Here are some interesting but troubling stats that distinguish Bush II from Nixon-Ford. We old farts thought we all thought we had it bad over 30 years ago. But I don’t think anyone could’ve seen Bush coming.

I just hope in four years’ time that we’re not so stupid as to blame Obama for all this.

It seems noteworthy that the Obama-Biden team created this position for Bernstein, apart from the established organizational chart.

*gasp* Not the Fourth Branch…! ;-)

Heh, that’s my whole point…

Once it’s made precedent it’s hard to eradicate it…! 8-(

*Gawd* I hope real change occurs… Too many tools in the toolbox these days…!

In the auto shops in Tijuana they have an universal tool. It’s called the adjustable wrench, known in the trade as a Mexican Speed Wrench.

the Barnacle

Isn’t it better for the economy if they had an 8 drawer tool chest with wrenches of all sizes that they could spend a half hour looking for the right one

Heh, where’s the chisel…? ;-)

Mine are well organized, 2 seconds and I’m all set… No busted knuckles here…! ;-)

Raising again the age old Q of whether lip serice is better than no serice at all.

The A to that Q, BTW, is what the reason for the lip service is. If it’s to divert attention away from the issue, it’s one case. If it’s the prelude for doing something substantive, it’s the other.

We shall see.

Heh, I keep mine in an old military mechanic’s bag. You’d need a bomb to destroy this thing.

I use my tools infrequently, and in the interim, people working for me “borrow” them. So when I want to use one it’s never there. That might be the appropriate metaphor.

May I rant for a moment about Mr. Snap’s neurotically meticulous toolbox organization? Why is it that he can sort and catagorize tools by size, weight, function, color, standard or metric, or any number of other classifications yet not competently deposit a dirty sock in a laundry hamper?/end rant.

Did you guys ever have kids use your tools?

Heh. I took to putting my name on my tools with nail polish so they wouldn’t walk unintentionally. But I got bored after about an hour so the ones without the tags still disappear.

LOL

If you use them the polish will get gone 0 you need to use an etching tool.

Never had kids, so no, not without my bein’ right there. Wanna lose a tool, loan it out.

The polish holds up pretty well. I don’t use them enough to wear it out. My contractor pointed out that indelible marker would work for a lot of them, like the handles of rakes. I might have an etching tool around somewhere, coming to think of it. One of my father’s legacies. Good thought. I’ll look for it.

A couple of years after my husband died in 1987, I organized the stuff in the basement & garage. (Threw out all the used bent nails that he’d accumulated in washed cat food cans.) Haven’t done any organization since, so I’m not sure what I have or don’t have.

I use an old ammo can (7.62mm) for most of my loose tools… Keeps them high and dry…! ;-)

Thank you for this. You have no idea how much seeing this post makes me happy.

The discussion on the NewsHour this evening was actually fairly decent this evening, the part at least I heard. Disaster may help them focus.

Loose ammo or 8-round clips? Mine’s for clips. Keep the papers I don’t want to burn up in it. Grab it and run, chasing the tigers in front of me.

Off to watch Washington Week. Gotta see what the Beltway Wisdom(less) folks have to say.

Somehow I would have been more reassured if Bernstein had Summers’ job.

I read about a construction worker who painted all of his tools day-glow pink to prevent theft.

Worked like a charm.

-G

*twitches* “YOUR” SHOULD BE “YOU’RE!”

It was bad enough when originally posted at dailykos, but the typo is now MULTIPLYING.

IT MUST BE STOPPED.

The real change we’re seeing with Barack’s Cabinet picks etc. is he’s picking people who are actually qualified to do the job he’s asked them to do. This is a far cry from what we witnessed over the last 8 years. One example: PICKING THE COMMISSIONER OF THE INTERNATIONAL ARABIAN HORSE ASSOCIATION AT THE HEAD OF FEMA. See? Barack will actually put in someone who has dealt with emergency response. REAL CHANGE! Shocking!

Great idea, but more extreme than my situation requires. *g*

Well, some economists would disagree about the picks for the economics team.

It was bad enough when originally posted at dailykos, but the typo is now MULTIPLYING.

