Sunday Wrapup 9/11/2011
I'm worried just now about my sister Carol. She is in the emergency room in the Kansas City area with severe pain in both legs, and is hardly able to walk. They're giving her anti-inflammatory medication and doing further testing.
I'm thankful that her husband Roberto is home. His job takes him to churches all over the country, and Carol is often alone, now that her girls are grown up.
Carol is next to me in the family--just younger.
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The state fair in Hutchinson is underway. Rain during the fair is a long-standing tradition. This year especially we hope the tradition is honored.
***************************
Here's an excerpt from Facebook that I found interesting. The first poster is Kathy, who is from our church. She is working at Faith Builders currently, and the announcement she heard is about a program for which my father is partially responsible. I've omitted some identifying details.
America's Finances, the subject of this month's current events/issues study at school, is proving to be far more interesting to me than I anticipated. I am sooooo not a numbers person, but Too Big to Fail by Andrew Ross Sorkin is written with enough human interest and drama to keep me engrossed.
A decade from now, I suspect that the events of September 2008 will appear in retrospect to be almost as game-changing for Americans as was September 11, 2001.
If we are to believe what investigative reporters and leading economists say, our country came very close to a complete meltdown in September 2008--a time when no one anywhere could have withdrawn money from any bank. An infusion of government cash into some of the largest investment banks averted the disaster of one bank after another falling like dominoes, filtering down eventually to all the local banks in this country and abroad.
Was it fair that taxpayers came to the rescue of people who acted irresponsibly with their own and other people's money? Of course not. Would it have been better to withhold the cash and let the big banks go down the tubes along with a whole world of people, most of whom had not contributed to the problem? I think not.
Saving the banks ultimately kept the financial system churning along--not well, but not totally incapacitated. Most of us can go to our banks and withdraw our deposits if we decide to. Fareed Zakaria says that the government aid is working exactly as it was designed to work. The banks were supposed to recover first. Only then could businesses and consumers access funds to supply their own needs and to help the economy grow. Understandably, this rankles people on Main Street who see that people on Wall Street are doing very well, while Main street is still suffering.
***********************
I listened to Obama's Thursday night jobs speech on YouTube. Watching John Boehner's response was pretty funny sometimes. Flanking the president on the other side was Joe Biden, who did a lot of clapping and a lot of standing up to clap. No such enthusiasm on Boehner's part. Stoicism was much in evidence. I concede that the clapping and standing ovations were probably overdone, and somewhere between Biden and Boehner there should have been a happy medium.
I really enjoyed Obama's speech--reasonable, in my opinion--direct, clear, and passionate. I don't know if any of what he wishes to see happen is possible, given the realities of political machinations and paralysis. I'm not positive that his proposals chart the best possible course of action, but I have the sense that they're preferable to both intransigence and repetitious utterances of mind numbing talk show or political rally mantras.
I also liked a Huffington Post writer's analysis of how Obama's speech clarified which former president Obama was most likely to emulate as he continues to define himself before the next election. So far the possibilities have focused on FDR and Reagan. The HP writer declared that the debate determined that it would be neither. Instead it would be Truman--"Give 'em ______ Harry" or, in this case "Give 'em __________ Barry."
On a side note, I noticed that many of the female members of Congress wore red to listen to Obama's speech. In the sea of dark suits, the red ladies fairly shouted their presence. Maybe wearing red makes them feel powerful.
************************
The National Weather Service had several stories this week on their website about the heat and drought of the summer of 2011. Each article named states that were especially hard hit. Kansas was not mentioned in either list.
This made sense to me when I thought of how much rain fell in Kansas this year only slightly north, west, and east of here. Overall, the state averages were probably not that different from usual.
Another article on the same page says that La Nina (How do you make an enya?) looks like it will be in place again next year just as it was this year. When I read this, my heart "stank" (as Harry S. used to say). I really am not hoping for a repeat of the past season's weather pattern. Usually the north gets more moisture than usual and the south gets less if this pattern is in place. Lord, have mercy.
***********************
Last winter we had a field full of rodeo animals across the road east of our place. They were owned by the Krafts of Abbyville. This past week was the funeral of 28-year old Bronc Kraft, who was involved in the family's rodeo stock business. He was pulling two trailers when his vehicle stalled on the railroad tracks. When a train approached, he left the vehicle, but was hit with flying debris from the collision between the train and the stalled vehicle. He called his father to tell him he had had a little accident. Then he dialed 911. He died later in the hospital.
***********************
Grant and Clarissa crept into the house at about 11:30 pm to look at their wedding pictures on Grant's computer. They don't have internet access or a computer at their house, so they keep coming here to use it. I think it's nice they have a good reason to keep coming back.
I'm thankful that her husband Roberto is home. His job takes him to churches all over the country, and Carol is often alone, now that her girls are grown up.
Carol is next to me in the family--just younger.
***************************
The state fair in Hutchinson is underway. Rain during the fair is a long-standing tradition. This year especially we hope the tradition is honored.
