Sleepless in Burt

Can't seem to get to sleep. Part of the problem is that my tumbly is rumbly after a massive dessert at Uno's after dinner today. A steady diet of Maalox is helping, but I know as soon as I lay down, the ol' acid reflux will be kicking my butt. So I'm blogging instead.

As Debbie already mentioned, we are in Michigan hanging with her mom and some of her fam. We did a little minor work around the place and started loading up what we are going to take up to her family reunion next weekend. We should be working our way further north Saturday morning for a two-day party with my family. During the week, we'll drive around and try to see everyone we can, then Debbie's reunion and day after party/graduation party for her niece next weekend, and then we start working our way back to New Hampshire on Monday.

Still no word on jobs. Debbie was supposed to get a phone call on Tuesday, then today, and now tomorrow for sure. The delay could be because the place is really busy or really disorganized. We're hoping the former. But that means that we still don't know when/if we are moving to Florida. Well, the "if" part is pretty set; we need to get some place warmer and cheaper. But the "when" is really getting to be a bugger.

There has been a lot of yapping about letting the "Bush" tax cuts expire at the end of 2010. The media is constantly portraying this as a big tax cut for the rich, and therefore should be allowed to expire. This is a perfect example of what my great-grandmother called "lying by omission". Yes, the "Bush" tax cuts did in fact lower the top tax rate. It also lowered the bottom tax rate. And all the tax rates in between. If Congress allows these tax cuts to expire, every single person who pays taxes will experience a tax increase. Combined with planned roll-backs and eliminations of "Obama" tax credits, a big chunk of the middle class that paid little or no taxes last year are in for a very rude surprise. Some experts are understandably concerned what effect this will have on the so-called recovery. Gee. Ya think?

Congress responded by spending its last week before summer vacation by voting on resolutions to congratulate sports heroes. Way to go guys. Nice to see you solved the world's problems and still had a week left over for useless bullshit.

In case you doubt how we the underclass are viewed by the ruling class, the Elmhurst, Illinois city council is looking into banning eye-rolling and audible sighing at its meetings. Such activity is "disruptive". I only wish I were joking.

Britain continues to dismantle its centralized health care system even as our own ruling class insists, in spite of the opposition of the majority of the country, that we will imitate their utterly failed system.

Illegals are fleeing Arizona. Good riddance to bad rubbish. I know according to all right-thinking people that I'm supposed to feel sorry for criminals that now face the prospect of being caught and punished for their criminal activity. Ya know; just like what happens to us damned honkeys when we break the law. But somehow I just can't muster up the level of moral outrage demanded by our ruling class.

Of course the damned honkeys in the ruling class do as they damn well please. Next they'll be demanding the Divine Right of Kings.

Peggy Noonan has a good wrap-up to the sickening Shirley Sherrod story. Why does it feel like the whole race thing is getting worse instead of better? Someone explains how they took a step back from the edge of the cliff and they are immediately thrown off of it for daring to admit they are human and had to correct some mistaken notion from their youth.

In more personal news, Debbie found the obituary for my high school basketball coach in today's newspaper. RIP, Coach Kelsey. I learned more of the important stuff from you than from most "teachers".

Well, I think I'll try to get some sleep.