Financial Crisis, Then and Now...

Back in 1929 Financial Crash it was said that some Wall Street Stockbrokers and Bankers JUMPED from their office windows and committed suicide when confronted with the news of their firms' and clients' financial ruin.



Many people were said to almost feel a little sorry for them.



In 2008 the attitude has changed somewhat:

Good Morning World

Today's post is being made on my Blackberry, while I lie in my PJ's on the couch. Seeing as I am typing this with my thumbs on a two-inch keyboard, I'd suggest that, if you spot any grammatical errors, you keep them to yourself. My thumbs are becoming quite strong with all this typing, and I'd hate to have to wrap them around someone's tiny little neck merely due to them not taking a hint.

Don't for a moment take the above comments as somehow meaning that I am in a bad mood. Actually, it's quite the opposite - I feel great today. I slept better last night, and feel better this morning than I have in months. And, I think I know why.

I have always had problems with allergies, cats being the worst. Seeing as I don't harbor even the tiniest hint of affection for cats, and refuse to have one, things have worked out fine.

But, since buying my daughter a couple of baby guinea pigs, I have had a minor allergic reaction, while my wife has had severe problems. Her eyes have been red like a tomato for two months, and no medicine has helped.
She has severe allergies to guinea pigs - something previously unknown to her.

Yesterday, we went and bought a new vacuum with a feature our olf bagless didn't have - HEPA filtration. At the same time, we bought the largest Honeywell air purifier that we could find. We turned on the purifier, and proceeded to vacuum the whole house twice.

By ten-o-clock last night, I felt great. And, this morning, I have nearly none of the congestion problems that usually haunt me. And my wife's eyes are clearing up as well.

So, it looks like my daughter's guinea pigs won't be New Year's dinner after all.

Are You Ready?

Christmas is almost here. Are you ready? I'm ready for some time off, although I have people working during the day, so I am sure my phone will be ringing. But, I suppose it could be worse - I could be checking on an unemployment claim instead of answering phone calls. On that note, the phone calls don't seem so bad, do they?

The worst part of Christmas is being so busy. We have a whole slew of places to be, and things to do. So much, in fact, that we have to stretch our Christmas out across two days. Now, don't get me wrong - I am not complaining. It's actually kind of nice, getting to see everyone but getting an hour reprieve in between visits. And, in doing it this way, we actually manage to get one Christmas Dinner in at our house with my wife, my daughter, and myself. It didn't always happen that way. We used to go never get to have a dinner at our own house. But, my wife was insistant upon wanting to have our own dinner, and we finally did a few years ago. And, you know what? It's kind of nice.

For this year's dinner, we are going to go completely opposite of the "traditional" dinners we usually do. The side dishes haven't been decided yet, but the main course is going to be some nice, thick, juicy Ribeyes. After doing turkey, ham, more turkey, and more ham, the steaks will be a nice change of pace.

Well, that's it for tonight, as I've got nothing else that I really want to write about. Until next time...

Good Morning

Have you ever been so tired that you just don't feel like saying anything? Well, today is one of those days.

So, for today, I'll just leave you with a picture of my daughter's new baby Guinea Pig...

And, here's a new holiday picture for your enjoyment...

Happy Birthday to Me!

So, there I was this morning at the local gas station. On a whim, I decided to treat myself to one instant lotto ticket for my Birthday.

Well, I won $25 on it. Sure, it was a far cry from the million I wanted. But, it was a lot more than the "nothing" I expected, too.

Sometimes good things really do happen! :)

The Big Destructive Foot

Jenna was putting on a show today...

It's time for the party...

Today is my daughter's Birthday party. Usually, being close to the Christmas holiday, there is a good number of kids that cannot come due to other obligations. But this year, we have seventeen kids who are attending. SEVENTEEN!!! Any advice, other than earplugs and Jack Daniels?

The most important item for the day is to make sure we have a nice, big sign on the parrot cage informing all of the guests that he bites. That bird is a terror, and has bloodied me numerous times. With my wife, it's like a dog - it comes to her, snuggles up to her, and lets her pet it while it "purrs." With everyone else, he's a menace. I swear, if the US Military should clone that bird for the front lines.

Last year, there was a little brat that seemed to have her "I know everything" teenage attitude about four years too early, and kept trying to open the cage. We told her over and over, until finally, in her grating, bratty voice, she told my wife, "Look, I know how to handle birds because I have one at home." Nice attitude for a seven year old, eh?

So, my wife replies to her, "Oh, really? Tell me, what kind of bird do you have?"
"Oh, I have a Parakeet," was her reply.
To which my wife says, "Well, I have one of those too, and have bit by both. Let me tell you, there is NO comparison."

See, my wife is different than me. I don't deal well with "conversations" with a brat. I am more of a "take the direct approach" kind of guy. For me, my first thought would be that, since I am not allowed to spank someone else's child for being an argumentative smart ass, I could instead just let her go ahead and open the cage. I am sure that the message would sink in beautifully the next time she tried to do math on her fingers, and got stuck at nine.

But, luckily I have my wife to remind me that, if we did things my way, we would have probably already been sued to the point of losing all of our possessions. But, at the same time, my way has served me well for quite some time.

I guess the sad reality is that, if the parents of the world's children got off their rumps and started doing their jobs, maybe I wouldn't have to be the way I am.

The New Whitehouse Dog...