Someone Has a lot of Time on Their Hands

A bit more time for the New Years Resolution the bemade -- a one more shot of champagne before this artificial barrier is crossed -- read on...

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Always short of time? Not enough moments in the day? Tonight you'll get an extra second to enjoy 2008. Use it wisely; perhaps an extra long smooch is called for.


An extra second will be added to 2008 to align clocks with variations in the Earth's time.

Immediately before midnight a leap second -- the first for three years -- will be added to atomic clocks around the world by official timekeepers.

Peter Whibberley, a senior research scientist at Britain's National Physical Laboratory, said the Earth's erratic rotation meant an extra second needed to be added.

"The difference between atomic time and Earth time has now built up to the point where it needs to be corrected, so this New Year's Eve we will experience a rare 61 second minute at the very end of 2008 and revelers... will have an extra second to celebrate."

Traditionally time has been based on the passage of the Sun across the sky -- a modern version of this is still used by astronomers to track distant stars and spacecraft.

However, since 1967, an atomic timescale -- the extremely accurate Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) -- has been the world's official clock and is used for broadcasting time signals across the world.

The accuracy of UTC is essential for the smooth running of GPS and the Internet.

By comparison, the Earth is far less reliable. It does not rotate at a constant speed -- it can even wobble -- and disruptions to its core, extreme weather, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes can influence the length of a day.

Therefore, leap seconds are occasionally added to align atomic time with astronomical time and ensure that the Sun remains overhead at noon.

Whibberley told British media anyone sober enough and who had a digital clock that picked up leap second information from a reliable source, would see the final seconds of 2008 as 57, 58, 59, 60, 00 -- with 60

George Bail-OUT

So we all gush and weep over the plight of George Bailey of the Bailey Building and Loan. And are we so uplifted when the town folk pour their money at him to well, shall we say it, BAIL him out of a jam?

You see, folks, Mr. GB mismanaged the bank; threw the money at those ill prepared to repay it (Violet get a little slip of cash into her purse). The old man grouses that all you have to do is "Shoot Pool" with the Bailey boys and you get a loan. And then, of course, Bailey kin folk loses the money! Leaves it all on a counter. Gone Gone Gone.

What we have here is not a sentimental story, but one of malfeasance and shame; one of poor management and judgement and one of honest folks having to "pony up" to pay for it. We have a bailout.

Now how is that for Xmas cheer?

Santa Claus is Right Here in Town

My little cell phone camera does not due justice to what these folks have done. It is beautiful. Santa is here...even I am sure of it. No doubt I could look to the public record and see who owns the home on the corner of Ivaloo and Albemarle in Waltham, but why do it? Just believe for once in your life that it is not the normal work-a-day. It is a miracle. Happy season to all.

Here we go again BAILOUTS

This from the AP wire service. Now lets see if cigarette makers, crushed by slowing sales march of to the bailout slop too!

"Commercial real estate developers said Monday they are petitioning the government for support from the $700 billion rescue fund. The Real Estate Roundtable said an estimated $400 billion of commercial real estate mortgages will come due by the end of 2009 without adequate refinancing options.

"Industry officials said thousands of office buildings, hotels, shopping centers and other commercial buildings could be headed into foreclosure or bankruptcy unless the government provides support.

"Jeffrey D. DeBoer, president of the Real Estate Roundtable, said the industry has written to federal officials asking to be included in a new $200 billion loan program being run by the Federal Reserve, with support from the financial bailout program, to bolster the market for credit card debt, auto loans and student loans.

"Treasury spokeswoman Brookly McLaughlin said no final decisions had been made yet on the request from commercial developers. But she noted that Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, when he announced the effort to help the credit card, auto and student-loan markets, said the new lending facility could be expanded and specifically mentioned providing assistance for 'commercial mortgage-backed securities.'"

Santa Claus is (Already) in Town

In these the dark ages (so the writers at the Boston Globe will have us believe) when we see all about us unsure and upended, it is nice to know Santa is around. If you kids are doubting, just take them tot eh corner of Albemarle and Ivaloo in Waltham. If Santa does not live there, then at least, one of his regional managers does. It s a sight to behold, both inside and out -- yes visitors are allowed in during the early evening to view the displays, and watch the movesment of trains elves, and assorted animals under the watchful eyes of folks who will swear up and down to children that they do NOT own the house, but are just there to make sure nothing breaks.

