Good morning to you all. Cool and gray again. I don't mind cool, or even cold, if the sun is out. I was sitting downstairs with a book yesterday afternoon when Mom came down and saw me yawning. Was I that tired, she asked. Not really. Just not very energetic. I plan to pour some votive candles to use as cores for larger candles on tap for tomorrow. I am still braiding my plarn rope. Soon I need to get back to my last great-grandchild figure for Mom's jacket. That is one of those projects that is done until another baby comes along. Thankfully, I think most of the grandchild generation is done reproducing.

Like you, Kay, I am also swearing and sighing a lot of late. And, like you, I didn't vote for all of this crap either nor for most of the idiots who put it in place. With the elections of the last few years I have been asking myself a lot of very uncomfortable questions. I was raised with the notion that if you don't vote you can't complain that you didn't have a say in our political affairs. But, if you do vote, how much of the blame must you shoulder for the boneheaded policies that come out of the politicians who were elected? I didn't vote for Bush but I did vote--so how responsible am I for the idiocy that is Iraq? Interesting conundrum. I don't really know how to resolve it.

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As you can see, I started this yesterday but didn't get back to it. The weather is much the same. We may or may not get any precipitation. The weatherman last night said that the Chicago areas has had a deficit of 6+ inches since the last downpour something like two-three months ago. I noticed an article a couple of days ago as I browsed the internet which said that most of Indiana is in a moderate to severe drought. Our area is the only part of the state that isn't in drought and we are in the moderate to very dry category. Hope the winter and spring precipitation is more 'normal.'

Another interesting item--CNN presented the results of a poll which asked Americans whether the Bush tax cuts should be extended for all, for only those earning under $250k, or not at all. Not at all posted 15% while the under $250k answer brought in 49% of the votes. Only 35% wanted the cuts extended for everyone. I very much doubt that the 'conservatives' of whatever stripe will listen. Politicians are incredibly adept at ignoring polling results that contradict them even those they claim are definitive (election day, for example.) Actually, politicians are not the only ones who can ignore poll results. Another reporter (on the national news last night, I think) reported that Nancy Pelosi had been elected Minority Leader with a vote of 76% vs. 24%. A major victory you would think; but not for the reporter. Instead she focused on the 24% claiming that it showed 'major fractures' in the Democratic ranks. Evidently she never heard Will Rogers' famous quip: "I don't belong to any organized political party. I'm a Democrat."

Mahablog recorded sighting an endangered species: Democrats with backbones. Four of them sent a letter to Mitch McConnell and John Boehner suggesting that if they want to deny millions of Americans affordable health coverage they should first deny themselves that coverage. I can only agree. When someone suggest you should go to hell, he should be willing to lead the way.

The Old Hippie's Groovy Blog has an entertaining exposition on the statistics underlying the Deficit Commission's recommendation to increase the age to receive Social Security benefits. One of Dad's favorite sayings was 'Figures don't lie but liars figure.' This is a great way to get rid of Social Security all together. Those in the lower economic strata won't live long enough to collect the enhanced benefits the Commission recommends while those in the top end will be means tested out. Since no one will collet why not redirect those trillions of dollars into something else--maybe a war in Iran??