TGIF, everyone. Yet another week ends. It doesn't really make much difference here since both of us have no demands on our time and aren't bound by the workweek cycle. Since today is my library day I won't be spending as much time on line as usual.

Thanks, Jane, for dropping in and I plan to return the visit a bit later.

However, I found this Newsweek article in my Google alerts this morning. It tweaks a couple of chords in my mind. For some time I have been cogitating and daydreaming about what it would be like if a large part of the population decided to drop out of the rat race we have been conditioned to accept. The little comment the author makes about college degrees being pricey status symbols and little more really hits home since I am the proud owner of four such degrees and have little else but pride to show for it. Over the past couple of decades I have found most governments, especially at the Federal level, less and less responsive to my needs. Worse what ever I had expected to receive for my taxes has been repeatedly threatened by so called budget hawks who feel no moral responsibility to follow through with the promises made in the past.

Jay Bookman at AJC.com makes a point I wish those self-righteous idiots who voted against extending the unemployment benefits would take notice of--not that there is much chance they will. It must soothe their souls to think that the unemployed are lazy and need only the swift kick of eviction and starvation to get their butts in gear to find a job. That way the vote against aid becomes a moral stand for which they can pat themselves on the back. But it would be nice if, as they argue for tax cuts for business because they think that would enable businesses to hire more people (which doesn't necessarily happen), they would realize that even if every one of the jobs that are allegedly open were filled that would still leave 4 of the five unemployed still unemployed. What do our political leaders plan to do to help them?