Mostly Cajun, All American and Opinionated

So the economic report comes out and nationwide unemployment figures are at 9.5%, the highest they’ve been since 1983, when they were on the way DOWN from the highs created under the tender ministrations of another incompetent dimmocrat, Jimmy “I never met a dictator I didn’t like” Carter.

In May 2009, 14.5 million people were unemployed — 6 million more than one year earlier. The jobless rate during that time leapt to 9.4 percent from 5.5 percent, a 71 percent increase in the unemployment rate.

I’ve noticed the difference in my own employer’s website where the list of positions available currently stands at two, where it’s usually a half dozen or more, and my contacts in the electrical testing business say that even in that narrow specialized field things are tightening up. I’ve seen some engineering companies start to tighten up, too.

Me, I’m in a pretty good position. Transport of natural gas is way down on the list of things that will shut down in a crappy economy. You folks up north will need your homes heated in the winter and Florida needs the gas for electricity in the summer, and this old Cajun works mightily to keep that happening. But that’s me.

I shouldn’t worry though, because The One is on the job. He’s concerned.

After the release of the unemployment rates on Thursday, President Obama said he’s still “deeply concerned” about the continuing loss of jobs across the United States.

They’re already lining up some different numbers:

Asked whether the current unemployment rate will hit 10 percent, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said, “Absolutely. It might not be next month, but in two or three months, it’s clear we’ll hit that number.”

apparently they’re depending on the majority of America not remembering that only a few months ago Obama was saying that the unemployment rate wouldn’t hit 10% under HIS watch.

The president said he understands that people are “worrying if they’re going to be next.”

That’s because the businesses that CREATE jobs are worrying what boneheaded move is the next bright idea from the One’s handlers. Why expand a refinery when you can’t depend on the government NOT to change regulations to make it impossible to run profitably? Why build houses when the dimmocrats in congress are setting up financing schemes that make it impossible for you to get the money you spent building them?

There’s a lot of holders of money in this country that would be creating jobs here but they’re nervous as hell because they see a federal government that stands ready at the drop of a hat to seize control, to regulate or otherwise meddle in the private sector in the interests of “fairness” or “environment” or “global warming” or whatever other catchword du jour pops up in between alternating herds of academics with no foundations in the real world and community activist socialists who see no problem that can’t be solved by huge influxes of money from the society they’re strangling.

All we have to do is watch California flailing away over the cliff and realize that the Obamanation (controlling both the presidency and congress) is headed in the same direction. However, unlike California, the federal government can print money instead of passing out IOU’s. You and I might think that printing money is the way to hyperinflation, but this federal bunch we’ve got right now thins they’re just smart enough to get away with it, just like some loser teen who thinks he can experiment with crystal meth because HE has the willpower to handle it that others don’t. “We’re smart enough to know when to quit.”

The whole thing is like buying a ticket to watch a train wreck and finding out that your seat is too close to the tracks.

1776 – The Continental Congress adopts a resolution severing ties with Great Britain although the wording of the formal Declaration of Independence is not approved until July 4.

1850 – The self-contained gas mask is patented by Benjamin J. Lane.

1881 – Charles J. Guiteau shoots and fatally wounds U.S. President James Garfield, who eventually dies from infection on September 19.

1897 – Italian scientist Guglielmo Marconi obtains patent for radio in London although Nikola Tesla had done better, earlier.

1900 – First zeppelin flight takes place on Lake Constance near Friedrichshafen, Germany.

1937 – Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan are last heard from over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to make the first equatorial round-the-world flight.

1959 – “Plan 9 From Outer Space,” one of the worse films ever, premieres

1962 – The first Wal-Mart store opens for business in Rogers, Arkansas. A whole sub-species of human results, the “Wal-Martian”.

1982 – “Lawnchair Larry” Walters using lawn chair & 42 helium balloons, rose to 16,000 feet over California. “A man can’t just sit around.”

