End of January

Glad I bailed on CREE. I will buy back in soon. I think I got out at $68, with an average share cost of around $63.

Mother is declining rapidly. She broke her hip a few weeks ago. She is not aware of it, but seems in great discomfort. I miss her so. She seems very sad, and at a couple of points during our visit today she appeared to cry. I pray for her relief from this suffering. Although I will be sad, I will be grateful for her suffering to end.

Twins will be four tomorrow. Gail's folks, Dad, and Ms. Wendy came over for cake and snacks. The kids had a good time. I missed mother a lot. She loved those kids something fierce.

I hope something comes along to stabilize Egypt. This is getting scary. I understand the museum is being protected. I hope it, and the artifacts inside are safe. I would love to bring my children there someday.

Continuing....

I have to try to keep this up.

Mother still in nursing home. She is losing weight, but not much. She seems to be in much better shape than the beginning of the year, and certainly than most of the rest of the residents. Still, this is not the way she would want to live. I miss her terribly. On my recent trip to California to see my cousins, we discussed how their mother (my aunt) had difficulties with short term memory after har aneurism (sp?). It was good to see them, but difficult to be away from Gail and the kids. They have so many resources, it is not hard to be jealous. They are very generous, though, and I am glad to have them as family.

Kids are growing quickly. It appears that Matthew is developing, or fighting the development of asthma. Things could be a lot worse, so we will not complain. They are all generally happy. If we can get throught the next two years until they are all in school, that would be great.

Market is recovering nicely. My speculative play on CREE is turning out nicely, for once. Average share cost is below $62. Current share price around $72. Must not hold on too long, however, or set formal limit price, or rate of rise to pull out.

Considering everything, we are blessed, and have a great deal to be thankful for.

Holy crap, they did it!

It is certain that we will all face some changes with more people having access to health insurance, but I think it is a wonderful thing. I hope there will be some terrific satire on the legislative process in the coming weeks!

Holy week with mother in a nursing home is not going to be wonderful. Every day is different...

St. Patrick's Day

Happy Saint Patrick's Day. It isn't the same without mother here to celebrate. I am glad she is not suffering, but this is not what she would want. She always loved St. Patrick, and that this was near the end of Lent. This is very difficult for all of us.

It's odd that she isn't integrating things from her past, but making up new information about her surroundings. "Typical" Alzheimer's patients fall back in time, I understand. This doesn't seem to be happening. What's next?

Healthcare

I cannot believe that any healthcare legislation will pass. It is unfortunate, and I hope I am wrong, but it seems too many people just don't want it to happen. I fear that the president has reached too far.

Ben Stein, and the art of understanding

From the moment I knew of Ben Stein, I knew he had worked for Nixon. I also knew he was relatively moderate when it came to economic policy (in as much as I can say, of course many would say that one can't be moderate if one disagrees with them). He felt that the wealthiest in America were paying a disproportionately lower percentage of their income (including capital gains) in taxes.

I also learned that he is a fierce advocate of the pro-life movement. Although I am a believer that women ought to be able to choose what happens to their bodies, I can certainly respect that position, and forgive some of the mean things he has said about people that don't believe as he does. However, I was surprised and disappointed to learn of his belief in intelligent design. I am terribly disappointed in what he has said linking those who understand evolution with the eugenics movement and genocide. Even if he can't get his head around the nature of God's creation, surely he can't be so obtuse as to say the things he has said? How can this be?

I have to try harder to be understanding of people who increasingly seem like people I couldn't love. It's difficult!

"Stimulus Package"

I am hoping against hope that President Obama (I can't remember when I have to capitalize "president") can be successful, and not just because I'm a Democrat. I am kind of tired to hear the same old opinions that the stimulus plan is too much spending, while at the same time not providing enough tax relief for the upper income brackets. Can't anyone acknowledge that supply-side economics didn't work?

I really don't care about the tax burden on wealthy individuals, they always seem to be ok. Christ didn't seem to be concerned about them either at the sermon on the mount. In the '90s, when we raised the upper income bracket tax burden, a large expansion of the upper class occurred. Surely, surely we can't continue to torture logic to credit all of that back to Reaganomics. Everything was on some ridiculous time delay? And the recession was still Clinton's fault? Come on!