Thursday Thirteen--Cleaning the desk top

For many years when I was working at the Veterinary Medicine Library at Ohio State, I would have an annual review with my boss, Jay Ladd. He always did this in my office rather than his, because that way he could look around and see how things were progressing in my library (located a mile or so from the Main Library). Of course, you want to make a good impression, so we’d make sure the public areas were neat and dusted. But what to do about the mess in my office? I soon perfected this method. Scoop up everything on the top of my side desk, computer desk and top of the filing cabinets and dump ot into a large box which would then go under my desk (not visible to anyone but me). What I learned from many years of doing this was that if I left the box unpacked for 6-8 weeks or so, most of the “to do” list just disappeared.

Since Christmas (or maybe before) the clutter in my home office has been growing. So this morning, it all went into a box. I need a list of 13 things, so this will just scratch the surface of what's in the box.

1) Garage Slab, vol. 1, no. 1. This goes with my hobby bloggy, In the beginning, but I just got this one last week and haven’t entered the information yet.

2) Three 8 x 10 group photos of class reunions. I do that blog too, MMHS1957 and I think one of them is missing, but although I pulled out the photos, I haven’t checked yet.

3) A recipe for pie pastry and apple pie on a 3 x 6 lined index card found in a library book. Beautiful handwriting. Appears to be exactly the same as what I learned from my mother who was the best pie baker east of the Mississippi River.

4) 4 or 5 returned Christmas cards. Need to change the addresses in my records, but haven’t yet. Computers are not handy that way.

5) My I-Touch that I’ve never learned to use, inside a small plastic case designed for a calendar.

6) My little notebook for new words--one of my 2009 New year’s resolutions.

7) The warranty and instructions for my 1979 lighted make-up mirror, but the lady who wanted to buy it never sent me the money.

8) An empty bottle of Valu-Dryl I was using to look up the ingredients for my husband’s winter cold 4 weeks ago.

9) 215 photographs to put in a new album for our 50th anniversary event. The album is a Martha Stewart (too big for the box so it’s on the couch) on sale for about $7, and Walgreens was having a sale, $.15 per print. That way I don't have to take old albums apart. These were all stored on my computer.

10) A lighted magnifying glass that doesn’t work too great--should probably toss it.

11) A 2010 calendar of daily phrases in German. However, there’s no pronunciation guide, and I don’t know German. Must be why it was for sale at Marc’s for about 88 cents. It could be a note pad if I turn it over.

12) A letter and stack of genealogy information from 2nd cousin once removed Marianne in Iowa who is 93.

13) Several weeks’ worth of church newsletters with names checked of people I need to send cards to, but haven't gotten around to it.

That’s only the top inch or so. I have a ways to go.

This cleaning method only works if you don’t stop to put anything away while you’re filling the box. The original dump only takes a few minutes. Once you begin sorting, shelving and filing, it’s an all day job.
------------
Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others’ comments. It’s easy, and fun!

Really bad frugal living tips

Driving home from the coffee shop this morning, I heard a review of a frugal tips book currently getting air play and pixels. The worst was "use a beauty school student instead of your regular hair dresser and pay only $20." Well, why not go really cheap and cut it yourself, or let your husband and/or girl friend do it? No thanks. I pay about $90 every 7 weeks, and I'm fine with that. I help the local economy and a small business woman. Melissa (Shear Impressions) owns her own business, attends the same church we do, graduated from Grandview H.S., is about my children's age, and I've known her since she finished her own schooling about 25 years ago and worked for David Keith. We can pick up the chat where we left off in December, she calls if I've forgotten, and I can buy the products I like at her shop. One time I had to have a work-in because I'd scheduled wrong, and was planning to leave town for a class reunion. There was another younger gal renting a chair from Melissa, so she took me. "Your reunion?" she cooed. "Oh, honey, let's jazz it up a bit." For six weeks, I was about as blonde as Marilyn Monroe, whose real name was Norma, remember.


I had my first professional hair cut for another class event--the eighth grade trip to Chicago. (I'm the one in the middle.) Before that, my mother chopped away at it with her sewing shears. I'm sure she read up on it, but. . . She also gave us home permanents. Whew! Did they smell.


Most women I know would give up their church before they'd give up their veterinarian or their hair dresser.

