Brother Can You Spare Me A Trillion?

"Credit is a system whereby a person who can not pay gets another person who can not pay to guarantee that he can pay."

Charles Dickens

How Do You Spell "Boondoggle?"

"If we can boondoggle ourselves out of this depression, that word is going to be enshrined in the hearts of the American people for years to come."

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Sittin' On The Dock On The Bay

That's right sports fans, I took this picture on Christmas Day 2008 while sitting on the dock on the bay on the lake behind my house. It wasn't my dock, but the dock worked fine for a spot to have a cheese stick and drink a carton of OJ. The tracks were made by my yesterday. Today was an excellent afternoon for some XC trudging around the neighborhood fields and ponds. I shot these pictures while sitting on the dock. Not sure whose dock it is, but it sure is handy for taking a break.

A blanket of at least 12-inches of loose powder snow covers the fields and lakes in this area of Western Wisconsin. The skies were clear when I started out and turned partly cloudy as the afternoon progressed. Winds were brisk in the open areas and coming from the south. The weather station says snow is coming tonight and turning to freezing drizzles tomorrow. If that comes true, my plan to go downhill skiing tomorrow might get pushed out to Saturday.



Snowmobiles were out crossing the lake on the trail that runs from somewhere south around River Falls to Superior. Traffic was light, but the trails are open. The trail groomer came through the area on Monday. My guess is that hardcore snowmobilers are spending Christmas up north -- or maybe down in southern Wisconsin where record snow blankets the hills and dales. The fewer the snowmobiles on the trails, the longer the trails will be open. The snow is really light and fluffy and won't provide much trail cushion.

Yesterday, while sitting on the same dock, I saw a small herd of deer over in Bill's Bay. I skied over there earlier, but the springs in that part of the lake leave water under the snow. Once my skis sink into the water, the water freezes and the skis don't slide until I scrape them off. Hence, today I told the field on the south side of the lake and followed the snowmobile trail down the lake. There's a trick to this XC skiing.

Anyways, it was an excellent, invigorating afternoon of XC skiing for me. When I got home, it was time for an excellent Christmas dinner with the wife.

Hoover Hears A Who

"A good many things go around in the dark besides Santa Claus."

Herbert Hoover



"Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas."

Calvin Coolidge

Public Service Announcement

"Violence, specifically domestic violence, always spikes during the holiday season." he said. And this year, because of the economy, Psychologist Jim Dasinger believes it could get worse. "Remember we've got more job losses, more foreclosures coming on, so this is putting greater stress and conflict on couples."

Dasinger also cautioned that "There's three phases to domestic violence, the argument and assault, followed by an apology. The only way to break the cycle is to report the abuse."

Adult Supervision Coming To A Free Market Near You

"Financial regulatory reform will be one of the top legislative priorities of my Administration, and as a symbol of how important I view this reform, I’m announcing these appointments months earlier than previous administrations have. These individuals will help put in place new, common-sense rules of the road that will protect investors, consumers, and our entire economy from fraud and manipulation by an irresponsible few. These rules will reward the industriousness and entrepreneurial spirit that’s always been the engine of our prosperity, and crack down on the culture of greed and scheming that has led us to this day of reckoning. Instead of allowing interests to put their thumbs on the economic scales and CEOs run off with excessive golden parachutes, we’ll ensure openness, accountability, and transparency in our markets so that people can trust the value of the financial product they’re buying. And instead of appointing people with disdain for regulation, I will ensure that our regulatory agencies are led by individuals who are ready and willing to enforce the law."

President-elect Obama
Dec. 18, 2008

Read more @ Washington Wire.

That's Not Fair!

"This should be a year of no bonuses for any firm that took bailout money. The assumption of having to take public money is that your firm is in an emergency situation, and you put out your hand for public help."

Peter Singer
Princeton University philosophy professor