I can remember when I was in college, one of my favorite courses was sociology. I found that topic very fascinating, so I learned a lot. One of the things that the professor taught the class, was the “official” definition of what “upper,” “middle” and “lower” classes were. According to the definition we were taught in class, the “upper class” were people who had really “old” money – many generations of wealth, going back as far as the Mayflower or longer. The “middle” class were the “new” money people like the Kennedys and the Bushes and most of our political leaders. These people have had tons of money for several generations.
Those of us who are “self made” wealthy, well, we’re just “upper-lower class” according to that principle. And, to be politically correct, we no longer call the “lower” class by the term “lower.” To be politically correct, we call the “lower” class the “working class.”
So it was with much surprise that I read an article on the Internet today at Investopedia that suggests that what I was taught as “working class” is in fact, in many cases, considered to be “middle class.” Are you as confused as I am?
Since the I saw on the news last week that we were all out of Iraq I haven’t heard or seen much online or on the TV about the “war being over”. In fact the few people that I’ve talked to about this didn’t even know about the convoy that was videoed leaving Iraq.
Last night while doing a bit of channel surfing I did see a news headline that stated that there is actually still 50 thousand of our military troops still in Iraq. What’s going on?
I saw this guy on a news program and immediately went onto YouTube.com and looked the video up. I was surprised to find so many videos regarding preachers that are caught on tape with strong words coming out of their mouth. But this guy is the best, check it out.
Last night’s TV was full of special coverages of the last convoy carrying the last of our American Troops out of Iraq. The word is that the war is over. I’m not sure how I feel about that and I think that that statement remains to be seen.
It is encouraging to know that real estate sales are on the rise. The majority of real estate agents are walking around once again with a smile and a bounce in their step because of this increase in sales. A good amount of these sales are due to the real estate stimulus efforts by our Federal Government. One of their better judgment calls as of late.
Giving first time home buyers a nice tax credit has made a major impact on so many people and has people who would have never even thought about buying a house looking around to see what they can find. And now they have extended this tax credit, once again, and it’s including other options as well. Folks that have lived five years consecutively in the past eight years can receive up to $6,500 from Uncle Sam.
I’ve found a good overview of the extension at Coldwell Banker’s web site, they have an interesting short video that I’ve placed below for your information. This can mean some serious money so it’s good to try and get the word out, if you know what I mean. Once again I have to thank YouTube.com for allowing us to view videos such as this one.
My good friend Judy knows how much I love animals. She emailed me a link to a fantastic video about a herd of white deer. I found it so interesting, I’d like to share it with you. I hope you find it as interesting as I do!
I was at work the other day when a man came in and said that there had been a terrorist attack in Texas. An small plane had crashed into an IRS building somewhere in Texas! My immediate thought was that was no terrorist attack; it was a disgruntled taxpayer! Later on I heard on the news that it was, in fact, a disgruntled man who had been at war with the IRS for thirty years! The man had set his house on fire first! I heard that his wife & son escaped (good grief, he wanted to kill his own family?) before setting off to crash his plane. I have to say that I’m glad it wasn’t a terrorist attack, but I’m sorry that the guy went so crazy that he went to such drastic actions of violence!
A few months ago my brother bought a wireless light switch for me to use on my bedside table lamp. I didn’t really feel I needed one, but it was a gift from someone who loved me, so I gratefully and dutifully plugged it in. Today I was reading the Consumer Reports Shopsmart magazine for January 2010 and saw it featured in their recall article as being a fire hazard! So I have just unplugged the switch and plan to call the toll free number and hope that they will issue a refund of some sort! I never would have know about this recall if I hadn’t read that magazine! I think maybe I should subscribe to it!
When I hear about all of the different natural disasters that occur around the world, I have to wonder if there is anyplace on earth that is really and truly safe? It seems that everywhere has SOMETHING catastrophic just waiting around the corner!
My prayers and best wishes go out to the people of Haiti, the victims, their friends and family, and the many rescuers that have arrived or who are on their way to help. It truly is amazing how many countries and people are putting aside their difference and rising to the occassion and trying to help!
I was watching the news and was interested in the story about the strange lights in the night sky last night over Norway. The lights were spiral in shape – it reminded me of an old necklace I was given by an aunt many years ago. That was inexpensive costume jewelry that she said she wore back in the 60′s and 70′s – the Hippie days. Anyway, apparently the Russians are saying that the light show was caused by a missile misfire. I wonder if the missile was supposed to have been fired for some kind of secret test and if it fired wrong, or exactly what happened. Scary thoughts cross my mind when I hear about missile tests!
In this economy, people are trying to save money everywhere they possibly can. For quite a while now, I’ve been hearing about being able to buy eyeglasses for as low as $8.00 a pair at the Zenni Optical website. Pretty soon it will be time for me to get a new pair of glasses, so I will be checking them out for sure!