Bare foot walking, pt. 4

Remember last summer when I was walking barefoot in the grass in an effort to ease some foot problems? My theory, as I recall, was that the grass would stimulate the nerves in my feet which had started to hurt after wearing a certain pair of sandals. And in the course of my very brief research, I learned that barefoot we walk and run differently than when we wear shoes. Keep in mind, however, in many countries parasites enter the body through bare feet. But here are some bare truths from Nature Magazine which I just received today.

Runners in sports shoes run differently from those who run barefoot and who have never worn shoes. Research published online by Nature this week shows that unshod runners land on their toes, or the foreparts of the sole (fore-foot strike), whereas shod runners tend to land on their heels (rear-foot strike). The first style of running uses the body of the foot to cushion the leg and body from the shock of impact, whereas shod runners might run more risk of impact-related injury.

Watch the video free online on the Nature Video YouTube channel.

And of course, always watch for dog poop. Not fun between the toes.

Itsy bitsy contact lenses

Even in the summer, I rarely wear sunglasses, although I have in recent years purchased big giant ones that cover about 1/3 of my face and just place them over my regular glasses (I wear trifocals). Research done at Ohio State shows we should wear them even in the winter, and if you wear contacts, you can have UV blocking lenses. Little rabbits wore them to test their effectiveness. I don't even want to know how they found out they were or weren't affected. (But if you read the original, it will tell you.) From OSUToday:

"Heather Chandler, PhD, assistant professor, and a group of researchers from The Ohio State University College of Optometry found that UV blocking contact lenses protect the eyes from harmful UV rays.

According to the article (“Prevention of UV-Induced Damage to the Anterior Segment Using Class I UV Absorbing Hydrogel Contact Lenses”), overexposure to UV radiation can lead to harmful changes in the cornea, conjunctiva and lens, including cataracts, the most common cause of visual impairment around the globe. According to the researchers, some estimates say that by the year 2050, there will be 167,000 to 830,000 more cases of cataracts.

“Unfortunately, people are generally unaware of when their eyes are at greatest risk for damage from UV exposure,” said Dr. Chandler. “This research involving UV-absorbing contact lenses can provide another option for protection against the detrimental changes caused by UV.

The study exposed rabbits daily to the equivalent of about 16 hours of exposure to sunlight in humans — enough to induce UV-associated corneal changes. The rabbits who wore UV-absorbing contact lenses (Senofilcon A) were not affected by the UV exposure."

Looks like I should be paying more than five bucks for my sunglasses, too. Yes, and we should be wearing sunblock year around, however, in Ohio, we are so thrilled to see sunshine, we rarely think about blocking it.

Who’s more dangerous, Rana or O’Keefe?

Tahawwur Hussain Rana, the Canadian Pakistani who has been living and working in Chicago for 15 years in the immigration business and is accused of helping in the Mumbai, India, terrorist attacks and the terrorist attack on a Danish newspaper, got 2 lines yesterday in the New York Times for pleading not guilty. However, James O’Keefe the journalist famous for his ACORN tax-advice-for-pimps video scoop, got a ton of ink and pixels in the NYT for a possible felony arrest stemming from a trespassing incident in Mary Landrieu’s office--sort of a libertarian Woodward and Bernstein act for the other team. (That one's OK--investigative journalism. . . sniff!) We all knew she took that perfectly legal bribe on behalf of Louisiana--she corrected the amount to a larger figure on national TV. So if he was involved in something dangerous or illegal to get a story, sort of makes you wonder what he was looking for.

From the left wing media angle, exposing ACORN's moral bankruptcy is a far more serious crime than blowing up hotels and killing innocent people. So he'll need some darn good lawyers. You'll have to google up an Indian paper or a Canadian one to get much detail on Rana. Or you could wade through the NYT archives for an AP story.

Update: September 2012: Story on Rana and Headley.

Rousseau

Glenn Beck's been hitting the progressives pretty hard--and much of what those of us my age and younger (that would be most of the nation) know as the good old USA. Needless to say, we're getting a bit defensive. Oh sure, Hitler and Stalin are flip sides of the same coin and need a good smack, but Teddy Roosevelt? This morning in reading a piece by Nancy Pearcy editor at large of The Pearcey Report, I read this:

"Most of the ideologies that bloodied the 20th century were influenced by Rousseau. His writing inspired Robespierre in the French Revolution, as well as Marx, Lenin, Mussolini, Hitler, and Mao. So if you get a grip on Rousseau's thinking, you have a key to understanding much of the modern world."

