Prayer Request

I was just informed by one of my co-workers that our co-worker, Tony, had a stroke over the weekend. He was in a coma until yesterday, when he came out of it to find that his right side (except for a toe and a finger) is paralyzed. He can move his left foot and hand.

Please add Tony to your prayers. He is one of the sweetest guys in the whole company, always has a smile for everyone and is the first to ask you how you doing whenever he sees you.

Tony has two children and a wife. He and his family have gone through some rough times. One of their children passed away just last year.

God Bless

Some thoughts

#1. Do we really care who won idol? Other a couple of winners (Carrie Underwood comes to mind), most Idol winners drift off never again to be heard.
#2. I feel sorry for Jon, Kate and the eight, but frankly, I don't think their marriage issues are news. I don't want to hear about them and I don't watch their show. So, why do I care if they sit side by side or not?
#3. Teddy Update: He's either the dumbest cat I've ever own or the bravest. He tried yesterday morning to take on M'Lady. Little guy was taking his life in his paws doing that. When she smacked him, he ran right back for more. Hope he grows up big and strong, because he's going to get his butt kicked for that kind of behavior. Also, he's a fast learner -- he's been up and down the basement steps when we've gone done them, but this morning, I caught him pushing open the cat door and coming up all by himself. Pretty good for a little guy that weighs 2.5 pounds.
#4. How the HELL did Michael Vick get out of prison so soon?!? Please, NFL, don't reinstate him.
#5. Shut up, Dick Cheney, shut up. And, while I'm at it, shut up the entire GOP and let's stuff a sock into the mouth of Rush Limbaugh. For 8 years, we did it your way and where are we now? Deeply in debt, engaged in two wars (we haven't properly prepared our young men and women to fight) and we're up a creek without a paddle. I don't agree with everything President Obama's doing, but let's stand behind him and let him do it. We gave President Bush a bunch of free passes after 9/11 and we should do the same for Obama. Now, I'm not saying that as regular citizens we shouldn't write letters to our representatives or even to the editor of our local papers, but I'm tired of the GOP leaders opening their mouths to critize. Enough all ready!
#6. If you don't like the way the country is heading, then do something about it.

God Bless

Kitten

I had planned on writing a post about a Business Week article I read about private equity firms, but I started answering emails this morning and I'm running out of time. I need to jump in the shower. Plus, trying to do anything on my computer is nearly impossible due to the new tiny addition to our family. He likes to sit on my laptop and be the center of attention.

His name is Theodore Roosevelt, but we call him Teddy because he looks like a little Teddy Bear.

God Bless

Palin and Miss California

To read Palin's remarks that prompted this article, click here.

I find it humorous that Miss California claims to be non-supporting of Gay Marriage because of her Christian roots, but those same roots didn't stop her from posing nude.  Nor, from participating in a beauty pagent.  I don't think watching young women walk around in bikinis is very Christian, but that might just be me.

Further, while I support Miss California's right to believe whatever she wants and to speak out about it and Sarah Palin's right, too; their both wrong.  You can't claim you want the protection that the Consitution grants you, but you don't want someone else to have equal rights that are also granted by that same Constitution. 

Finally, I find it laughable that everytime a so-called "Conservative" is attacked for their views, it is a liberal attack.  There are people on both sides of the aisle that support Gay Marriage, so the attack is neither liberal nor conservative.  I wish Sarah Palin would just crawl back to Alaska and stay quiet.  She's one of the reasons I didn't vote for McCain.  And, she's one of the reasons the Republican Party won't be willing any landslides in the near future.  They've left their roots behind to climb on the right-wing Christian band wagon and it's costing them big time now.

