The Invisible Man married the Invisible Woman. Their kids were nothing to look at.

Note the guys on deck. Bizarre.

I think it's Dunkin' Donuts that has the commercial with all the people up on their roofs talking about how much they like the coffee at that place. One of them says, "I've had six cups already."
I'm thinkin' that if I've had six cups of anybody's coffee I should not be up on a roof. That's way too far from the plumbing!

I didn't realize that in Arizona signing over a title to a vehicle has to be done in front of a notary. So tomorrow I've got to go back to Scottsdale and meet the buyer at someplace where we can get that done. Bummer.

I worked on that drywall fix this morning - the one where water from the flat roof ran into the bedroom and down between the wall and the paint, causing the paint to separate from and sag down the wall. Very odd, but today I found out why. The builder had a skim coat of mud put over the drywall. The painters did not prime that skim coat. As a result the latex paint did not adhere well, which allowed the water to get in between the two, causing the separation.
I easily peeled the paint off the wall where the water had penetrated, but unfortunately I could also peel it, almost as easily, out beyond that area. I think I could have peeled the whole wall with just a little effort. But I took the paint off well outside the affected area, stopped at that point, and then sanded the edge down. Applied mud to bring everything up to level. Tomorrow I'll go back and sand it smooth and prime it. They'll paint over the whole thing and I've told them I think it will be OK, as long as they don't get anymore water back there.

Is it just me or was everybody riding a motorcycle today?

Have you ever been to Sea World or the like? They all have a Killer Whale show that's carefully choreographed, including background music. Feel good music about the grandeur of nature and the beauty of the sea.
This show didn't exactly go according to script, thanks to a most unfortunate pelican.
Shamu Snack

As long as were on the topic of off-script:
Crane Overboard

I've played golf once since our church outing last fall, and that round didn't go very well. So I'm a little concerned about a round of golf with a couple of guys from church and a friend who will be in town a month from now. I took my 7-iron to the driving range this afternoon to see if I remember how to swing a club.
I'll be back there many more times before that scheduled round!

I read an interesting article about Pres. Lincoln this morning. It discussed his economic views, views which came from the extreme poverty of his youth. Lincoln saw a growing, prospering economy as the means by which the poor could escape their poverty. Government sponsored infrastructure - the Erie Canal struck him as a particularly powerful example - increased commerce and brought prosperity to those who would otherwise continue living at the edge of survival. As the poor were able to earn more than a subsistence wage and put money into savings for future purchases (homes, education, land) the economy continued to grow.

For Lincoln, the primary good of a growing economy was this benefit which it brings to the poor. That strikes me as a very benevolent capitalism. I've thought for a long time that capitalism works because of the the natural greed of mankind. Socialism is, in theory, a "better," more righteous system in that it seeks to bring equal benefit to everyone. But it's doomed to failure because sinful man is inherently selfish, a selfishness that will eventually drive the most sophisticated socialistic governments to capitalism where each can work for his own benefit and prosperity.

Lincoln's capitalism allowed the rich to prosper, but only as a side effect of the lift it gave to the poor. Lincoln established government authorized banks because they created a financial infrastructure that served the poor, not as an investment vehicle for the rich.

What happened? Why is capitalism now so extreme, so unmitigated in its brutal efficiency and working primarily for the benefit of those who need it least?
Is there any reversing this trend?

Hey, I am NO economist. I can barely spell the word. But doesn't it seem like capitalism is swallowing us alive, consuming our soul even as we seek to consume more goods and services?

The President is just now about to be introduced to the joint houses of Congress. Let's see what he has to say.