Pound notes, loose change, bad cheques, anything ........ ANYTHING!!

Let the whinging begin...

I Dream of Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair

Don't blink, you may miss all the fun:

Maybe the American economy is not going to keel over just yet, after all.

Government reports released Thursday showed surprising resilience in the broader economy, even as the financial system and the housing market continue to weaken. Retail sales rose 1.2 percent in November, and even housing-related areas like furniture and building materials were up.

Wholesale prices surged, indicating strong demand and raising cautionary flags about inflation, and a weekly report found that new unemployment claims fell by 7,000, suggesting a healthy job market.

For much of the fall, investors and economists have been waiting for more definitive signs that the economy either is headed for a recession or will surely avoid one. A clear indication one way or the other would make it much easier for the Federal Reserve to conduct monetary policy by leaning against the prevailing winds.

But with opposing economic forces appearing to offset each other, the Fed is in a quandary. Home prices are falling, mortgage defaults are rising and lending is slowing down, but a falling dollar is promoting American exports, while increasing jobs and rising wages are allowing many Americans to keep shopping.

Consider the source....

A Night at the Opera

Undoubtedly up next, Microsoft investigated for "bundling" the Windows operating system as part of the Windows operating system:

Opera Software, the Norwegian maker of the Opera web browser, filed a complaint with the European Commission alleging that Microsoft engages in anticompetitive practices by tying its browser to the Windows operating system and by not following accepted web standards. (Haven't we heard this song before?)

And the beat goes on.....

We are never too old to learn....

Shaggy giants from an arboreal world, the tall and commanding Wookiee species is an impressive sight to even the most jaded spacer. Despite their fearsome and savage countenance, Wookiees are intelligent, sophisticated, loyal and trusting. Loyalty and bravery are near-sacred tenets in Wookiee society. When peaceful, Wookiees are tender and gentle. Their tempers, however, are short; when angered, Wookiees can fly into a berserker rage and will not stop until the object of their distemper is sufficiently destroyed.

During the time of the Galactic Republic, the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk was represented in the Galactic Senate by a number of Wookiee potentates. Loyal to the Republic, Kashyyyk was of prime strategic importance, serving as a major navigational point for the entire southwestern quadrant of the galaxy. This made it a target of the Confederacy, who invaded Kashyyyk during the Clone Wars. Republic forces, under the command of Yoda, were dispatched to protect the Wookiee homeworld. Yoda had fostered a good relationship with the Wookiees over his many years, and they trusted his leadership. Jedi, clones and Wookiee forces fought fiercely to protect the tree cities of Kashyyyk.

Kashyyyk's loyalty meant little to the unscrupulous Empire that arose to replace the Republic. Despite their proven intelligence, Wookiees were enslaved by the Empire and exploited for their brute strength. Their homeworld was blockaded, and a free Wookiee was a rare sight in the galaxy.

Perhaps the best-known free Wookiee was Chewbacca, loyal co-pilot and friend of famed Corellian smuggler Han Solo. Chewbacca was instrumental in the defeat of the Empire, and the eventual liberation of his people.

This Charmin-g Man...

A day of mourning for those who celebrate both the product and the man:

Actor Dick Wilson, who earned an enduring place in U.S. pop culture for his TV commercial role as Mr. Whipple, the nervous grocer who warned customers "Please, don't squeeze the Charmin" in toilet-paper ads, has died at age 91.

Mr. Whipple's passing leaves us all in the enviable position of being jumped-up pantry boys who do not know our place.

Death from Above

One yawns at the banality of a "harmless" clown. However, has there ever been a clown in the history of humanity which has unleashed such destruction in terms of culture, manners, and the pandemic of childhood obesity?

Our collective response, slap a string on it, float it down the street, and clap our hands. Perhaps it would be different were we all not so enamored of the wonderful apple fritter served up so deliciously in a convienient edible container.

The duality of man on display....

Bully Boys Take it in the Shorts

A crippling national transportation strike appeared to be sputtering to an end Thursday as weary commuters struggled with crowded trains and mobbed station platforms for the ninth day.

Striking rail workers, fighting an unpopular battle to cling to special privileges allowing retirement in their 50s, appeared to be willing to accept negotiations and voted throughout the country to return to work.

Direct Action!

You can have it Shatner style:



Better yet, La BAF style: