The good thing about this morning is that we did not get as much snow as predicted.  But then today isn't over yet.  I didn't get my usual early morning reports because I couldn't stomach what else was on TV.  The only thing tolerable was the South Bend station which is still describing heavy snow.  Most of the other channels had either last nights projections, hunting/fishing shows or 'infomercials'.  I put that last in quotes because they have no information I really want and no product I want to buy.

Actually I am in a very contrary mood because this MSNBC story was the first thing I saw this morning.  Treasury has already squandered the first half of the TARP funds.  I don't know what else to call it since they can't show any positive results from spending it and can't even say where it has gone once it passed the event horizon of the black holes also known as major banks.  I am EXTREMELY disappointed in the Obama Administration for even considering going along with the Bush Administration's request for the funds.  It seems that, should Congress refuse the "request," either incoming or outgoing president could veto the refusal which would turn over the money to Treasury unless Congress overrode the veto.  Given how much transparency and oversight the original legislation provided, we would know as little about how this chunk of money would be distributed as the original half was.  With the Democrats joining the Republicans in the objection chorus, I wonder if Obama is looking to get at least some of the rescue moneys he wants by the back door.

Danny Thorpe has written a good common sense blog entry on the new consumer safety act which will go into effect on Feb. 10 and has the potential to wipe out the handcraft and resale markets.  See yesterday's links for more details.  I think of some of the afghans I have crocheted in the past and cringe to think that I would have to have every skein of yarn I used tested.  Worse, I usually buy fat quarters or at most half-yard pieces of quilting fabric.  The testing would leave me with a big hole in both my wallet and my stash.  I do hope that the protests will result in a reformulation of the act but I never expect common sense from any government body.  Remember the old saying that defined a committee?  An organism with 6 or more legs and no brain.

Kay at Kay's Thinking Cap had this little challenge.  How many from the following list have you done?  Black here is what I have done and red are those I haven't.  I have done more than I would have thought.

1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band.
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo.
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightning at sea
14. Taught myself an art from scratch.
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
18. Grown my own vegetables.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill.
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language.
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted (does charcoal count?)
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud. 
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies.
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check (accidentally)
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square.
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle. 
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book.
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had chickenpox.
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous 
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee.
100. Ridden an elephant

On this lighter note I will stop and go have breakfast.  Talk to you next time.