She goes on to describe how he hypothesized that human relationships "are not ultimately real; instead they are secondary, or derivative, created by individual choice. . . . his most influential work opens with the famous line, "Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains." He did not mean chains of political oppression, as we Americans might think. For Rousseau, the really oppressive relationships were personal ones like marriage, family, church, and workplace." And what will liberate us according to Rousseau, she asks?

"The state. The state would destroy all social ties, releasing the individual from loyalty to anything except itself. Rousseau spelled out his vision with startling clarity: "Each citizen would then be completely independent of all his fellow man, and absolutely dependent on the state." No wonder his philosophy inspired so many totalitarian systems."

Rousseau and his mistress abandoned their five children on the steps of a state-run orphanage, Pearcey writes, even though most died or became beggars. Rousseau thought the state better qualified to raise children than the parents. In his own case, he might have had a point.

Today the government approves and encourages aborting them if they are inconvenient or not perfect; it spends their money before they are born turning them into beggars more dependent on the state.

Quotations from "Rousseau," A Faith and Culture Devotional, Daily readings in art, science and life, by Kelly Monroe Kullberg and Lael Arrington, Zondervan, 2009, p. 225-226.

A sad day in Lakeside

The auction of Abigail's Tea Room. Two years ago it sold and we all had high hopes, but it didn't work out. Then last year there was a temporary tenant, and that didn't draw enough customers. Now the two cottages joined at the hip that once were the Abigail will be auctioned with the contents. http://www.auctionzip.com/Listings/785947.html

Here's a photo of a painting I did of the Abigail a number of years ago.


Yes, you can't see much--it was mostly covered with vines in the summer, usually with people waiting to get in. If you already have another job, wouldn't you like to open a restaurant 12 weeks during the summer?

HT Wes

Norma's Mushroom Soup

After my husband brought home some wonderful cream of mushroom soup from Malabar Farms Restaurant on Sunday, I decided I wanted to try making it. I googled, and I asked on FB, but didn't find or hear anything that resembled what I tasted. So I made it up, using what I do with all vegetable soups. Broth, potatoes, onions, a blender, plus half and half or milk or canned milk and whatever is the vegetabe of the day--broccoli or sweet potato or carrot. Here's how it worked out.

1 can (8 oz.) beef broth
2 medium size potatoes, peeled, cut in small chunks
1 medium onion

Cook together until soft, then removed the solids and run through the blender. Return to the broth.

Add 8 oz. half and half, or whatever you have. If you want fewer calories, use milk.

Meanwhile saute 8 oz or so of sliced or chopped fresh mushrooms (mine were organic from Canada) in a little olive oil. While cooking (shrinks), sprinkle with a little flour, pepper and thyme. Stir frequently. When the mushrooms have browned, add to the broth/potato mixture.

I checked some on-line recipes that used a little sherry, but I didn't have any so I sprinkled in a little Merlot, maybe a TBsp. Tastes great.

I decided to use beef broth instead of chicken, which I usually use. It just sounded better with mushrooms. The potatoes, in any vegetable soup, provides the thickening. Plus, I think it makes the soup much more hearty than making a white sauce.

If you have a better one or a favorite--let me know. I'd invite you over for lunch but you probably live in Florida, Georgia or California.

This in the blog so I don't lose it.

The Scott heard 'round the world

Is there any explanation we haven't heard? The silliest was that the voters are angry that health reform hasn't happened. Wow. Is that a misintrepretation. The second silliest was that Obama didn't get his message out. However, he's just one man, and not really all that conservative on other issues, but winning that seat is historic. Neo-neocon after watching Greta's piece on him (Fox) writes

"It struck me that, less than a week after the Brown election, we’ve already heard more good things from friends of the previously-unknown Brown than we’ve heard about Obama from his friends in the more than two years he’s been in the spotlight. In fact, if it weren’t for Obama’s shady friends—the ones he suddenly wasn’t all that friendly with, or whose dirty deeds he hadn’t really known that much about after all, such as Ayers, Rezko, and Wright—we’d think him nearly friendless."

She's always worth reading--on any topic. And it would seem that some lefties are getting nasty. Now they are throwing Obama, hope and change under the bus--getting crowded down there. That's how you can tell they weren't real Democrats. Those guys stick with their man through thick and thin, scandal and mayhem.

