What Goes Around Comes Around

From this morning's paper, in an article titled "Economy May Be In For A Rough Ride" by Kevin G. Hall: "Higher lending rates in China matter to average Americans. Most large American corporations either manufacture there or purchase from contract Chinese manufacturers. Higher lending rates in China would slow economic activity there and raise the cost of doing business. The cost could be passed back to Americans as pricier imported goods."

So let me get this straight here. The companies that used to employ Americans and pay them good wages to produce products for other Americans but in the last few decades have moved overseas to take advantage of lower labor costs are now going to raise the prices they charge their former (American) employees for their products because their costs are going up? So they screw us by outsourcing our jobs and then screw us again by raising the prices on the products we used to make over here that we can no longer afford to buy because all of the good jobs are gone .

We are consumers. We shall be screwed. Resistance is futile!!!!

So Sayeth The Shack

What To Do With Anne Nicole's Body

Wow! Even long after she is dead, it seems everyone still wants Anne Nicole's body! (Now that just sounds wrong, doesn't it?

Well here is the (obvious) solution: Cremate her and divide up the ashes. That way everybody who wants can have a piece of her (sounding wrong again!)


So Sayeth The Shack

Mormons ARE Christians

Mitt Romney's recent announcement that he will run for president has created quite a bit of controversy about his religion. Some of the remarks that were made by other politicians and so-called Christians are absurd. It is sad how little people know about this large and still-growing faith, especially since there are missionaries in almost every country teaching about it.

First and foremost, Mormons ARE Christians. The full name of their church is "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints". They believe in Jesus Christ just like all other Christians. They believe that he is the son of God and that he died and was resurrected. They also believe in both the old and new testaments of the Bible. The Book of Mormon is believed to be a scripture supplementing the Bible and dealing with people living on the American continent before, during the after the time of Jesus. This includes a visit by Jesus to the people of this continent after his resurrection. This makes a lot of sense. Why would Jesus only visit one place on earth when there were people living elsewhere and there was no means of communication between them?

Mormons believe that God again speaks to His people through a prophet (the head of the church). This prophet directs the church and receives revelation just like the old testament prophets. I don't know about you but this makes perfect sense to me. Why would God no longer give revelation to his people, especially now when we seem to need it more than ever.

The practice of polygamy by the true Mormon church ended long ago. There are "splinter groups" that may practice it but they are not true Mormons. Once of the teachings of the church is that people are to obey the law of the land, and if that law prohibits polygamy, then polygamy shall not be practiced. I doubt that Mr Romney will try to change that law and besides I don't think that polygamy is any worse than the idea of same-sex marriage. (I'd rather have 2 wives than a husband, but I can barely afford one wife!)

Yes there are some secret ceremonies in this religion. These are conducted in the temples and are open only to highly worthy church members. But other societies also have secret ceremonies. What about the Masons? What about the Knights of Columbus?

My aim here was to educate the readers a little about the Mormon church and take away a little mystery. Do not discount Mitt Romney because he is Mormon anymore than you should have discounted Kennedy because he was Catholic.

So Sayeth The Shack

DST About Money, Not Energy

This year, daylight savings time will begin a few weeks earlier and end a few weeks later than in the past, plunging early risers back into darkness and offering some extra light to the night owls.

The government claims that this is an energy-saving measure but I fail to see how any energy is saved. If it is dark for an extra hour in the morning we will use lights in the morning rather than in the evening. So where is the savings? Plus school kids will be heading to school or to bus stops in the dark for a time. I remember back in the 70s where we had year-round daylight savings time for a year. It was pitch dark going to school in the winter. Not exactly the safest thing.

I really think this is all about money. I think merchants and restaurant owners want the extra daylight in the evening so that people are more inclined to go shopping or out to eat after work, thereby spending money and increasing their business. I think these people have secretly lobbied congress to extend daylight savings time for several weeks. Energy has nothing to do with it.

So Sayeth The Shack

Poor Anne Nicole

So some real rich and famous person died a few days ago. Wow! Big deal! As far as I know, Every person who has ever lived on this earth, who is currently living, or who has yet to live, either has died or will die. It is pretty much inevitable. So why make such a big deal about it? Oh Yeah...she was rich, famous, a big celebrity. Wow! I think her death has gotten more coverage than that of former president Ford (which I also thought was excessive). Should I lower my flag to half staff? Maybe I should lower my underwear to half staff.

Don't get me wrong...it's sad that she died, especially at such a young age, but does there really need to be so much hoopla about it? I'm sure that when I die, no more than 3 people will know about it...a bit shy of the entire planet.

Oh and the big thing...she was depressed? Maybe on drugs? Wow! I think if I had as much money as she did, I would be able to keep from being depressed. They say money doesn't buy happiness, and she is a prime example. Nevertheless I think I would be just a bit happier if I weren't always running out of paycheck before I ran out of month.

So Sayeth The Shack

A Super Yawn

Wow! I haven't had a more boring Sunday evening in a long time! Of course I'm talking about the Super Bowl. The game itself was unexciting. After the first few posessions by the Bears, it was pretty much dullsville. The commercials were not all that great, either. And could they have found a worse halftime performer? I could not understand a word he (and I use that term loosely....more like an it...one of the ugliest things I've ever seen on stage) sang, or shouted or screamed or whatever he was doing. It was more like a bunch of noise. He gets paid for that? I could get up on stage and make a bunch of racket too. At least they had someone decent for the National Anthem so it didn't get murdered like it usually does. And it was pouring the whole game, so where were the wet cheerleaders? Come on guys! At least next Sunday it'll be back to Desperate Housewives.

So Sayeth The Shack

Global Warming Thoughts

In the light of yesterday's report on global warming (coincidentally released on the same day Punxatawney Phil predicted an early spring and just prior to one of the worst cold snaps in years), I would like to add my thoughts.

OK the planet is getting warmer. There is data that supports this and I will not question it.
We (people) are the cause of it. Well, maybe we are hurrying it along, but who is to say that it would not be occurring anyway? To determine that, we would have to remove all the people, turn back time, and see what would happen.

Our planet, at various times, has been both warmer and colder than it is now. There is fossil evidence and other data that indicates this. These warm and cold spells (ice ages) have occurred without the presence of humans on the planet, or at least before we were burning fossil fuels. These are natural cycles that the planet goes through over long periods of time.
Humans are not the only things that have impacted the climate and wrought changes in the weather. Volcanos have often thrown so much material high into the atmosphere so as to dim the sun and cool the earth for years afterwards. In addition, large meteors and asteriods have had similar effects.

My conclusion is what we are calling "global warming" is at least partly a natural cycle of the earth, climate and weather. Perhaps human activity is making it go faster than it would otherwise but I do not believe that we are completely responsible. That does not mean that we should not work on cutting back on our emissions and burning of fossil fuels. There are other compelling reasons to do this besides the global warming issue, such as availability and cost of these fuels (The fact that a small group of mostly unfriendly countries controls most the world supply). Just as importantly, if not more so, we need work on our adaptability if we are to survive as a species. As the earth warms, certain areas may become uninhabitable or unsuitable for growing food while other areas become better suited for living or growing crops. So we need to look for new areas to grow food and also consider the possibility of having to shift population from one area to another. This will require cooperation between nations, something that we, as humans, have not always been good at. But it is something that we will have to do if we are to continue to inhabit this planet.

So Sayeth The Shack