I've seen this place before -- I've been told that they start their setup in September and go at it until December.

Do not forget to drop of your wishlist for Santa. Just don't tell any auto or bank execs. They may ask for a few billion and Santa is on a limited budget this year

Other People's (Actually Yours) Money; Their Gain

This from the VERY Dead on and accurate folks at Rasmussen:

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of likely voters found that only nine percent (9%) give Congress good or excellent ratings, while 54% give the legislature poor marks. Just one-out-of-50 voters (2%) think Congress is doing an excellent job.

Since the election when Democrats grew their majorities in both the House and Senate, Congress has been in the news struggling unsuccessfully to pass an unpopular bailout plan for the Big Three automakers.

Even only 14% of Democratic voters rate the performance of the Congress led by their own party as good or excellent, compared to five percent (5%) of Republicans and six percent (6%) of unaffiliated voters. Thirty-five percent (35%) of Democrats say the legislators are doing a poor job, and 69% of Republicans and 63% of unaffiliateds agree.

Men are much more critical than women. While 66% of men give Congress poor ratings, only 43% of women do the same. Eight percent (8%) of men give Congress positive ratings, along with 10% of women.

One-in-three voters (34%) believes most members of Congress are corrupt, while 39% disagree. In last month's survey, 36% saw most members as corrupt.

Forty percent (40%) of Republicans view most Congress members as corrupt, along with 36% of unaffiliated voters and 28% of Democrats. Forty-four percent (44%) of Democrats do not see most members that way, and 38% of Republicans and 34% of unaffiliated voters agree.

A separate Rasmussen survey released last week found that voters view politicians as being more corrupt than CEO’s of major corporations by a 48% to 25% margin. The majority (59%) also believe President-elect Barack Obama should make government ethics reform a top agenda item when he assumes office next year.

With the Blagoveich scandal breaking in Illinois, a plurality of voters (39%) does not know which political party to trust more when it comes to government ethics and corruption.

The latest survey found that just 14% of voters believe members of Congress are more interested in helping people than their own careers, down from 23% in November. Most voters (71%) say the opposite.

Eighty-four percent (84%) of Republicans, 54% of Democrats and 79% of unaffiliated voters say most members of Congress are more interested in helping their own political careers. Six percent (6%) of GOP voters and nine percent (9%) of unaffiliateds think members of Congress are most interested in helping people, compared to 24% of Democrats.

Thirteen percent (13%) of voters say Congress has passed legislation to significantly improve life in America, but 60% say the opposite. Still, 57% say it is at least somewhat likely that Congress will address serious issues facing our nation in the near future, although 39% say it is unlikely.

Toys for Tots Thanks You

A big fat thanks goes out to all the "Santas" who dropped off toys under the tree at my office. (the sloppy image is from a cheap cell phone -- my cheap cell phone). By my count, there were over 300 items ranging from bicycles to cameras to Tonkas and Barbies, to basketballs (some North Pole Hoopster dropped off 6 at one time), Candyland, Monopoly, Risk, Scrabble and other great games.

Your names are not known but your thoughts and generosity are. In a time of uncertainty mauled by loonies blogging about things that need not be bought by folks who cannot affrod to buy them, it is nice to see the smart and generous ones among us coming up with some great toy staples. Wonderful, splendid.

Best of the season to you all.

All I Want for Christmas is Some Real Bad News

Actually I don't, but the writer of the email a few lines below does...Seems she's having a hard time telling the reading public how bad the Real Estate Market is. It seems she cannot find those big drops in prices everyone is talking about.

I have copied the email exactly as shs wrote it on December 10th. I have blocked out whatever information would point it to her copy desk and thus to her and thus to said "her" getting slapped by her editor so hard she winds up on the unemployment line...or the fat lady blogging line:

Here goes:

"Hi. Not sure if you knew this, but I write the XX XXX XXXXX column
for the XXXXX XXXXX -- the one where we take three properties that
have something in common and do a walk-through, with about six lines
of "pros" and one of "cons."

"This week I'm looking for something that has proved harder to find
than I thought it would be: Price reductions of 20 percent or more.
Ideally, my editor would like the properties to be on the lower end,
probably $500,000 or less.

"Do you think any of your brokers might have one? If so, they can
email me the listing sheet and price-drop info directly; the story is
due on Friday so I'd like to see the houses tomorrow.