Haggis, neeps and tatties

Today is Robert Burns birthday (b. Jan 25, 1759) the traditional time for Burns Suppers in Scotland and serving haggis, neeps and tatties. We're going to a Burns dinner this week-end and it's traditional for the guests to perform and the hosts to serve the food. Not sure what they'll serve or we'll do. But we missed several Christmas and New Year's events due to my husband's cold, so we're a bit starved for some good food and conversation. Yup. This is how old people party.

Here's a note from last year's blog about this event. "My husband and I both have surnames that travelled with invaders to Britain during the Norman invasion in 1066, which means our origins were French, then again into Scotland, but with so much mixing and matching over the centuries, especially in the British Isles, who knows really? We are both 8th or 9th generation Americans, with families that originally settled in Pennsylvania after getting off the boat before the Revolution, then traveling further west and south in the next generations and intermarrying with boatloads of Germans, some of whom kept their language for almost 100 years. Lots of Presbyterians in our family trees. . . his more recently than mine."

What is haggis? "Haggis is a meat dish which is made by stuffing a sheep or cow stomach with offal, oatmeal, and an assortment of spices, and then boiling the dish until it is thoroughly cooked."

What is neeps? Peeled and chopped turnips. I actually like this dish and used to serve it to the family on mystery vegetable night. Lots of Scots descendants in Appalachia and grandpa loved his turnips.

What is tatties? Mashed potatoes.

Stalking the evil French fry again!

Noticed this at OSU Today: "Ohio State researchers are looking for healthy MEN ONLY, ages 35-65, who are overweight (body mass index 25-40). You may be reimbursed up to $415 for your time and participation in research on how psychological stress boosts the unhealthy effects of fast foods in ways that could promote obesity and heart disease."

Fat men rejoice. No one cares if you eat home made cookies and pie, lasagna and spaghetti, steak and potatoes, when you're under stress. And if you've already participated in the Yoga and breast cancer study, then don't sign up for this.

Ritalin for the elderly

Today I was going to blog about the use of Ritalin (methylphenidate) for children who are ADHD or ADD. It is one of the most frequently prescribed medications since it gained FDA approval in the 1980s, working as a stimulant to improve the symptoms of poor concentration, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness. I'm agin it, as you might suspect. However, as I was reading its affects on the body, I wondered if it had been used with older people. And yes, says one of my favorite science writers, Tara Parker Pope, at the Well Blog of the NYT. There are small studies that show it improves balance and walking in the elderly, and possibly cognitive ability. Also has been used in depression studies.

"Fundamental change"

That is getting to be a really ugly phrase from government officials. And it isn't just our president; it was building long before he set his cap for becoming the most powerful man on the plant. I saw it today in a JAMA editorial, "Extra calories cause weight gain--but how much?" The up side is, no one knows. The down side is, the government will take action anyway.

There's a lot of interesting detail in this editorial. For instance, in the 1970s women age 20-29 had a mean body mass of 23; 30 years later the same group had a BMI of 29, representing a weight gain of 35 lbs (16 kg). I've been to a lot of class reunions over the years, and I'd say that's shy 10 lbs or so.

Also, did you know that in theory if you ate just one more chocolate chip cookie each day, you'd gain hundreds of pounds in your life time? But you don't. Why? Because after you reach a certain weight, it takes a lot of those cookie calories just to maintain your weight gain. The same principle applies to weight loss through calories restriction and increased exercise. That same body will attempt to conserve energy, and after you reach your goal and go back to eating normally, you gain weight rapidly.

[Pause here to wipe off my fingers--I'm eating chips.]

So the conclusion after weighing all the evidence is,

"An effective public health approach to obesity prevention will require fundamental changes in the food supply and the social infrastructure. Changes of this nature depend on more stringent regulation of the food industry, agricultural policy informed by public health, and investments by government in the social environment to promote physical activity."

Last night for dinner I had one skinless chicken thigh, baked, beans and rice, fresh strawberries -- and two donut holes. I'd had my other fruits and veggies earlier in the day. Just let the government come knocking at my door for those donut holes.

Missing Mom

January 24, 2000

A blog about prisons

I've been in a number of prisons, not as a prisoner, but as a visitor primarily following the same guy through the system until after seven years or so he was "shock parolled" after his 5th wife was murdered by her boyfriend leaving a baby to raise. I guess the parole board thought he was the guy to do it. The reason he had a baby was that he had escaped in the prison garbage truck and they left town together.

