I need some some work up on my chimney and need to find a handy man that doesn't mind being on a ladder. Any ideas and/or numbers for the PTC area?

By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation. October 3, 1789, in the Year of our Lord.

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor-- and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

Over the past 30 years, the United States has made it a national policy to hold inflation down. We have achieved it through foreign labor and cheaper materials. We, the consumers, have demanded it. We, the investors, demanded it from our publically traded companies. For years it worked. The amount of consumer goods available for the average American would boggle the mind of someone transported from 1970. Today’s home has a panoply of gadgets, even a house below the poverty level. How do most houses afford these gadgets? They have been made inexpensive and available by being sourced overseas in a cheaper labor market. The cost of this free and easy access to consumer goods and cheaper prices has come with a tradeoff, however. That trade off is the dismantling of manufacturing in the United States. Now, the landscape is changing.

Many people think that electric cars will help the environment and get us away from fossil fuels. Let's look at it closer:

Recently as I read on a CNN story, David Alexrod was on NPR doing some sort of question and answer game. It had to do with the name of the Obama family's new dog. He made a joke that got good audience response that one of the names in consideration was "Miss California".

--Cut and pasted from sniffles comment-- Okay, you feel that we are in serious need of tax reform. Fair enough. Can you tell me in a few short sentences what you don't like about the existing progressive tax system? I'm curious.

Recently, anger over executive bonuses at American International Group, Inc (AIG) spilled into an unconstitutional "ex post facto" law that would tax these bonuses at a 90% level. It seemed to have a broad support, but constitutional scholars have weighed in and the measure appears to be dying. However the bill may be moot because the New York Attorney General appears to have leaned on these executives to give back the bonuses in order for their names to remain in obscurity. So, the outrage of contracted bonuses for TARP funded companies appears to have shaken money from these people-but let’s look at the cost of our anger.

"WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki confirmed Tuesday that the Obama administration is considering a controversial plan to make veterans pay for treatment of service-related injuries with private insurance."

Hello blogging community. Does anyone recommend a small engine repair shop in the area? I have a smallish 4 tine rototiller that needs some maintenance.

I have gotten used to the lake being below capacity for almost two years now. I do not drive by it as much as I used to, now that 74 is not a construction nightmare so I haven't noticed the lake level.

Where are all of the sunspots? We should have begun a new solar cycle in late 2007 or early 2008, and a small sunspot with the correct polarity was discovered early this year. That should have been the beginning of the new solar cycle and a ramp up of sunspot activity. And yet, nothing. So far, the sun has been spotless at least 242 days this year. Taken with last year's data, the sun has been spotless for 485 days. This is unusual and has caused the NASA models to be re-calibrated two times. They now are predicting that the sun will not begin a new cycle until mid to late 2009 or early 2010.

It is my personal opinion that Presidents have very little to do with jobs creation in the private sector. They are given way too much credit or blame depending upon the economic situation. I am well aware of how government can add jobs by adding to the bureaucracy. However, more government jobs have never historically added to the wealth of a particular country-- unless those jobs are that of conquering soldiers.

Somewhere along the way during our march to the modern times, the idea of a government that exists to allow people equal opportunity to succeed has been replaced by a government that exists to give people equal outcomes. But how can there be equal outcomes among the people, a people of varying and diverse talents, intelligence, motivation, and energy? Realistically and historically, equal outcomes can only exist through extreme coercion of the populace. This coercion is justified by the Progressive State. How does it look?