Good Morning, again.  I think I have a bad case of end of winter blues/cabin fever.  Nothing is interesting.  I don't want to do anything even though I have a number of UFOs (unfinished objects--also called WIPs or Works In progress to soften the guilt of having so many unfinished things laying around) lined up.  Yesterday helped somewhat.  We hit 60 degrees with sun and blue skies.  The snow, except for where it was shoveled into small mountains to clear the parking logs and streets, has almost disappeared.  It was warm enough to open the patio door and let the cats explore for a bit.  Haven't done that since late October.  I don't gauge a winter (or any other season) by the calendar.  I consider how long we keep the house shut up and the heat on; by how long I have been wearing my heavy coat; by how often I need my snow boots.  This year--winter seems interminable.  I think everyone is hoping that it is almost over.

I found this little site with some nice pictures that will surely bring a smile to your face.  They did for me.  Thanks to Laurel at Nefaria for the lift and the pictures.

I have heard a lot of comment on the news and the money shows that explain the drop in the stock market yesterday and, especially, the hit the financial stocks took as a result of the lack of specificity in the new Treasury plan for rescuing the banks.  I have my doubts.  I thought as I listened to the comments that the real explanation lay in the notion that they will not get the second part of the TARP on their terms without oversight.  I think the President's comments, in the sound bits on ABC evening news, were right on.  They wanted an easy path to times as they were without any penalty to themselves.  They wanted it easy, fast and painless.  They are scared out of their pointy little heads by the notion that they won't get what they want.  Jon Taplin at TPM Cafe makes that same point.  Simon Johnson, also at TPM Cafe, makes a similar point and sums up our choices very succinctly.  We can either be easy on the banks and let the taxpayers take most of the pain or we can be tougher on the banks and easier on the taxpayers.  No one is going to get a pass here.  But I think, if we have to apportion the pain, the greater part should go to those who have failed, for whatever reason.