Yesterday the Conestoga group met at the Ohio Historical Society (now open only on Saturdays due to budget cuts by the state) to hear David Meyers talk about the local music scene. Wonderful presentation with great photos. David has over 4,000 pages of manuscript on this topic and a huge rare record collection--that's sort of what a fascination with local history can do. But he has also written about Ohio's prisons, and his latest book is out. While checking that web page I came across his blog, Central Ohio's Historic Prisons. Because of Dave's encyclopedic interests in music, records, film, prisons, local history (he also worked on Columbus Unforgettables series now out of print), screen writing, religion and family, he somehow manages to merge all of them in his blog--with photos. See the record labels about the great Ohio Penitentiary fire, April 21, 1930! And did you know the Professor of psychology at OSU who coined the term "moron" was once the coach of the USC Trojans? It's all on Dave's blog. Ah, a blogger after my own heart.

He's also on Facebook, and a member of UALC for you locals.

Should you forward a chain letter?

I don't. But you have to decide. Some I check out and if they prove to be true, and I think the message is reasonable, factual and important for people who stop by here, I will post excerpts or direct to it. A recent one was "Luteran Airlines" which I posted (after checking) on my faith blog. It was hysterical. One of the reasons I fact check is that although there may be parts of it that are true, someone along the links in the chain has modified, twisted or glamorized it. I didn't see most of the hate-Bush chains because people I know either didn't believe them or didn't receive them, but I've certainly come across them on the internet. Obama's "I will fundamentally change the country" theme and his blatant narcissism making him the butt of so many jokes have certainly caused an increase in these letters. People are angry, hurt and outraged, and I don't blame them. But there's no need to lie or twist the truth--his lack of transparency, his lies and his colleagues are sufficient. Please, stop with the chain letters.

Here's a web site useful for Christians who either do or don't forward chain letters. Very interesting. Christians who break all chain letters But you decide. Read the right hand column.

"But it's real, I checked." "It isn't animation or photoshop." "It's a real person in that video."

That doesn't matter. It's still a chain letter because it's viral and it's circulating like wild fire. If you got it once, you'll probably get it again from someone else.

"But I don't really believe all the chain curse stuff, I just liked the joke/poem/sayings etc."

That is what's called the 'hook' and it is the big manipulation. Give you a tasty carrot so you'll pass it along with the stick as well. It's still a chain letter, it's still viral, and you won't be the first or last person who was impressed enough by the joke or poem or whatever to pass it along, with the curse crap still attached. Whether you believe the curse stuff or not, passing it along, posting it without thoroughly trashing it makes you appear to believe it, and you don't want to look like a gullible schmuck, so just don't promote/spread it.

The D Word

Carlos Alcala who writes for McClatchy had an article in today's Dispatch about the reluctance to use the D (death, dying) word. My goodness, I wrote about that thirteen years ago. I even wrote a poem about it because I like to write about words, fudge phrases, jargon, new words, vocabulary and euphemisms. My concern is not the euphemisms, but that now more and more people don't even get a verb!

Today in the obituaries

Dying for a Verb
By Norma Bruce
September 28, 1997

Emmy Lou departed this world;
Frank entered his eternal rest;
Polly is at home with the Lord.

Ray’s gone to his home in glory;
Ted is asleep with the angels;
Ann Louise simply crossed over.

And I am left to wonder why
They sent him off without a verb--
“Ralph David, May 15, at home.”

When my earth's book is overdue,
Please open heaven’s library;
Let me live in God’s promises.

When finally I fold this tent,
Lease me a heavenly mansion
Renewable eternally.

When I slip out of the saddle,
Boost me up high to ride bareback
On a steed into the stronghold.

When the last crumbs have been swept up,
Seat me at the banquet table
To listen with the disciples.

When the final ticket’s been bought,
Give me the best seat in the house
To hear the angels’ choir sing.

When I’ve gathered up the harvest,
Fill my buckets, silos and bins
To overflowing with God’s love.

When the bow breaks in the treetops,
Bear me up on wings of eagles
Never faint, tired or weary.

Pine box, urn, or fancy casket,
Paragraph, note or just a line;
Don’t send me off without a verb!

Buppie, Who me?

