Good Morning, Everyone.  It is brutally cold here.  Something of a shock after a weekend of temps in the 40s.  The rain from last night has frozen and the news is full of accidents on the roadways.  We have had a few snow flurries.  Not enough to accumulate--yet.  That comes tomorrow night into Wednesday.

As usual I am checking out my e-mail which includes a long list of google alerts.  One is for crocheting.  I found this intriguing little blog at the CraftGossip Blog Network.  I still work most crochet from patterns but every once in a while take a flyer on patternless crochet.  I did that with the fingerless gloves I showed a couple of posts ago.  I can think of a few left overs that aren't enough for a new project.  I will have to dig them out.

Here is another interesting crocheting technique.  It isn't one I want to do but I am always intrigued by new (to me, anyway) techniques.  I came to the YouTube video by way of a link to the Ravelry blog site.  But I couldn't find the item because I am not a member.

Chris in Paris, blogging at Americablog, has this tidbit that should make everyone very angry.  Anybody else think it strange how suddenly the Treasury switched from a plan to use the $700 billion bailout fund to buy at auction the troubled assets of the banking industry to one to simply buy stock in the banks themselves?  Now I understand why.  I am so sick of this administration and the party that supports it.  The only excuse for the Democrats (make that Damn-ocrats) is the TARP legislation was passed when (as now) they have no way to over-ride Panderer-In-Chief's veto.  I hope they develop both a backbone and a means of stymieing Republican filibuster threats.  We so badly need a government that works for ALL of us not just the corporate and moneyed interests.  And one that doesn't play sectional interests.

Although I follow elections, I have never been a whole hearted participant (beyond voting.)  I think this article from the New York Times (by way of TPM Cafe) when read together with the stories of the involvement of southern senators from states hosting foreign auto makers illustrates why I am tepid about politics.  On the one hand, we have Republican Senators opposed to any kind of bailout of Detroit automakers and making various unreasonable demands to make sure the deal fell through.  Why?  Because their southern, non-union auto industry would only benefit without Detroit.  But on the other hand, we have a Democratic Senator from New York whose major concern is bailing out the financial industry on which his own state's (and region's) prosperity depends.  This kind of politics transcends party.

That is enough today.  It is time for breakfast.  Stay warm and safe.