$150 Million in Stimulus Package for Honeybee Insurance

Yes, boys and girls, there is a line item in the stimulus package for honeybee insurance for $150 million. The stimulus package, at this point, is now sitting at a whopping $920 billion.

Don't get me wrong. I understand the need for the honeybee and that 1/3 of our food depends on the honeybee to pollinate our crops. My morning breakfast of oatmeal is sweetened with clover honey which I enjoy. However, I don't see the need to stuff yet another line item in the stimulus package for some special interest segment.

President Obama took on corporations and said that executives need to have their salaries capped at $500,000 and that the money given to them in loans cannot and will not be spent on executive bonuses. I agree with you, President Obama. There needs to be oversight on the money. Banks are using it to pay their executives and stockholders money while they refuse to lend money to businesses.

The porn industry has asked for $5 billion dollars in loans to prop up their businesses due to people cutting back on their porn spending. It seems like every industry has their hands out for the free money from the government. Since I can't find a job, I think I should apply for part of the stimulus package. I need only a couple of million dollars that's all. I should probably call my senators, Kay and John, and ask them about my check. They will probably tell me, "It's in the mail."

I included a link to the news segment on the honeybee insurance so you can see what's all the buzz about.

Panasonic to Cut 15,000 Jobs!

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Panasonic Corp, the world's No.1 plasma TV maker, warned it would post an annual loss of $4.2 billion and said it would cut about 15,000 jobs as it grapples with a stronger yen and slowing demand.

OUCH! I guess we didn't buy enough televisions during the Christmas holidays. People are spending their money on more important things like food, shelter and clothing. I think the days of the leisure spending are coming to an end.

I was chatting with a friend of mine about his leisure spending. He started to cut back on buying video games. When you consider how much we spend on things and how much we spend, it boggles the mind. I look at our own budget and was able to cut it back a lot. I have given a nickname to the frivolous items in our budget, "fluff and fold". I used this term after finding out that one of my friends was spending $800 a month to have someone wash, dry and fold the laundry. I think I'm in the wrong business. I need to open up a "fluff and fold" business.

Don't get me wrong. I, too, had items in my household budget that needed to go. Once they went, I felt better. I could actually look at jobs that paid less and still kept us afloat. Be prepared for more lay-offs.

CEOs Feel "Entitled" to Their Bonuses and Perks

I was watching a video on Reuters about CEOs and how they feel that they are entitled to their bonuses and all of their corporate perks. In the course of the news segment, a psychiatrist said that CEOs actually believe that they deserve their huge salaries, bonuses and perks by rationalizing it in their heads. Corporations say that they need to keep their talented CEOs by playing to their egos and greed.

No matter how you slice it, CEOs are getting larger and larger salaries while most Americans go without jobs. I wish I could say that I'm entitled to my job, but it didn't happen. I guess entitlement is something that belongs to the CEOs as a perk.

If you would like to view the video from Reuters, click here.

Bird Flu Research and the Stimulus Package

Did you also know that the stimulus package that Congress is working is about $885 billion and that we are spending $870 million on bird flu research. I know I sleep a lot sounder knowing that we are reseaching bird flu. Did you hear about the mass bird flu epedimic of 2009? According to the US government's own website on avian and pandemic flu information, China has reported its 6th case of bird flu this year. Oh, no! Last year, there were 44 cases of bird flu and 33 deaths globally. Nothing reported in the US. Do you realize that more people are killed in auto accidents on a daily basis than all of the bird flu deaths in one year?

Once again, thank your Congressman. You maybe unemployed with no medical insurance or hope for a new job, but you can rest assured that our government is throwing money at really big problems and cannot be worried about the little problems like its people.

Squash Anyone?

American Express and JPMorgan Chase, after having received, $28.4 billion in taxpayer bailout money sponsored a week-long squash tournament in New York. According to sources close to each company, JPMorgan Chase put up $100,000 and American Express put up $25,000.

During the same week the tournament was going on, Congress was denouncing Wall Street's wasteful spending of taxpayer bailout money.

I know I didn't get an invitation to the squash tournament. I would have enjoyed hobnobbing with the rich and famous and a rousing game of squash while wondering what the poor folk were doing. I am truly glad to see our taxpayer dollars are being used to sponsor squash games.

EBay Winners Tell Struggling Atlanta Family: Take the $20G, Keep Your Stuff

Hope for mankind! Yes, once again, I have found a story that tells me that we need to come together as neighbors helping neighbors.

A family in Altanta, Georgia struggling with medical bills and two disabled sons put up all of their belongings in their house for sale on Ebay. A couple, Donnia and Keith Blair of Texas, won the auction for $20,000. They said that they would honor the terms of the auction with only one change to the stipulation. The family in Atlanta had to agree to keep their belongings.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the couple in Texas proves to me that we are all capable of helping one another. You should read the whole story for yourself and find ways to help those in need. You don't have to go far in your communities. Just put down that $4 cup of coffee and look around. I have attached a link to the complete article on the Fox News website.

Link to article.

Congress Has Sold Us a Crock and We are Dancing to the Bailhouse Rock

I was watching Mike Huckabee's program on Fox News Network. He had a parody song that summed up the way Americans feel about the bailout program. I would like to share that video with you.

Mike and the Little Rockers simply rock! Thanks, Mike! My wife and I supported your bid for the Presidency.