And don't cry about giving Obama a chance. The two years that Obama spent in Congress were used to help create this problem and to run for President. They were used to condone the disposal of 'failed abortions' (live babies thrown in the garbage in Chicago hospitals), and to take in more money from unions and lobbyists than most other legislators have in a lifetime of exploiting crises. He spent the time voting 'present' and deciding which issues were above his paygrade. He's had plenty of time to fix the problem.



Repeating From Last Week:


The housing meltdown which is at the heart of our crisis started in earnest in 1992 when Mister Clinton had the great idea to sell houses to low-income voters who couldn't afford them. No question that both sides ignored the problem but got rich off the over-inflated bubble, but it started under Bill Clinton. The records are there. Here are a few links that show just what I'm talking about:


From The New York Times in 1999: Fannie Mae Eases Credit To Aid Mortgage Lending (http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9c0DE7DB153EF933A0575AC0A96F958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all) "Fannie Mae, the nation's biggest underwriter of home mortgages, has been under increasing pressure from the Clinton Administration to expand mortgage loans among low and moderate income people..."


From the New York Post: Alarms and Denial (http://www.nypost.com/php/pfriendly/print.php?url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/09262008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/alarms__denial_130763.htm)


Bloomberg Financial News: "How the Democrats Created the Financial Crisis" (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aSKSoiNbnQY0)


YouTube: Democrats in their own words (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MGT_cSi7Rs)


YouTube: Burning Down the House (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RZVw3no2A4&feature=iv&annotation_id=event_597487)


YouTube: Obama Ranks Second In Freddie/Fannie Contributions (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-_HlpZ8azA&feature=related)


Now I'll repeat what I said last week. First and foremost, this economic crisis has roots in the Clinton administration. Clinton ordered that home loans be given to families that could not pay them. Granted, Bush should have seen the meltdown coming, but it's a time bomb that Bill Clinton planted under the house. It's up to President Obama to set the tone and the course to rebuild our house. We all share responsibility for doing the hard work, but the President is the boss. The buck stops in the Oval Office. And speaking of the Oval Office, I have to admit that I have liked a fair amount of what I've seen of our new President. Words are cheap, and politicians are good at saying things people want to hear. At the same time, we need this presidency to be successful, and he can't succeed without our support. So while I'll be quick to point out everything that I see him do wrong, I'll also try my hardest to point out everything that I see him do right. I saw him talking to Matt Lauer just before the Superbowl, and he looked, unlike candidate Obama, like a man with humor and compassion and an appreciation for the humanity of the people that make up this country. He was funny and self-deprecating and seemingly unscripted. That man will have my support for as long as he occupies the White House. When he stops being that man, I'll stop supporting him.






Fleet Action. Head-To-Head Bare Knuckles Naval Combat. Boarding Party Action. Solid Interactive Storytelling Like No Commercial Game Can Offer. How Much Star Trek Can You Handle?
Fantasy Trek. Not Just a Game. It's a Star Trek Experience
http://fantasytrek.blogspot.com
The Only Rebel Underground Star Trek PBEMMMORPG