Wouldn't You Agree?

Wouldn't you agree it's time for some more Phil Collins?
I've missed him lately. The world needs more of him.

Redistribution of Wealth-Will it Work?

I found this article in Newsweek magazine, written by Robert J. Samuelson.  You can go to Newsweek.com for the complete article.

Judgment Calls

As The Rich Gets Poorer

Making the rich poorer doesn't make everyone else richer

For years, we've debated rising economic inequality. On one side, liberals denounce it as unjust. Redistribute wealth to the poor and middle class, they say. On the other, conservatives minimize its importance. What matters most is overall economic growth, they retort. Well, the conjunction of the presidential campaign and the financial crisis is giving the debate a curious twist. Liberals have triumphed politically; soaking the rich has become more acceptable. But conservatives may have won the intellectual argument; making the rich poorer doesn't make everyone else richer.

If Barack Obama and John McCain agreed on anything, it was this: Greed is bad. They competed in denunciations of reckless investment bankers and avaricious CEOs. Obama proposed raising taxes on higher incomes (couples making more than $250,000); though McCain didn't, he suggested that much recent wealth accumulation was ill-gotten. Unintentionally, perhaps, he buttressed the moral case for more redistribution. Let's tap the gold mine of the rich.

Judged only by economic inequality, the financial crisis is a godsend. It will probably narrow the gap—though still vast—between the rich and everybody else. But what good will that do? Economic inequality also declined in the Great Depression. The country wasn't better off. By and large, the poor aren't poor because the rich are rich. They're usually poor for their own reasons: family breakdown, low skills, destructive personal habits and plain bad luck.

The presumption implicit in the criticism of growing economic inequality is that society's income is a given and, if the rich have less, others will have more.

Americans legitimately resent Wall Street types who profited from dubious investment strategies that aggravated today's crisis. And government properly redistributes income to reduce hardship and poverty. But that's different from attempting to deduce and engineer some optimal distribution of income. Government can't do that and shouldn't try. Scapegoating and punishing all of the rich won't do us any good if the resulting taxes dull investment and risk-taking, discouraging economic growth that benefits everyone.

But the redistributionist argument is at best a half-truth. The larger truth is that much of the income of the rich and well-to-do comes from what they do. If they stop doing it, then the income and wealth vanish. No one gets it. It can't be redistributed because it doesn't exist. Everyone's poorer.

To read the full story go to Newsweek.com

Congratulations Senator John McCain

Congratulations!  Senator John McCain.  You were so gracious in your concession speech.  God bless you!

Congratulations!  President-elect Barack Obama.  Your acceptance speech was gracious too.  May God bless you.  I hope you turn out to be the best President America has ever had.  Yes, you can!

This is actually my Wordless Wednesday post.  Go here for more.

Australian Pink Floyd

Camera phone shot.  Not bad!

We went to see the Australian Pink Floyd "The Wall" concert last night. They were very good.

I'll Take Audrey

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are an Audrey!

You are an Audrey -- "I am at peace"

Audreys are receptive, good-natured, and supportive. They seek union with others and the world around them.

How to Get Along with Me

• * If you want me to do something, how you ask is important. I especially don't like expectations or pressure


• * I like to listen and to be of service, but don't take advantage of this


• * Listen until I finish speaking, even though I meander a bit


• * Give me time to finish things and make decisions. It's OK to nudge me gently and nonjudgmentally


• * Ask me questions to help me get clear


• * Tell me when you like how I look. I'm not averse to flattery


• * Hug me, show physical affection. It opens me up to my feelings


• * I like a good discussion but not a confrontation


• * Let me know you like what I've done or said


• * Laugh with me and share in my enjoyment of life

What I Like About Being an Audrey

• * being nonjudgmental and accepting


• * caring for and being concerned about others


• * being able to relax and have a good time


• * knowing that most people enjoy my company; I'm easy to be around


• * my ability to see many different sides of an issue and to be a good mediator and facilitator


• * my heightened awareness of sensations, aesthetics, and the here and now


• * being able to go with the flow and feel one with the universe

What's Hard About Being an Audrey

• * being judged and misunderstood for being placid and/or indecisive


• * being critical of myself for lacking initiative and discipline


• * being too sensitive to criticism; taking every raised eyebrow and twitch of the mouth personally


• * being confused about what I really want


• * caring too much about what others will think of me


• * not being listened to or taken seriously

Audreys as Children Often

• * feel ignored and that their wants, opinions, and feelings are unimportant


• * tune out a lot, especially when others argue


• * are "good" children: deny anger or keep it to themselves

Audreys as Parents

• * are supportive, kind, and warm


• * are sometimes overly permissive or nondirective

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy

Halloween Scare

Once upon a time, a family of six went trick or treating together.  The father drove his car with all four children dressed in some manner of costume.  The costumes were certainly home-made as this family was fairly poor.  The four children carried big brown paper grocery sacks to hold their cache of Halloween candy that they would be receiving.  Father drove the children into the small town that they lived in (this little family lived way out in the country with houses few and far between).  The three older boys walked with their little sister down sidewalks and up to front porches that had their lights on.  The boys rang the doorbell and when the doors were opened, "Treat or Treat" was chorused loudly.  We soon had our bags half full which equalled lot of candy and popcorn balls.  The little girl was five years old, and her brothers were almost 7, almost 9, and ten years of age.  