"Thanks,

XXXXXXXX
XXX-XXX-XXXX"

Well there you have it. My advice to her? Look at her own condo for inspiration -- she overpaid big time for it.

Toys for Tots

Drop off your toys at 161 Mount Auburn St. in Watertown. Yesterday someone dropped off a great baseball glove; we've got two bicycles and lots of dolls...some kool games that all of us will remember...I promise I won't play with anything -- although that Playdough looks mighty inviting...

Open house here 4-8 PM on December 12 -- This Friday night upcoming. Cocktails and Hors D'Oeuves served. Last year I had kids playing floor hockey in the basement -- this year. Maybe this year the old folks will play, too.

CALL ME AT 617.470.8085 FOR INFO.

Sittin' in the Nest Egg

It seems Americans are optimistic about their homes. According to Rasmussen at least. The pollster has put numbers out on his site that show, "Fifty-nine percent (59%) of American homeowners expect thier home to go up over the next five years". Delving deeper into the numbers, the report avers that 10% think thier homes value will go down. 21% think they'll be kissing their sister, as t he saying goes (in other words, getting nowehere. 10% don't know...

It is that 10% where we may well see the smartest home folk in the world. Afterall, who prices a house everyday? Walks home and checks the bid and the ask on the properties on the lining Main Street? Afterall, the homeonwer owns -- a home not a commodity. Anyone who bought the ranch with an eye on the capital gain and not the living room went about it all the wrong way. Best to have invested in stock certificates.

No the home is more than an investment. If it's value drops in dollars, it does not necassarilymean in drops nthe intrinsics of warmth, comradery, and memories developed behind its walls. A home is a place of well being and health, a place to go -- not a place to market...save that for the fishmongers.

No doubt Rasmussen will hatch and other survey in the next few days. You may wish to, after dinner, sit in the ol' easy chair and read before bedtime.

Name, Rank and "Cereal" Number

I guess it shows. All those kids chomping down on cereal and nut bars as they trudge off down the slope to Belmont High School.

The Results are out and will be on the stands this Monday, 12.8.08. Belmont is in the top 100 High Schools as ranked by U.S. News and World Report". The folks at the weekly rag rated 21,069 high schools in the USA and, as I see it, only 2 from Massachusetts made the top 100: venerable (as in pick only the kids you like Boston Latin and Belmont (as in Belmont plus all the shnooks and malcontents Boston can daily export to us under the METCO program).

Readers are welcome to parry and thrust their way through the list by clicking here. Top 100

In the meantime, I wish all the kids well. Now how about lunch?

American Indian Heritage Day

For those if us who did not notice, Friday -- as in the Friday after Thanksgiving has a name...an official name signed by Proclamation of the President of the United States. While I call it American Indian Day, the government in a small slap in the face to the folks at the AMERICAN INDIAN MOVEMENT (A.I.M.) the lobby group of said people who HATE, yes HATE (74% in the most recent poll) the term "Native American", have, nonetheless, called it Native American Heritage Day. You can look it up. It was signed into law about a month ago -- too late for any festivities, but it seems America celebrated appropriately nonetheless:

Take, for example, the killing of that poor soul working at Walmart. Trampled under an overwhelming hoard of folks, who, even after learning of the death, still went on a-shopping. That sounds about right to me: perfectly in tune with "American Indian Heritage".

Let's look about: The day is called, so the news folk tell us, "Black Friday". Bleak indeed at first look, yet in tune with the Indian experience. Ahhhh but take a closer look and you will see the real meaning of the name is more upbeat and commercial -- it is the day retailers "go into the black" for the year. As in, making money, or to get at bit of tie-in to the "new" holiday, "Theyum collectum lots of Wampum --- ugg, Kimmosabie".

When a day is set aside to celebrate and reflect on an ethic/ethnic cleansing situation, one should expect that day should be devoid of other focal points. Of all days to pick, one wonders why the BIGGEST shopping day of the year was plucked from the calendar to celebrate the American Indian.

Is it because it falls right after Thanksgiving and the tie-in was needed? Or was it because, like the American Indian Cultures, it was all meant to bury it under the weight of the dollar?

It is not worth asking. After all, "White Man Speak with fork tongue". So sayum Bigum Chiefum Broken Wind.