I’ve been hearing that they have been discussed on popular radio shows, and that they were mentioned an article that was discussing ways to save money on eye care in the New York Times newspaper as a good place to get cheap back-up glasses. I checked out their website and found a good looking pair of $8 glasses that I would consider buying. I like the shape and the color; they are similar to what I already wear.
My biggest concern about buying glasses over the Internet is getting them to fit on my face once they arrive. I have a very short temple, for one thing. Another thing is that I seem to recall when I buy glasses from a local place they take great care to take measurements that include where my pupil falls in relation to the frame. I don’t know how those issues would be taken care of in the case of buying glasses over the Internet.
My boyfriend and I were talking about groundhog day, and how it is fast approaching. I think the entire concept of groundhog day is a little bit silly – waking up a poor hibernating critter to see if it sees its shadow or not is just plain silly. If it’s sunny out, of course it is going to see its shadow (if it looks!) Just let the poor thing sleep for crying out loud! I mean they say if he sees his shadow, it’s six more weeks of winter, if he doesn’t, then we’ll have spring in six weeks. Well, what is the difference? Six of one, half a dozen of the other. It makes no sense at all to me, really!
I never got to see this video when it was first aired on television, but I’m seeing it now on the Internet! This is the video that has been on the Television news lately. I think it’s a riot, but it does not do anything to lower my opinion of his ability to be in politics! I’ve always liked Al Franken, I think he is a very smart, and very funny man. But it is obvious to me that he is very concerned about the state of world and I think he will do a good job in the Senate. I hope that they certify him soon so he can get in there and start working!
i was reading on the Internet about the big controversy over the Indian firms Satyam, and how that is going to effect many US companies that have used them to outsource their work. Many companies moved their work from the USA to India because it was saving them 15% to 20% of their labor costs.
I understand the desire of a company to save money on their labor costs, but this outsourcing to other countries is one of the big reasons that our economy here in the USA is in so much trouble. I would really like to see these jobs coming back here. I know that other countries are suffering economically, but charity is supposed to begin at home, isn’t it?
I was delighted to read that the courts have delayed the order to remove the Bratz dolls from store shelves until the end of this year. I was really sorry to have heard the news a while back that the Mattel Corporation had won their lawsuit over the Bratz dolls and that the dolls had to be removed from the shelves. It seems to me that there could have been some kind of compromise going on there! The little girls that I know have both Barbie AND Bratz dolls, and love them both equally! I think there is room in the market for both dolls.
I was quite disturbed to hear that the Republican National Committee decided to spend $150,000 on new clothes for Sarah Palin! Isn’t she the one who has been campaigning as being the “average hockey mom” type of person? I don’t know any hockey moms that have a $150,000 clothing budget! Doesn’t this elitist purchase undermine the message that she is “one of us?” I don’t know about you, but I spend less than $500 a year on clothes for myself. I got the impression that she was trying to appeal to the people who make an average of $30,000 annual salary (or less.) How is she going to appeal to them if she has spent five times their annual salary on CLOTHES? The RNC is “justifying” it by saying that the clothes will be donated to charity after the election. I’m not quite sure how that is supposed to make the purchase any more palatable to the average hockey mom voter.
I was reading a story on the yahoo news website about how 170 wedding guests were rushed to the hospital after someone mistakenly added powdered rust remover to the stew being served to the guests, thinking it was salt. What is up with all of these problems with food products and poison and China? Don’t they label their products? For crying out loud, someone should have put the skull and crossbones on that package of rust remover!
Well, today’s big news seems to be how the stock market has enjoyed the biggest increase since the Great Depression – it went up almost 1,000 points! I imagine that the people who bought stock during the past week must be ecstatic over how much money they made today! What an incredible game the stock market it. I hope that all of the people that just held onto their stocks instead of participating in that panic selling off are proud of themselves for being smart enough to just hang on!
I watched the big debate on television last night, as I’m sure millions of other people did. I was really disappointed in how many times McCain was using untrue statements. I used to think that he would make a good president, but now I think that this country would be in really big trouble if he got into office. We don’t need someone running the country that would be resorting to spreading lies about his competitor during the campaign. We need someone we can trust to be honest with us, and he has proven that he won’t be honest with us. That’s really too bad.
I was shocked to read a news story on a website called salon.com that there is an international reporter that has worked for both the Obama campaign and the McCain campaign, essentially to scope them out and get a story for her paper, which is called NRC Handelsblad. What I was shocked about was reading that the McCain campaign was having her (and others) ghost write letters to the editor from fake people who were singing the praises of the Republican candidates! These letters were to be used by the campaign to be sent around the country to different newspapers to be (hopefully) printed out as “real” letters to the editor! The intent, of course, was to generate votes for the Republican party!
I was very disappointed to hear that this kind of activity is going on behind the scenes of the campaign!