Just a little one, to sort of explain things…

After entering the Pearly Gates, St Peter welcomed Farrah Fawcett and told her she could have one wish granted for her long suffering. Without hesitation she wished that all the children in the world would be safe!

Back on earth at that very moment Michael Jackson dropped dead.

Then, when Michael approached the Pearly Gates, St. Peter asked him what he wanted. Michael said he needed someone to make a pitch for him to God.

Poor Billy Mays never knew what hit him…

From Townhall.com…

1517 – First burning of Protestants at stake in Netherlands. Over religion. You’d have thought they denied global warming or something serious.

1520 – La Noche Triste: Joint Mexican Indian force led by Aztecs under Cuitláhuac defeat Spanish Conquistadors under Hernán Cortés. “We have a right to enslave our enemies and cut out their living hearts. It’s a cultural diversity thing.”

1847 – First US postage stamps go on sale, 5-cent Franklin & 10-cent Washington, in New York City.

1863 – American Civil War: The Battle of Gettysburg begins.

1863 – Free city delivery of mail begins in 49 US cities; postage 3 cents for first ounce.

1898 – Spanish-American War: The Battle of San Juan Hill is fought in Santiago de Cuba. American combat troops were led into battle by a future president.

1908 – SOS is adopted as the international Distress signal. That’s “didit dahdahdah dididit” in Morse.

1916 – World War I: First day on the Somme – On the first day of the Battle of the Somme 20,000 soldiers of the British Army are killed and 40,000 wounded.

1919 – First class postage drops from 3 cents to 2 cents.

1962 – Independence of Rwanda. And we all know how THAT turned out…

1963 – ZIP Codes are introduced for United States mail.

1991 – The Warsaw Pact is officially dissolved at a meeting in Prague, marking the failure of centralized socialist government, but then the wrong people were in charge. Our new socialist overlords will do it the right way…

Okay, you leftist ba*tards. You stole the election in Minnesota and got Al Franken into the Senate. That gives you a filibuster-proof sixty votes in the Senate. At least he makes no bones about starting out as a freakin’ comedian instead of posing as some sort of “statesman”.

You already have the House of Representatives, and you have Barack HUSSEIN Obama in the White House. Go ahead and turn the country into the social experiment that you’ve always dreamed of.

We’ll look back and fold this page in the history book and say “This is where it all went horribly wrong.”

You won’t be able to blame Bush. You won’t be able to blame a hostile media. You OWN them, except for a few talk radio hosts and Fox News. You’ve got enough people sucking on the government tit to make your majority almost a lock in most of hte districts you hold. So it’s all yours. Let’s see how you handle it.

Go ahead. We’re waiting.

Al Franken at his Senate swearing-in

1520 – The Spaniards are expelled from Tenochtitlan. White European interlopers were trying to interfere in the indigenous peoples’ quaint customs of human sacrifice.

1908 – The Tunguska event occurs in Siberia. We still aren’t sure what it was, but it was definitely an event.

1934 – The Night of the Long Knives, Adolf Hitler’s violent purge of his political rivals in Germany, takes place. People with opposing viewpoints died, just like Vince Foster.

1950 – I was born.

1953 – The first Chevrolet Corvette rolls off the assembly line in Flint, Michigan. “Wrap your ass in fiberglass.”

1960 – Congo gains independence from Belgium. Freed of the interference of the white European interlopers, tribal harmony is restored and the region becomes a beacon of peace and tranquility known for its fairness and cultural richness. Right?!?!?

1971 – Ohio ratifies the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, lowering the voting age to 18, thereby putting the amendment into effect. “Dude, I’, like, votin’ fer him ‘cuz he’s, like, all cool, an’ he knows that grass ain’t nuthin’ and stuff.”

1990 – East Germany and West Germany merge their economies. As in “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down THIS wall!”

Remember a couple of weeks ago when the demonstrations were cranking up in Iran and Barack HUSSEIN Obama said that we shouldn’t meddle int he affairs of other countries?

