President George H.W. Bush

Things really are tough all over

Maybe you saw the report showing that the net worth of the average American family is down almost 40%. It’s down to the levels we had during the Original Bush Administration (oh, and Happy 88th Birthday to him).

Now, of course that’s partly because home prices are down to where they were a decade ago. But it’s also because unemployment is still over 8%. And even for those who are employed, last year inflation adjusted income is roughly what it was in 1968. And we’ve still got discouraged workers and the underemployed.

The nicest thing I can say is that at least household debt is going down. Of course, it’s going down for the bad reasons — like ditching the house that will never be worth what it sold for 5 years ago.

It is still the economy, “stupid.”

In Closing: how is this different than the Bush Administration, exactly?; has anything really changed about the Vatican since Alexander VI?; at least violent crime is down; the impossible dream; now I have really no reason to watch mainstream news unless it’s local; the disappearing phone booth; and illiteracy.

I don’t think Rudolph would approve

Personally, I don’t know whether Sniper Rifle Santa is creepier than Football Hero Santa, but it’s got to be close.

In closing: So much for Republican hating on Romney; screw the TSA, everyone’s driving; on domestic oil; flat population growth; picky!; a fun game.

Things I Learned from the President

Nixon:

It’s possible to proclaim innocence too much.
Clean air and water are good things.
Chinese food is tasty!

Ford:

Be Careful!
Sometimes success is stepping up when you happen to be in the right place at the right time.

Carter:

It’s possible to be a good man and not-so-good a President.
Telling people the obvious won’t make you popular. Sometimes they just don’t want to hear it.
Being too diplomatic can backfire.

Reagan:

Sometimes a pithy one liner is the best “argument.”
Don’t lose track of reality when you are negotiating.
Call it “supply side” or call it “trickle down,” it still doesn’t work.
Tell an outlandish enough lie, and somebody will call you on it.

Bush 41:

Don’t make a pithy one liner you can’t keep.
It doesn’t pay to lose track of the little people and their concerns.
If you feel sick, you shouldn’t go out.
It takes a lot of skill to pretend to not know something that theoretically should have been discussed with you in the room.
You’re never too old to do something fun just because you want to on your birthday.
All your sons can’t grow up to be “the smart one.”

Clinton:

Take credit for things you do — or good things that happen when you’re in charge.
Do your dry cleaning promptly.
Sex with the help is a bad idea.
If someone wants to hurt you bad enough, they will find a way.
Just because you walked to McDonald’s doesn’t mean a cheeseburger is good for you.
Repeating one meme over and over is almost as good as a pithy one liner.
Don’t lose track of the important stuff. Stand your ground when it’s important.

Bush 43:

There are no Illuminati.
People will do almost anything if it’s for “safety” and “security.”

Obama:

We can elect a black man President and still have a big race problem.
“Liberal” and “Conservative” have changed so much that we call Mr. Obama a Liberal despite the fact that he’s well to the right of Mr. Nixon.
We really do have a plutocracy.

Technically I was alive during the Johnson Administration. I don’t remember any of it.

In Closing: death penalty; Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill isn’t over yet; Hurricanado; Women’s Equality Day; the sad state of humans when it comes to searching; terrorism since 9/11; this could be part of the illegal worker problem; school quality; why The Steve resigned now; debt; decoding book reviews; the role of metabolism in weight loss; Cheney takes credit (bet he never travels outside the country again); and Chemistry.

The Shorties Exorcism

Where Have You Been?: Playing Black Ops. CODBO or BLOPS if you prefer. No zombies.

Daddy Says So, and That’s That!: Jeb is not running for President in 2012. Even though Daddy admits that “he’s a good man, he performed as governor, he’s well-spoken, he’s not an extremist, he’s not a wild guy that attributes bad motives to those that disagree with him, and he’s good. And people that know him and hear him say the same thing.” In other words, all the stuff Dubya isn’t.

Totally Silly Acronym: It turns out that TSA screeners don’t like to touch your junk either. Mostly. But even though nobody finds the current system acceptable, the Boss says it’s not changing. Now, one thing that surprised me being trapped at an unexpected layover in Tucson is that the color-coded alerts are still in effect (“orange,” if you were wondering). Well, maybe not for long. Oh, and Ms. Napolitano thinks that nudie scanners should be installed for other mass transit as well! Way to kill any hope of relieving traffic congestion! The idea is that “terrorists are looking for vulnerabilities.” Then I got news for you, the mall is the next target. It’s soft, it’s easy to get in and out, and it’s full of people who aren’t thinking of security beyond “where’s my wallet”.

“What About My Options?”: Sharron Angle thinks she has political options. My neighbors think otherwise:

Lying With Statistics: Oh No! The Regulations!! They’re choking small businesses! Ok maybe not.

Ded body, snding pix: 911 may get upgrades allowing them to receive text messages and even video of emergencies in progress.

Meditation for Healthy Cells: Could be!

The Truth: Just Do It.

Think beyond the Infomercial: Tony Horton is.

Live From Sesame Street, It’s Saturday Night!:

That’s all folks. Happy Thanksgiving.