While I have yet to pick up Deb's gift (though it's already bought and paid for) all of our other Christmas shopping is done. Quite a bit of it was done online, doing away with the need to brave the madding crowds at the malls. And those gifts that weren't bought online were purchased at local shops, obviating the need to go to the malls and supporting our local retailers in the process.
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Speaking of Christmas, it appears that we will indeed have a white Christmas here in New Hampshire with snow forecast to fall starting sometime early Christmas morning. While a good portion of the state does have some snow cover, it's spotty or non-existent in the southern tier. Even here in the Lakes Region (central New Hampshire) it's spotty. But this snowfall will blanket most of the state with the exception of the northern tip, which already has good snow cover.On Christmas Eve Deb, BeezleBub, I, and possibly Horse Girl, will follow another WP family tradition by watching A Christmas Carol, specifically the George C. Scott version. Of all the variations I've seen, I believe Scott was one of the best Scrooges I've seen, though Patrick Stewart is a close second.
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Despite claims by the government that things are better to the contrary, this has to be one of “the most depressing Christmases many can remember.” I'm not talking about clinical depression, but economic depression. As the Barrister's missus says, we've reached a tipping point.Things are not getting better. This is not surprising considering the Obama Administration has done everything in its power to make sure things get worse, promising even more “free stuff” to the voting block most likely to keep voting for the Progressive politicians. Never mind that there are fewer and fewer people paying into the system due to Obama's policies, putting even more of a financial strain on those who are still supporting the “gimme” portion of the populace.
Looking at economic numbers just for my home state isn't encouraging. Until recently we were the only state in the Northeast that was still creating good paying jobs. But since 2010, that hasn't been the case as job growth has been flat or slightly negative. We're still better off than the other states in the Northeast, but that's not saying much considering economic conditions in the Northeast stink.
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Part of the problem causing things to get worse is the federal government's inability to adjust to some new realities. Bill Whittle addresses this inability by providing a short history lesson about our form of government and how it has changed over the past 200+ years due to the progression from an agricultural age economy (first wave) to an industrial age economy (second wave) to an information age economy (third wave).One of Bill's best lines: “There is simply no way this monolithic, lumbering, stupid, uncompetitive, top-down hierarchical, fossilized dinosaur of a government could manage the [information age] economy.” He also explains why unions are taking it on the chin, calling them a holdover from the “second wave” - the industrial era. As he says, “There are no graphic designer or web developer unions.” Nor will there be as most of these kinds of jobs do not follow the “IBM-type top-down, hierarchical, one job and benefits for life” stereotype.
Further:
[Obama] is implementing policies that worked 100 years ago and are utterly out of step with the realities of the new economy.Whittle thinks the needed changes will make our government look more like the first wave government of our Founders – decentralized. It will be network connected and more responsive while at the same time requiring less people to do the job of government.
We can only hope.
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The New England Patriots played the Jacksonville Jaguars down inf Florida this afternoon, defeating them 23-16. Only a last minute interception by the Patriots allowed them to win the game.************
Bogie finishing up her preparations for Christmas, much as we are here at The Manse. While we won't be hosting any family visitors this year we still had plenty to do (and still do).Bogie got the fire going in her woodstove, something she hasn't needed to do because the sunlight has been keeping her home in the mid-60's. (We have to keep ours going 24/7 when the temperatures outside are below 50 degrees. Though like Bogie the sun does a pretty good job keeping the living room, dining room, kitchen, and the master bedroom in The Manse quite comfortable, it isn't enough to keep the rest of The Manse warm.)
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I have to agree with the Jedi on this one: Swearing in public in the town of Middleborough, Massachusetts is punishable by a $20 fine.I have to ask this: Who decides what is swearing and what is not?
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Gee, yet another left-wing talk radio station is going under. No loss, as far as I can see. But what makes this one different is that they are blaming Obama, his campaign, local advertisers, and just about everyone else. Could it be they weren't providing programming anyone was listening to and advertisers didn't want to buy ad time from a station that had no listenership? Could it be that some of them didn't want to be associated with a radio station that advocated all kinds of statist ideas, including ruining the very businesses the station needed to buy ads in order to survive?************
The gun control rhetoric after Newtown has resulted in the volume being turned up to “11” and the MSM quoting their own polls showing a vast majority of the American people want more gun control. Too bad the more reputable polling organizations have polls showing just the opposite.There is no lie, no misinformation, no propaganda, no whitewashing they won't use to push their agenda.
All of this is driven purely by emotion and the need of the Left to “Do something!” in order to make themselves feel better. It doesn't matter to them that the “something” they're advocating will do nothing to stop another Newtown. They Don't. Care.
All their “something” will do is make law-abiding citizens even more vulnerable to the criminal and insane elements in our society.
Rather than taking guns away from the law-abiding gun owners perhaps they should spend their efforts to imprison the criminals and commit the insane. It would be far more effective.