Apparently that was because the other country wasn’t trying to replace a leftist president who was seeking the “for life” tag for his title, like in Honduras.

The Obama administration and European governments denounced the coup. U.S. officials said they were working for the return of ousted President Manuel Zelaya and European officials offered to mediate talks between the two sides.

These are gutless excuses for manhood. See how brave they are when they’re talking about Honduras, a small Central American country that pretty much defined the term “banana republic” for much of its history. Honduras isn’t noted for dispatching suicide-bombing death squads as a tool of its foreign policy, so these gutless ‘leaders’ feel quite safe in jumping into Honduran politics when a week ago you didn’t hear a peep out of them over Iran. After all, what are you gonna get from Honduras if they’re mad? Bad bananas?

Obama has reason to be demanding though. Look what’s going on in Honduras:

The Honduran constitution limits presidents to a single 4-year term and forbids any modification of that limit. Zelaya’s opponents feared he would use the referendum results to try to run again, just as Chavez reformed his country’s constitution to be able to seek re-election repeatedly.

… the army acted on orders from the courts, and the ouster was carried out “to defend respect for the law and the principles of democracy.” But he threatened to jail Zelaya and put him on trial if he returned.

Obama certainly doesn’t want to see anybody getting ideas about removing a president from office under force for trying to violate his nation’s constitution, does he?

1613 – The original Globe Theatre in London burned to the ground after a cannon employed for special effects misfired during a performance of William Shakespeare’s Henry VIII and ignited the theatre’s roof. Sure! Blame the pyro guy.

It has been happening while we’ve been inundated with moon-walking and sequined gloves.

Iran is still a turmoil. It got bumped out of the headlines but thousands of plain ol’ people are still hitting the streets to protest the election, and in so protesting, they’re protesting a form of government where an elite handful allows elections as long as the results agree with a predetermined outcome. Reports are still leaking out despite the government clampdown on the press and electronic media. A country is writhing in pain and we’re being treated to current events cotton candy.

Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina is probably thankful to be shoved off the headlines.

While we were being regaled with the choreography, precision dance moves and the fantastic costumes of Michael Jackson videos, the House of Representatives passed Obama’s (and Al Gore’s) energy bill, commonly referred to as “cap & trade”. If this thing gets through the Senate, American industry will be subject to costs never before imagined. In years to come, we, the American people, will see our lives change for the worse as industry tries to funciton under rules written by people who never had to make a profit a single day in their lives. But we got to hear the Michael Jackson 9-1-1 call…

And a leftist Hugo Chavez wanna-be president in Honduras was pulled out of his palace by his country’s military forces after he announced he was going forward with a plan to vote himself unlimited terms in office. Leftists LIKE unlimited terms. President Zelaya was contradicting his own country’s Constitution, his own country’s Supreme Court, and ultimately, his own country’s military in his plans to change the constitution so he could continue in office. Our own leftists, Hillary (haauugghhh! spit) Clinton and Barack HUSSEIN Obama make the proper conciliatory noises about the rule of law and restoration of order, but in the backs of their pointy little heads they’re probably running odds on the same thing happening here. But you’ll see more news about what’s happening to Michael Jackson’s kids.

But I’m not bitter. No. Not even a little bit.

My daughter has jumped into it lately over her opposition to my (admittedly) low-end humor over the demise of renowned child molester Michael Jackson.

My daughter is eighteen. She is intelligent. She is a big bundle of potential, much the same as a couple of kilos of plutonium. I’m a dad. Hers. There are some things I am very proud of in her life. Some maybe not so proud. Such is the lot of the father of a teen.

She has her own blog (again) but I’ll be darned if I link to it until I’ve seen a couple of weeks of regular posting.