God Bless

Corporate Taxes And Healthcare

Have you read this week's Business Week? On page 20, the Mandel on Economics article is about slashing Corporate taxes from 35% to 25%. That's a pretty big slash and it would mean that Corporations would pay a smaller percent than the highest taxed individual. On top of that, Corporations all ready only account for 10% of the Federal Government's revenue. Slashing their taxes would only bring that figure down AND it wouldn't guarantee that they would create jobs here at home.
In an article just a couple of pages along, Catherine Arnst writes that some CEOs are behind the "new, federally funded insurer" plan "that would expand coverage by competing with private health insurers." For once, I agree with the Republicans that this is a bad idea, but not for the same reasons.
I realize that we have to get the healthcare costs in hand and that premiums have risen faster than anything else, but if we let our corporations pay less in taxes and not have to be responsible for the people they hire, we're not helping anyone. We're moving more costs to the government and less on the backs of the companies who helped incur them.
Why can't we throw out the tax code all together and create a new one that gives companies incentives to create American jobs and cover benefits by paying lower taxes? Why should we just lower the taxes across the board and give them government benefits that allow them to put out even less for their employees? Won't this just tax the American worker that much more?

God Bless

Quick Thoughts

Since the site is called Top of My Head, I thought I'd post some items truly off the Top of My Head.

1. The Governor of Texas thinks that Texas should be its own country. Well, I agree. Think about it -- nothing good has ever come out of Texas. Let's all get together, take a vote and vote Texas off this island called the United States of America. But, don't let Texans come and try to invade the rest of us. Make them get Visas before they're allowed to cross the border. And, instead of building a huge fence across the Mexican border, let's build it at the Texas state line. Besides, they only joined up with us in the first place because Texas couldn't live peacefully with Native Americans. Texas being annexed into the United States was one of the causes of the Mexican American War. Let them go and this time, don't let them come back.
2. Any television station that actually gives the octomom her own reality show should never be watched by anyone ever again. The show should tank and we should all refuse to watch any show on that network, until it's network president agrees to be spanked on national TV because of his or her bad decision.
3. Friends shouldn't let friends sing Karaoke if the friend truly can't sing. I don't care how much you like the song. Also, friends should not put in songs under other people's names. It isn't funny. It rarely goes well -- unless said friend truly can sing and is just shy. And, it annoys those of us who can sing and are waiting our turn to watch some drunk man or woman screech through a song they don't know. Knock it off, people. Karaoke is serious business.
4. Lewis Black is a comedic genius and we should all listen to him.
5. Cheryl should allow me to get a new kitten and, if you know her, please tell her so. I miss Mr. Mann more than I thought I would and we need to have three cats in our house. I know the new kitten could never take his place or even act like him, but she has taken over the other two cats in our lives and now, I feel as if I'm catless.
6. I just lost yet another diamond out of my grandmother's rings. Does anyone know a really, really good and rebutable jeweler?
7. Does anyone know if you have to be a Veteran or a government employee in order to get a job with the government? There's openings everywhere, but I can't understand all that job rating stuff.

God Bless

Work

In these hard economic times, I truly wonder why some people have jobs while others are out looking.

I have one co-worker who is not only passive-agressive; she is also a lazy ass who doesn't want to put in an honest days work for an honest day's pay. You know the type, the one that wants all of the answers handed to her on a silver platter, so she doesn't have to do any of the research or put any thought into the effort. Then, she goes around telling everyone how mind numbing her job is and how she doesn't think she can take two years (we're on the same project) of this boring work. Meanwhile, she hasn't done one constructive thing in well over a year. If you disagree with the one independent thought she has each week, she badgers you until you either lose your temper or give in. Both of which I am ashamed to admit, I've done.

I have another co-worker who spends more time checking Yahoo than working. First thing this morning, she IM's me to ask if I had checked Yahoo yet this morning. While I have nothing against Yahoo, it is almost never on my list of things to check in the morning. She thought the Cinco De Mayo graphic was funny.

<sigh>

Isn't anybody besides me working?

God Bless

Chrysler's Plant Closing

Let me get this straight -- my tax dollars went to bailout Chrysler and the thanks I get for this is unemployed neighbors in Kenosha? And, to top it off, this car company is going to leave a plant opened in Mexico. Well, isn't that just special?
Now, I loved the Dodge Dakota truck I used to have and drove for 150,000 miles. And, I realize that my Suzuki I have driven for the past 8 years and 202,000 miles was made in a foreign country. Consider this full disclosure.
But, I don't think my tax dollars should be allowed to be given over to a company who is going to put Americans out of work and let a Mexican plant remain open.
And, I don't think I'll ever buy another Chrysler again.
God Bless