That was the decade that was....

Time, it seems, is full of misconception where people are concerned. Firstly, 1/1/10 is the start of a new decade. Anyone who thinks otherwise I'll be more than happy to welcome to the next decade when they get there a year later... But more than just being snarky about it, I can prove it.

Back around Christmas 1999 I was enjoying a Christmas Eve party with some family friends and was conversing with a nice young couple. I wished them well in the new Century and the husband chided me, telling me there was no year zero. He's a nice guy, well-educated and a creditable agent, like his father, with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. I gave him the opportunity to present his case.

I then asked him when he and his wife would have their first child. They smiled and reminded me about their seven-month old boy. I replied, "He's not one yet, so he doesn't exist.

That tattered relationship survived this particular conversation, but the point remains the same. We, as a people, have forgotten how to count. We forgot that fractions are elements of a greater whole. For a year to exist it must surely have started, but since it has not COMPLETED the full cycle it is NOT a year old at birth. Therefore, a seven-month old baby surely exists (unless of course you're baby-killing Liberal with a vacuum cleaner and an Obama bumper sticker....) and is well on his or her way to celebrating their FIRST birthday... or in other words a celebration of having lived one full year.

So when 1999 ended, the 20th century ended, because the 21st century had just been born and was well on its way toward it's first birthday (not a banner year, I'll grant you... but still important none-the-less...). I know it's splitting hairs and it's not really a major issue, however I dislike having to explain the very most basic elements of Temporal mechanics to lay-people. It's demoralizing to think we can't count properly.

But it's important to remember that we must maintain this information. If for no other reason than this...

"The Only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once."

I'm Dr. Calamity and I approve this message.
See you in the next decade, my friends...

They don't believe in Christmas even though they had it already...

The economy is in the tank, joblessness is officially 10.2 percent but more likely in the range of 18% thanks to "creative accounting" from our transparent government.

So the natural response to deal with this problem is for president hussein to drag major business leaders, academics (?!!!!!???!!!!!!!!!) and others to a job summit that doesn't even have as it's goal the core concept of job creation.

Now let's assess the situation:

1) Healthcare absorption: No time to delay. This is absolutely CRITICAL that it happen now.

2) Afghanistan: Sure... let's take a few months and then throw some troops in, but also we get to tell our enemies when we will be letting them alone to go ahead and do their thing (if only the Dems would do this with the Business world we'd rejoice...).

3) Cash for Clunkers: The U.S. Government bravely bought a bunch of cars and trashed them. Hell, paying the Crips to steal all those cars would have been more of a stimulus because then they could at least strip them down and sell them for parts. But NO, our beloved president hussein insisted that the vehicles just be trashed outright.

4) TARP: The U.S. Gov't. bravely bought a bunch of toxic property assets... or did they? No one really knows. The program is overseen by a Czar, isn't it? Last I heard Czars don't report to anyone but hussein. And now that money is going to get used for other programs, as per Nancy "Dragon Mama" Pelosi.

5) The Economy: Well shucks... they actually SAID they need to solve the Healthcare problem so hussein can start to concentrate on the economy. In other words, the economy doesn't impact upon HIS lifestyle, so why the hell would he care about us? No... the economy is not one of those things that the people don't want, so it's not being rammed down our throats with gleeful abandon.

So the Democrats were given a crap load of money to spend randomly without any long-term benefits, so THEY'VE had their Christmas already...

Meanwhile we are left to sit there and figure out not just "Can I buy my kids a toy for Christmas" but "Can I meet my mortgage payment for Christmas".

Are you better off now than you were two years ago?

Is anyone?

I'd really like to know.

I'm Dr. Calamity and I approve this message.