Good morning, again, everyone. We have sun and are expecting a bit warmer temps today. We had spotty sun yesterday after an overcast early morning. The bit of fog seems to have burned off. We had the pleasure last night of eating the first two ripe tomatoes off the 4th of July plant. They were absolutely delicious.

I found this item that can be filed under either the 'can't win for loosing' or the 'when it rains it pours' labels. Can you imagine 39% unemployment and then watching the only bank in town close?

Of course, not everyone is a loser in this economy. The bright boys (and girls, perhaps) who created all of the credit default swaps and other 'creative' investment opportunities are still employed at outrageous salaries supposedly to wind down these programs. Even some agricultural sectors in drought hit California are prospering as this story from the Springfield, MO, News-Leader indicates. Part of this actually made the national news a week or so back. Some politicians are pushing to broaden the legal marijuana industry so they can tax it. Well, we all know that the one sure-fire way to raise money in hard times are sin taxes.

I hadn't found much to say about the coverage of Walter Cronkite's death this last weekend. Mom and I both watched some of the clips feeling somewhat nostalgic for a time when news meant new not celebrity stupidity, tie-ins to fake reality shows on the same channel, and God only knows what other garbage. Having said that I would direct your attention to James Kunstler's Clusterfuck Nation blog today. He has a lot of good points to make.