***************************
Here's an excerpt from Facebook that I found interesting. The first poster is Kathy, who is from our church. She is working at Faith Builders currently, and the announcement she heard is about a program for which my father is partially responsible. I've omitted some identifying details.
*********************
America's Finances, the subject of this month's current events/issues study at school, is proving to be far more interesting to me than I anticipated. I am sooooo not a numbers person, but Too Big to Fail by Andrew Ross Sorkin is written with enough human interest and drama to keep me engrossed.
A decade from now, I suspect that the events of September 2008 will appear in retrospect to be almost as game-changing for Americans as was September 11, 2001.
If we are to believe what investigative reporters and leading economists say, our country came very close to a complete meltdown in September 2008--a time when no one anywhere could have withdrawn money from any bank. An infusion of government cash into some of the largest investment banks averted the disaster of one bank after another falling like dominoes, filtering down eventually to all the local banks in this country and abroad.
Was it fair that taxpayers came to the rescue of people who acted irresponsibly with their own and other people's money? Of course not. Would it have been better to withhold the cash and let the big banks go down the tubes along with a whole world of people, most of whom had not contributed to the problem? I think not.
Saving the banks ultimately kept the financial system churning along--not well, but not totally incapacitated. Most of us can go to our banks and withdraw our deposits if we decide to. Fareed Zakaria says that the government aid is working exactly as it was designed to work. The banks were supposed to recover first. Only then could businesses and consumers access funds to supply their own needs and to help the economy grow. Understandably, this rankles people on Main Street who see that people on Wall Street are doing very well, while Main street is still suffering.
***********************
I listened to Obama's Thursday night jobs speech on YouTube. Watching John Boehner's response was pretty funny sometimes. Flanking the president on the other side was Joe Biden, who did a lot of clapping and a lot of standing up to clap. No such enthusiasm on Boehner's part. Stoicism was much in evidence. I concede that the clapping and standing ovations were probably overdone, and somewhere between Biden and Boehner there should have been a happy medium.
I really enjoyed Obama's speech--reasonable, in my opinion--direct, clear, and passionate. I don't know if any of what he wishes to see happen is possible, given the realities of political machinations and paralysis. I'm not positive that his proposals chart the best possible course of action, but I have the sense that they're preferable to both intransigence and repetitious utterances of mind numbing talk show or political rally mantras.
I also liked a Huffington Post writer's analysis of how Obama's speech clarified which former president Obama was most likely to emulate as he continues to define himself before the next election. So far the possibilities have focused on FDR and Reagan. The HP writer declared that the debate determined that it would be neither. Instead it would be Truman--"Give 'em ______ Harry" or, in this case "Give 'em __________ Barry."
On a side note, I noticed that many of the female members of Congress wore red to listen to Obama's speech. In the sea of dark suits, the red ladies fairly shouted their presence. Maybe wearing red makes them feel powerful.
************************
The National Weather Service had several stories this week on their website about the heat and drought of the summer of 2011. Each article named states that were especially hard hit. Kansas was not mentioned in either list.
This made sense to me when I thought of how much rain fell in Kansas this year only slightly north, west, and east of here. Overall, the state averages were probably not that different from usual.
Another article on the same page says that La Nina (How do you make an enya?) looks like it will be in place again next year just as it was this year. When I read this, my heart "stank" (as Harry S. used to say). I really am not hoping for a repeat of the past season's weather pattern. Usually the north gets more moisture than usual and the south gets less if this pattern is in place. Lord, have mercy.
***********************
Last winter we had a field full of rodeo animals across the road east of our place. They were owned by the Krafts of Abbyville. This past week was the funeral of 28-year old Bronc Kraft, who was involved in the family's rodeo stock business. He was pulling two trailers when his vehicle stalled on the railroad tracks. When a train approached, he left the vehicle, but was hit with flying debris from the collision between the train and the stalled vehicle. He called his father to tell him he had had a little accident. Then he dialed 911. He died later in the hospital.
***********************
Grant and Clarissa crept into the house at about 11:30 pm to look at their wedding pictures on Grant's computer. They don't have internet access or a computer at their house, so they keep coming here to use it. I think it's nice they have a good reason to keep coming back.
posted by Mrs. I at
8:01 PM
3 Comments:
I couldn't find the post from Kathy Miller to respond to. I don't know if she knows the man himself, because it was definitely said as a joke. :) His brother actually lives in Lyndon, KS, and this preacher does make frequent trips there to visit. He actually also probably said it that way for Gerald's sake because of his sense of humor. :) Just setting the record straight for the sake of those who commented on Kathy's post.
By
Cathy Miller, at 9/12/2011
Cathy, I guessed as much, although I didn't think of the comment being aimed at Gerald. I certainly didn't take offense at the comment. It was good for laughs though. Kathy probably enjoyed the joke too. She has a good sense of humor.
By
Mrs. I, at 9/12/2011
Gerald told me later that he was looked straight in the eye when that comment was made. Love it!!
By
Cathy, at 9/13/2011
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