Now, their, their, there multiplying slower then you think. If they were multiplying so fast, than I would agree with you, but its not that bad. *g*

That’s your department, eCAHNomics. You are truly the expert. That said, I’m just glad I haven’t heard yet, “I’m picking so-n-so because he was my 4th grade gym teacher and I promised him a job when I became president. I’m going to make him Secretary of Defense”". ;-)

That was what we called a Sledge Hammer.

The question is whether O’s best will be good enough. Personally speaking, mine wasn’t, so I’m very familiar with the problem.

Reich & KO ranting about data that was misreported in the NYT. Two more idols with feet of clay.

Robert Reich on Olberman is using the “D” word.

Reich sez auto cos will get something from congress in January. Is he noddingly familiar with the fact that GM won’t make it thru the end of Dec? Geez, even the lefties are out to lunch.

The economy is such a mess, eCAHN. Even the experts are scratching their heads on what to do. Personally, I think this whole bailout plan is just a public robbery of our money. Not surprising that we have a Bush as president during this time. As you can see, Jebby now is seeing the light and wants to get back in now. Spit.

I think the only way to save the economy is to give a shitload of money to Americans to spend. No matter where the money is spent (paying off loans, buying a car, etc), it will help the economy in my opinion. I’m wondering if this is what Barack is planning when he said recently that something big needs to be done to spark the economy back on track. Maybe he’s planning on giving all of us who filed a tax return in 2008 for the 2007 tax year a $10,000 check??!!!!! *staring dreamily at the ceiling* Maybe?

Said mini-depression. What the heck is that? And what’s his point? He didn’t emphasize that O & congress should have done something yesterday. So what’s his point?

I thought he prefaced it with something about getting a bridge loan from the current bunch to get them to January

*sheesh* No need to yell, M’dear! What part of ‘Heckuva Job, Brownie’ didn’t ya get…? ;-)

Yes, Krugman too. If they can’t see the problem, then they aren’t going to solve it.

My problem is not with a bailout plan in the near term, though I think even that is in doubt. WRT to giving rebates, no. Money needs to be spent NOW (well yesterday, to be fair), so govt needs to spend it. Not give it to consumers who may pay down debts.

It’s a Q of priorities. Economy is plunging into any abyss and govt demand is only thing that can possibly save it. And that is not a certainty.

But what I’m really worried about is what comes after the economy is saved in the near term. Consumer (worker), the underpinning of the economy, has no visible means of support. Labor policy is KEY. And there’s no sign of that. Obama hasn’t even nominated a Labor Secy, indicating just how low on his econ priority the most important fundamental is.

Said mini-depression. What the heck is that?

It’s a depression that ends 6 inches above the knee.

Missed that, but even if Reich said it, what makes him think that it’s a good idea for new admin to have to put out the auto corp. fire AGAIN as its first econ act? What kind of sense does that make? Even conservative witnesses at the auto hearings thought the bridge package ought to provide the industry with enough to last about a Friedman Unit so that the new admin has time to get settled in. Stupidity personified.

LOL I’m just grasping at straws tonight!

As I said at the time of the mini-skirt, I don’t even have 6″ above the knee.

[sic]

All these guys an A in kicking the can down the road 101

Now, that’s that! End of story…! ;-)

Americans have a very short memory and no sense of history.

To be sure. But why is Reich participating in that folly? Thought he knew better.

I hope you’re right, eCAHN. If I’m not mistaken, Barack is choosing his Cabinet much quicker than previous presidents because he understands the need to. George Bush on the other hand is walking around the White House in green fuzzy pajamas with feet and muttering stuff about moving brush around at the new $2 million dollar townhouse. Spit.

Barack will pick a Labor Secretary soon I suspect. Who do you think he should pick for this? My Dad was a paper Union guy for close to 35 years (retired in 1999) and he would love to see Unions strong again in this country (along with plentiful jobs, of course, as we all do).

Here’s the speculation of Labor secy. I don’t know anything about her.

Unions, for all their problems, are the ONLY hope for reestablishing a modicum of balance between corps and labor.
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/…..secretary/

eCAHN, if you’re still around, what do you make of a Senator(?) saying yesterday that it would cost less overall for the Autos to do a Chapter 11 restructuring …

Petro, the Beach Haus had an interesting post up…! ;-)

Thanks Dood … on my way over to read it.

Oopsie. I heard that she was in the running. Let’s hope she’s the firecracker!

((( Kay )))