With the conclusion of the celebration of Thanksgiving, our holiday season is now concluded. From this day forward we are celebrating Christmas. I do not want to hear anyone wish me a happy holiday nor do I want to do businesses with any anyone that advertises Happy Holidays. I do not want to attend any school program where Christmas carols are prohibited or they call it a "Winter Festival". A very simple, Merry Christmas will do. The month of December is devoted to the celebration of Christmas.

The word "Xmas" has been used for many years, although in my thoughts the word Christmas should not be shortened to fit a limited printing area. I took exception to the above picture, it is a 1920 vintage picture, the message meant more to me than the wording in this particular case. The celebration of birth of Christ and the celebration of the arrival of Santa delivers the same message, hope for all mankind.

In our celebration of Christmas, we should never forget the reason that we celebrate, the birth of the Christ child. At the same time, we should never forget Santa. He has played a role in the celebration of Christmas for hundreds of years. Each year he spreads good will and joy, giving millions of children continued hope that all is well in the world, that it has not changed from the past. When it comes to children, I include myself in that category, I am a sixty two year old child and you are not going to convince me that Santa does not exist. On Christmas Eve, I will be watching the the darkness of the night, in hopes of catching a glimpse of Santa soaring overhead, then I will know all is well.

"And to preserve their independence, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. We must make our election between economy and liberty, or profusion and servitude." Thomas Jefferson

I find our current "economic crisis" puzzling if not truly funny. In a matter of less than a week, the House and Senate answered the call to duty and approved a bill to make $700 billion dollars available to our lending institutions. As quoted in the hearing process, "Citigroup especially hard hit by the meltdown in risky, subprime mortgages made to people with tarnished credit or low incomes. Foreclosures on these mortgages spiked, leaving Citi and other financial companies wracking up huge losses on the soured investments. The company (Citigroup) has failed to turn a profit during the past four quarters." Citigroup then turned around and tried to buy another failing financial institution, Wachovia Corporation, which was bought instead by Wells Fargo & Company.

On Friday, Citigroup ask for another $25 Billion dollars from the bailout fund, they had initially received a payment of $25 Billion. When our legislators rushed to Washington D.C. to develop a plan, we were led to believe that the bailout fund would be in the neighborhood of $500 Billion. When it was finally approved by both houses and signed into law, it had escalated to $700 Billion. Since that time, the program was been revised a couple of times without Congressional approval.

As the dust starts to settle, three major automotive manufacturers (Ford, GMC, Chrysler) arrive in Washington D.C. to seek a $25 Billion dollar loan to provide a needed cash flow for their businesses. Part of the reason for this was that with the current "financial crisis" the lending institutions could not or would not make operating capital loans. No doubt, the CEO's of these companies earn mega bucks and flew to Washington D.C,. in each of their private jets to ask for a loan. However, it was just that a loan not a bailout. They employ over five million people in their workforce. Historically, these companies had borrowed money from the government in the past. The loans plus interest were paid back ahead of schedule.

What was their response from our elected officials in the hearing process. They were instructed to go back to their corporate offices and return to Washington D.C. on December 2nd with individual business plans. The same rules did not apply to the lending institutions, within days of the bill being passed these same institutions were receiving a fresh cash flow in the amount of billions, including Citigroup. Perhaps, if these same banks and lenders had a business plan, they would not have been lending money to those with "tarnished credit or low incomes", even requiring a social security number to obtain a loan would have helped.

Come to think of it, if the major automotive manufacturers are required to have a business plan, perhaps this is a good concept that our government could follow. A good business plan and a budget that is mandatory would be a very good start for our elected officials to follow.

Just as a side note, the Representative that was the most critical of the Automotive Executives flying to Washington D.C. in their private jets was Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi (D~ California). If my memory serves me right, she is the same person that raised holy hell when she became Speaker of the House because the U. S. Air Force was giving her a smaller plane than the Presidential, "Air Force One" to fly her around the country on tax payers money.

Forty five years ago this morning, it was a cold, windy morning on the shore of the Great Lakes. I was in the process of going through my recruit training at the Naval Recruit Training Center, Great Lakes, Illinois. Today, was just another day in the training cycle, earlier in the day I was detached to regimental headquarters to stuff and mail Christmas letters to all the parents that had sons assigned to the training center.

In the office where we were working a radio played, the regular scheduled program was interrupted by a voice that was obvious nervous and upset. The news announcement, President John F. Kennedy had just been shot in Dallas, Texas.

Before the announcement was completed, a Petty Officer came in and ordered all of us back to our barracks on the double. Our Company Commander was at the barracks when I arrived, First Class Petty Officer Cameron. We mustered in the break room and he provided what little information that was available. We were now, under full military alert and the base would be locked down, no one in and no one out. This did not really apply to us since we were "boots", we never got to leave the base but all of the senior personnel that had families in the area were quarantined to the base.

Our training was suspended, a television was brought into the break room and the "smoking lamp" was lighted indefinitely. We remained in our barracks, marching in formation to the mess hall three times a day to get meals. We remained in this status for six days until a normal routine was once again established. During this time, we would see the assassin arrested, Lee Harvey Oswald and a few days later, on live television we would see Jack Ruby gun down Oswald while he was surrounded by police officers. Although the Warren Commission issued a finding on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, many still believe that there is a story that is not being told. Perhaps, some day we will know what actually happened, forty five years ago today.

Remember those fuzzy little animals that everyone loved, the little fur ball called a EWOK. They became an instant hit of the Star War episodes. Everyone, loved the EWOK's, they were so cute.

Well, it seems that Director George Lucas and his screen writers was not to far off base when they came up with the concept of the little creature.

On Tuesday, 11/18/ 2008 it was released by Reuters that on the mountain top of the Indonesian island of Sulawesi for the first time in eighty years scientists have observed a living Pygmy Tarsier, one of the planets smallest and rarest primates.

Over a two month period, the U.S. scientists used nets to trap three furry, mouse sized Pygmy Tareirs, two males and one female. They spotted a fourth one, however it eluded their capture. Although they were believed to be extinct, they may not have been totally thrilled at being found. One of them took a bite out of Sharon Doyen, a Texas A&M professor of anthropology who took part in the expedition. The incident occurred while attempting to attach a radio collar around the neck of the little creature. A difficult task since they have the ability to rotate their heads 180 degrees.