Libya vs The Oscars...hmmm

Which would be more fun to talk about?  Well, since I'm not an expert in world affairs, and I think I know a bit more about women's clothing, I'll take the Oscars!  Maybe it's a cop out, but we cannot do more than we are doing in Libya.  We can and do have the opportunity to "dis" people at the Oscars, and there's no retribution! 

This year it seemed that everyone pretty much knew the outcome of who would win what.  I'd bet the odds makers in Vegas were having a bad day, or not.  Don't really know how good or bad odds affect their earnings.    So let's go after something there is almost just as much talk about...the clothes!  And primarily the clothes the women are wearing!

I thought the majority of the gowns were stunning.  I would not wear most of them, as I'm a bit more modest, and not as slim as most of the folks there, but I saw alot of extremely pretty dresses.  The two glaring mistakes (to me anyway) were Scarlett Johannsen & Madonna.  Madonna's daughter looked fine, but the old lady...not so much.  Ms. Johannsen...just not my cup of tea, plus the fact that her underwear did show through and it did not match!

Depending upon who you listened to, the fashion gurus disagreed almost to the dress, as to which one was great or not so great.  One would think a dress was out of this world; the other would absolutely hate it.  The fashionistas tried to talk about the guys' tuxedos, but if you've seen one, you've seen them all, pretty much!

One comment that made me think, was the fact that there was not a lot of "bling" on the stars.  No jewelry worth millions of dollars on each and every star.   You know, this would mean that they needed less security, as there are people there just to watch to make sure the diamonds don't disappear.  That would mean fewer jobs!  You don't think those out-of-work bodyguards went to Libya to help out Quaddafi, now do ya...on Day 95?

Got gas???

Or are you like me, and getting a headache, watching the price go up on a daily, nay, almost hourly basis!!!  Of course the Middle East is to blame.  Heck, we can blame them for our economic downturn also, can't we?  If we weren't spending all that money on a no-win war, where would we be today?

Well I can't speak for Andy because he's got a solid job, has had for years, and probably has a heck of a retirement, and if he were smart, his blue chip investments have recouped most of their loss over the past year.  I can speak for the majority of us, though.

When I bought my car, a fill-up of gas cost me $16.00.  Yesterday that same tankful, in that same car, cost me over $40.00.  I only wish my income went up as much.  Unfortunately it hasn't, as I'm one of the millons of unemployed!  I've been unemployed for a year.  Should I take a "cut in pay", and drive further than I had been, with the price of gas going up substantially? 

Granted I made my own choices, and probably have not made the best choices when it comes to employment, but there are myriads of those who didn't have the choices I did, and they are in the same boat.  I'm just trying to be their voice.  I'm SOOOOOOOOOO glad to hear that bank big wigs are getting record bonuses.  The reason being "the only way to keep good help is to pay them"  Oh yeah?  I thought I was a good employee.  Six years, and not one sick day!  Before that almost 13 years, and only 2 days off due to a car accident that was not my fault.    And I wasn't bitching about jumping ship because my pay was not "adequate to my capabilities."

I got gas today, for $3.12, but everywhere else its runnning closer to $3.17, so its just a matter of time before that station hikes their prices too...on Day 94!

Penny candy...

Remember it? 

YES Virginia, we did have penny candy at one time.

This all came back to me when I bought a piece of paper with candy dots on it.  Remember those?  The small dots, in pastel colors, arranged in rows on a sheet of paper?   I bought one of those recently.  It cost me a dollar.  Of course this was not the usual candy store (it was in, of all places, JoAnn Fabrics) so the price may have been a bit inflated.  It was also wrapped in plastic.

Penny candy was just that, a penny a piece.  You could get licorice sticks, a piece of Double Bubble gum, a paper with those dots on it, a wax bottle with juice in it, a pair of red wax lips that you chewed for the flavor, and on and on.  And some of the candy was even TWO for a penny, such as banana splits. 

Most of this candy did not have wrappers on it either.  We were subject to, omigosh, GERMS.  And we LIVED in spite of it!  But then the candy was made in the U.S., not imported from wherever, and potentially tainted with whatever.  

Think we'd sell more candy, if we dropped the price a bit, sold it individually, and made more of it in the USA?  There's a job I'd take, on Day 93!

Who cares about Billy Long?

I mean really...

The FBI was in the area to investigate another blogger who has a negative blog running about Long.   I don't care enough to even waste more space, than this, about Billy Long.  In my view he got in because he spent a ton of money, and this is a mostly Republican area.  I didn't read the blog about him, but was it scary?  Did it really come across as a veiled threat? 

I'd rather the FBI looked into things like the kid who shot Gabriel Giffords.  He seemed to be a loose cannon.  Of course he didn't spend thousands of dollars, to let people know his viewpoints.  And I don't think anyone  blogged about him.  But there were accounts of people complaining about his unusual and threatening behavior.

Now I must admit, Billy Long did have scary behavior...ever been to one of his auctions?   Just my thoughts on Day 92!  

Boo hoo John Boehner

Seems old John wants to cut defense spending.  A noble idea.  However, in his home district in Ohio, GE has a big defense contract to make some sort of jet engine.  If their funding were to be cut, there would be (gasp) jobs lost, etc, etc.  So what's old John  to do?  Cry "The Devil made me do it?"

Sorry John, the Devil made me write this on Day 91!

R.I.P. Pontiac

I was browsing some of the magazines at the grocery store yesterday, and I saw magazines for Mustangs, Corvettes, and...gasp...Pontiac!  With a GTO on the cover!  A newer GTO!  Maybe I should have bought the magazine as that, along with the car, which already is, will be defunct!

GM is pushing Buicks instead!  Oh yeah, how many Buicks do you see going down the road?  And how many Pontiacs do you still see?  Huge disparity.  And it may stay that way.  I read GM wants to make Buick their new "luxury car" to compete with Lexus, I guess?  And to appeal to who, the baby boomers?  Speaking of which, many of the Boomers lost a bit of income with the market crash, and bank shenanigans, so they may not be able to afford a Buick/Lexus-type vehicle.   I'm a boomer, and the last car I ever thought I'd buy would be a Buick.  I love my Pontiac, and when it finally takes its last tour of the countryside, I'm going to find something...probably...foreign!  No kidding!

Besides my Pontiac, I do drive a very American car, a sports car, but when it comes to everyday, Buick will not be it!  I may even buy an older, used Pontiac.  That may help GM with their aftermarket product sales, if they manufacture them, but not with new car sales.

I find it interesting that Camaro and Charger were afforded an upgraded look.  Why didn't the Firebird get the same respect?    Don't see Buick coming out with some sort of "fun car."  Sorry GM...you lost me way before Day 90!

Egypt's off the radar...damn...

...because you know it's back to politics!

One of today's topics on NPR  was the cost of the next presidential political campaign.  There was mention, if I am correct, of spending upwards of a billion dollars.  That could buy Superbowl ads for the next 4 years, I believe. 

Personally, I'd MUCH rather be watching the Superbowl, as I'm sure may other "voters" would be too...on  Day 89!