My sister in law came over this evening, bringing me a paper mache apple the size of a basketball, telling me something about an apple keeping the Doctors away so wanting me to have a big one.  I also got a balloon.  I like balloons.  She left, leaving me with this joke.  Now before anyone makes any judgments… it is just a joke. 

My sister in law is a real person.   She is, just as she says she is.  She makes no pretenses aand gives no apologies.  So, of course, you know we admire each other truly.  She is also a devout Pentecostal and lives in total Integrity with her belief.  She shared this bit of laughter with me, so I, in turn, share it with ‘you’, too.

What do you call an atheist dyslexic with insomnia? 

Someone who stays up all night looking to find dog.

I didn’t actually know about Greenspan’s book until after I wrote the pecan pie post.  Now, I’ve come to a new appreciation for the man, where before I imagined he was just stupid.

Among the conversations I had late last week, was one with a sincere lady, who really wondered why our President wasn’t doing what the people asked.    What was it all about?

I will repeat here, what I said.

It’s about those in power staying in power.  Most notably, those in power due to oil.  Now, I’ve known the oil industry was rotten when it came to such things as ethics and honor in business, since the mid 1970’s.  I was raised ‘an oil company brat’.

My father began with old Carter Oil, which became Humble Oil, which became Exxon.  He left the industry after 45 years in it because he said he was disgusted by it.  Sold all his stock, too, saying he didn’t want any part of the profits being made by and through such activities.  Said it would be ‘dirty’ money.  This all came about as a result of having worked in the tax division in the Houston headquaters of a major company.  

Did the scandal at Enron surprise me?  Only at how long it took to be discovered.  For decades, everything has been about the power of oil.

I went on to say that I had an idea of what to do…

Seize all the assets of Haliburton, liquidate them at auction and make a payment on our National Debt.  Stockholders would just have to eat it.  Karma can be a bitch sometimes.

Think about all the whining we’ve done at the gas pumps because of the price of our gas and realize the consequences of our policies because of our spoiled attitudes.

Spoiled attitudes…like the attiude of ‘oh my!’ because the economy is effecting people where it hurts.  Like the family that used to make $350,000 a year now only making $60,000 and, talking about how hard times are becoming.  They’re having a hard time selling their SECOND house and may have to sell their boat, too?

Talk to my hand for my ears are not listening.  My ears will listen when that family is making a go at it on under $12,000 a year and not before.

And that’s what I mean about bratty.

I’ve got ‘news’ for us, the way the people were treated when Katrina came through, is the way poor people are treated every day across this country. 

Duh.  Maybe it’s not so Loving that this economy keeps growing?