Opening Stuff:
The Christmas season starts to get serious beginning today. Anybody have any good ideas for gifts?
In honor of the Christmas Spirit, I will discontinue any discussion about politics. In fact, politics is probably as far away from the true meaning of Christmas as you can get. Actually, when a politician says he or she is doing something for us in the "Spirit of Christmas", it is probably a good idea for taxpayers and honest people to duck and cover. Realistically, it is probably impossible to stay away from mentioning politics. So I lied. I wasn't expecting anything from Santa anyhow.
Is Santa Claus of today more generous...or are parents of today just leaving bigger tips?
The Question:
Christmas Double Special: 1.Give me five different names for the lovable gent who rides in a sleigh drawn by reindeer and slides down chimney's with a sack full of gifts. 2. Name the 7 states with an eight digit population. The 7 under a million. The states that will lose congressional seats.
The Headlines;
--Drenched California Awaits Even Bigger Storms.--South Korea Holds Massive Military Drills; Warns North Korea To Stifle It Or Else.
--Mortgage Apps Drop To Lowest Level In year.
--Investors Enter 2011 Riding the Bull.
--Start Vote Set For Today.
--Insurance Industry Says The Kia, Hyundai And Volkswagen/Audi Have Most Safest Cars (9); GM , Ford And Toyota Next With 8; Next In Line With 4 Are Chrysler, Subaru, Volvo, Mercedes..
--Chevy Volt's Millage Claims In Doubt.
--RI Manufacturing Association Files Legal Paper Against Wind Power Company; Says Double The KW Costs Plus Guaranteed 3.5% Annual Increase Would Drive Businesses Out Of State.
Back to More Stuff:
What kind of name is "The Edge"? After the disasters at the big Broadway spectacular Spiderman, this co-producer along with Bono should legally change his first name to "Living on".What kind of name is Bono?
I predict next year that Bret Farve will sign with the Washing Redskins after the loony Dan Schnyder promises to get get Congress to erect a Potomac River Bridge named after BF.
Have you noticed that when you say "BF" fast it sounds just like "BS"?
And then there are the UConn Women. Talk about team play and hustle. Maybe that's why John Wooden's grandson Greg who attended the game that broke Wooden's record said: "He would have been thrilled. He would have been absolutely thrilled to see his record broken by a women's basketball team. He (John Wooden) thought that in the past ten years the best basketball was played at the collegiate level -- and it wasn't by the men." Of course there are the louts who say it really isn't a record because it was women, and they had no competition. Forgetting that in the UCLA era there weren't many men's teams with the all-star power of the Bruins.
Reading between the Lines Movie Reviews
--Critics are loving True Grit out today just in time for Christmas. I sense that some of this has to do with the fact that most critics adore the Coen brothers. But, this movie about a 14 year old girl hiring a wahed up Marshall, Rooster Cogburn, to track down and kill the murderer of her father is well done. The best acting is by Matt Damon as a Texas Ranger hunting down Rooster and Hallie Steinfeld as the 14 yo. Mattie. In fact she may steal the show, Jeff Bridges is Ok, but somewhat flawed, a little over the top, as Rooster.
--I thought the original Meet the Parents was a one joke movie. I didn't like Meet the Fockers and Little Fockers is a step below that, relying on cheap gags and lowest common denominator humor. You won't see me there even if the popcorn is good.
This is kind of scary for the future of our military. 1 in 4 successful applicants can't pass the entrance exam. Questions are like "2 + X = 4. Find X?" Even more discouraging is that 75% of potential applicants can't pass muster to get to the testing phase because they are either physically unfit, have criminal records or no high school diploma. Those who can't get in become college student athletes.
The new Food Safety Bill signed yesterday looks like another license to steal for Personal Injury and Class Action Lawyers.
And, the immediate effect with all of the added paper work and government compliance tests will be a significant rise in already to high food prices.
Interesting in this lunatic, rush to madness Lame Duck session is how so many Repubs break ranks on some disputed votes. In the two years previous, did you ever see Dems breaking ranks for the good of the people? Of course this is a bit of a concern. Will Repubs acquiesce to Dems as they did in the early 2000's, and thereby defeat the entire idea behind the 20101 elections.
And how appropriate is that name "Lame Duck"? The attention to detail is "Lame" at best, and anything that passes under these constricting pressures should have taxpayers ducking.
The Answer:
1. Santa is one of the best known figures throughout a sometimes discontented world. He is known as Saint Nicolas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle and Father Christmas. In China he is Dun Che Lao ren (Christmas Old man), France - Pere Noel, Germany - Weinachtsmann, Hawaii - Kanakaloka, Iran (Yes Iran) - Baba Noel, Ireland - Daidi na Nollaig (Old Leprechaun Bearing Bailouts From EU), Norway Julinissen and Poland Sweity Mikolai (Saint Nicholas). 2. California at 37,254,000Mil is the biggest by far, and that doesn't include a couple of million illegals. Next is Texas at a huge illegal-less 25 mil. The rest of thebiggest are New York (19.4 M), Florida creeping up on NY (18.8), Illinois (12.8), Penn (12.7) and Ohio (11.4). The under a mill are Wyoming (563K), VT, ND, Alaska, SD, Delaware and Montana (9989). Ri is a smidge over a mil and after Michigan (The only pop loser) had the smallest increase. States that lost seats are Ill, Iowa, Lousianna, Mass, Mich, Mo, NY, NY, Ohio and Pa. Heavily Republican Texas gained a huge 4 seats.
The End:
I don't know about you, but I'm wrapping stocking-stuffers today. I'll probably have to take a nap.
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