Daughter aspires to be a writer, perhaps as a primary job, or maybe as a key skill in another field. She has written some pieces that I find pretty good for her lack of experience and education. I applaud them, and I wish she’d do more. I know she CAN do it. Whether or not she WILL do it, well, that’s a different thing.

However, like many, she has a strong tendency toward engaging her mouth (or keyboard) before getting her brain up to speed. I have repeatedly advised her of the standards of propriety in the company of strangers. I just as well sling spitwads at a battleship.

I normally would deign to bare dirty laundry on this forum, but she seems to have taken some liberties with a “my daddy has a blog and he thinks I’m wonderful, so THERE!” attitude.

Little darlin’… I love you to pieces, but if you don’t act nice, you won’t get any more invitations to other people’s houses… Okay?

Sundays with my son are sometimes lazy days playing on the ocmputers and trying to find something interesting on TV or reading.

He’s not as much a coffee fan as I am, so we experiment with teas, chai to be exact. Aside from the fact that the term “chai” means tea in a whole bunch of places, the term “chai” in America means a spiced tea.

I’ve bought a few different commercial offerings to try, but I wasn’t too impressed. Like coffee, I figured I could do a better job. A quick google and I find quickly that there are plenty of chai recipes, and the variety of chai I was looking for was called “masala chai”, of Indian (dot, not feather) origin.

So let me give you a couple of places for ingredients. For tea, try Davidsons Tea. For spices, I use Penzey’s. That’s what you need: tea and spices.

So this stuff is supposed to be a strong spiced tea but you need the spices to boil a bit before you add the tea or the tea part will be bitter.

I used a dark tea, whole leaf stuff, not bags. If your previous tea experience has been little bags, this stuff will take your taste buds to a different universe all by themselves. If you’re going to do chai, you just as well start with good stuff.

Spices: According to various recipes, masala chai contains cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, star anise and black pepper. That’s where Penzey’s comes in. Fresh spices. If you buy, don’t get carried away and buy a pound at a time. Buy small amounts and use them up while they’re fresh.

Then there’s assembly. I start my water boiling on the stove while I crush the whole cloves, cardamom, pepper (just a few kernels) and star anise, and dump the result along with chunks of cinnamon and ginger into the boiling water. Son says it makes the house smell like somebody just opened a package of spice flavored NECCO wafers.

Meanwhile, load up your French press coffee pot (you do have one, don’t you?) with appropriate amounts of loose tea. After the spices have boiled for three to five minutes, pour the spicy water over the ea leaves and let steep for three minutes. If you don’t have a French press coffee pot, then you’ll end up with a mess of tea with all sorts of seeds and leaves in it. You can pour that through a strainer into individual cups.

Serving this stuff: it’s meant to be sweet, so sweeten with honey, sugar or both. And then add cream. Or half and half. And sit back and enjoy.

What? I didn’t give amounts in micrograms or whatever? I didn’t weigh or measure too much. Maybe a quarter teaspoon of cardamom. Two whole star anise. A teaspoon of cinnamon chunks. Another of ginger. A half teaspoon of cloves. A couple of grinds from my pepper grinder. This made two cups of tea. If you like one spice more than another, use more. Or less. It works with only one or two. And I’m thinking this is just one more reason to wish for those stormy cold winter days…

And yes, it’s wonderfully delicious. The steam from the spices is almost therapeutic. With the richness from the sweeteners and the cream, it’s a perfect mid-morning break.

Man, it’s been a rough week for ‘celebrities’, but just when I thought that nobody could kick off that I would find as pleasing as the demise of that moon-walking freak, we find this story:

Report: ‘Infomercial King’ Billy Mays Found Dead in Home
Sunday, June 28, 2009

DEVELOPING: Television pitchman Billy Mays — who built his fame by appearing on commercials and infomercials promoting household products and gadgets — died Sunday, FOX News confirms.

The guy SPOKE with the ‘caps lock’ key on…

(The “caps lock key” quote is from my brilliant son, the one of my offspring WITHOUT an annoying blog)