This morning there was an e-market mail for me, "Buppies who are looking for love, romance or just friendship now have a unique resource that can help them discover their future soul mate." That gave me a chuckle--I'm a WURL--White Urban Retired Librarian not a Black Urban Professional. This appeal was only slightly less on target than "You have a mega-fortune waiting from a long lost relative (in Nigeria, Uganda, UK) if you just send me some cash."

But I did go on-line and found out there is a BET web series called Buppies that has had all sorts of problems getting off the ground, but apparently is now up and running starring (and partially financed by) Tatiana Ali of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air fame (which I only saw on reruns). She plays the role of Quinci. Just glancing through the plot lines, it sounds a bit like Sex and the City meets Friends, but I never watched either one, so that's a wild guess.

After losing her father and being dumped by her fiancé, Quinci, the socialite daughter of a Hollywood celebrity, realizes that her friends are her only real family left. This provocative and ironic series chronicles the relationship dramas of Quinci's dysfunctional but virtually inseparable friends as they navigate the perks and pratfalls faced by LA's young black power elite.

From there I wandered into Steve Harvey and an award show. Didn't know he had a clothing line. Looks like hats are indeed coming back.

Eating out--we're creatures of habit

It's price. It's taste and freshness (i.e., the menu). It's relationships. It's wait time. So we usually go to the Rusty Bucket on Friday night, about 5 p.m. and meet Joyce and Bill or Wes and Sue or Jack and Sue (a different Sue, of course) or Joan and Jerry or the Visual Arts Ministry from UALC. It's a sports bar and neighborhood hang out--not far from Ohio State with a bazillion TVs and a noisy bar area (we don't sit on that side so we can talk). I also usually stop at Panera's in the morning. I used to visit 3 different coffee spots, but then they made a slight change in their coffee, and it became worth going back on a regular basis, plus there is a fire place, good music, and again, the relationships you build over time. The morning staff. The exterminator. The retiree who's taking care of his invalid wife. The high school students. The Christian author. The friend you met in a Bible study in 1973. The chef/publisher you meet quite by accident who now owns your former home of 34 years.

Panera's is a lovely place for lunch or breakfast meetings, but somehow, a Friday night date? Hmmm. Not so much. Just not the right ambiance. But I did do a little price comparison this morning, since I'm big on price. Panera's has a yummy new sandwich--"Mediterranean salmon salad" with chilled salmon, field greens and romaine, Kalamata olives, red onions, feta cheese, mandarin oranges and sliced almonds for $8.95. Laying down a few pieces of chicken or fish on a bed of lettuce with a little fruit and nuts seems to be all the rage today, and Rusty Bucket has something similar--"Blackened salmon salad" with baby spinach, iceberg and romaine lettuce, fresh strawberries, candied pecans, red onion slices, and blue cheese crumbles for $9.95. Very little difference in price, although you'd need to tip at the Bucket for them serving you at the table. At 5 p.m. there's no wait at the Bucket, but at 6 you might wait 20-30 minutes. At Panera's you might wait to order, and then wait for your name to be called as they prepare it. So for a dollar or two, I think we'll stick with our regular date night spot for 5 p.m. on Friday, and continue paying ridiculous prices to drink coffee away from home at 6 a.m.

Either one of these salads probably has 480-550 calories, depending on what you do with dressing, but last night I had the Philly Cheese sandwich with fries and sour cream dip, which is probably about 2,000 calories and a week's worth of sodium.

It only took me a month

There have been many assessments of Obama's first year--the left claiming his victories, and the right claiming his failures, or even victories if like me they thought the downward spiral was intentional. But at the end of February 2009, I provided a first month evaluation. If he'd been like other state and federal employees, he wouldn't have made it beyond the probation period. I was 100% on target.

I think the federal government--whether Bush with the Democratic Congress or Obama with the Democratic congress--needed to back off in 2008 and 2009 and let those companies in debt, banks and insurance companies included, struggle and die or merge and be bought out. President Bush failed his party and became President Hoover overnight--but he really stopped governing in October and turned everything over to Treasury and the incoming Obama administration. Hoover had 3 years of throwing money at the problem 1929-1932, Bush didn't. Then FDR continued socializing industries and the courts for another 12 years, until WWII pulled us out of it. Hoover is blamed and Roosevelt acclaimed. Baffles me. Allowing the economy to come back on its own is what happened in 1999-2000 during the last bear market. Jump starting it with tax cuts for tax payers, not tax takers, is what got it going again after 9/11.