Suddenly, a pick-up truck with three high school boys stopped near the children as they were leaving another house with their sacks of goodies.  The little girl was in front of the boys walking towards their car.  The high school boys ran towards the little brothers and stole their sacks.  The little sister ran as fast as she could to her parent's car and jumped in with her sack.  The brothers also ran to the car and jumped in crying.  

Father started the car and took off after the high school boys' truck.  The chase was on and it was fast.  We finally ended up at a dead end and the edge of a cliff.  No pick-up in sight, but dust was flying.  They didn't go off the cliff though.  We never knew where they went.  

The family returned to their home in the country with only one sack half full of candy.  The little sister had to share her candy with her three brothers.  She was somewhat disappointed 'cause it would have been a huge load of candy and lasted a long time.  Father was certainly mad about those rotten high school boys stealing candy from children.  But Mother had been so afraid that they were after the little girl and very thankful that we were all safe.  

The little girl that grew up of course was me.  My husband and I never celebrated Halloween with our children.  We always took them to a Hallelejuah Night which was a dress-up in costumes at church with games and candy and prizes.  

I found this little funny from Sandy and she found it from momunscripted.

Halloween Art?

Such "tasteful" art!  Halloween brings out the best...

*I hope you noted my sarcasm.  I find this extremely

offensive for any race, color, nationality, denomination,

political party, language, gender, or lifestyle.  **I wonder

who they are voting for?**sarcasm again**

Wordless Wednesday-Little Missouri Falls

More Wordless Wednesday here.  

Redistribution of Wealth

I'm sorry but this is too much for me not to share.



You can think for yourselves.  

Definition of redistribute:

verb [trans.]

distribute (something) differently or again,

typically to achieve greater social equality:

their primary concern was to redistribute income

from rich to poor  (source Dictionary)

Talimena Scenic Drive

This was a beautiful trip. I did not make this video. But we did drive this road two weeks ago. It was beautiful.  I can't wait to go back again.  This is Rich Mountain in Arkansas and Winding Stair Mountain in Oklahoma.  The tops of these mountains are about 2500 feet.  The pine trees are fantastic and the leaves changing color of the other trees are too.  This road is 54 miles through the tops of these mountains.  Highway 1 in Oklahoma and Highway 88 in Arkansas.  From Mena, Arkansas to Talihena, Oklahoma.  Well worth the trip.

Trips Down Memory Lane

They threw a party for us before we went

on our cruise to Alaska in 2005.  I haz my

cake and I eat it too!  Alaska is much colder

than Hawaii so this attire did not make it

on the ship!  No, I did not see Russia and 

not even Governor Palin.  

Here we are in all our formal attire.  They did 

feed us like kings.  Oh my, the lobster tail was 

delicious!  If you ever get the chance, go on a cruise.

The Princess cruise to Alaska was the best trip ever.

This is my family on the most exciting trip we ever took.

This is the Arkansas River in Colorado.  It was similar to

riding a roller coaster, only better.  I laughed and laughed.

Here the family is in a fantastic cave, also in Colorado.

Colorado is the best place to visit.  I am thankful that my

grown kids are still happy to go on trips with us.  We are

planning a trip to Yellowstone next year with them.

Togetherness

This is a lot of togetherness in a basement during an 

Oklahoma storm in 1957.  I am the baby on the left being

held by a girl named Janet.  I think we lived in Checotah.

My brother Dennis is next to Janet.  Then next to the end

is my brother Kenny and brother Wayne on the very end.

My mom could name every single one of these children.

I believe we were having fun.  I know I was.  You see, Fun

is my middle name, if you take off the J, add an F, and knock

off the e at the end.  That's me!

Grill, Baby, Grill

Grace Falls Like Rain

What the world needs now:  Grace

Happy Trails

Happy Trails from Junebug57 on Vimeo.

These are the Wolfpen Gap Trails.

Wordless Wednesday-Steeper Than It Looks

Mena, Arkansas from Junebug57 on Vimeo.

For more Wordless Wednesday click the link.

Roman Colosseum

My youngest daughter in Italy

Land of Opportunity=Mena, Arkansas

We had the opportunity to go 4-wheeling in Mena, Arkansas.  I highly recommend it.  It is the most beautiful place.  Mountains, fresh air, trails, cabins, good food.  We had a blast!  

Homecoming Flower Girl

Here's our little Homecoming sweetheart.  My

great niece, my brother's granddaughter.  She thoroughly

enjoyed herself at the football game.  Her uncle was

the Homecoming King too!  

Blue Madness

To say I'm fond of blue patterns and cobalt blue glass would

be putting it mildly.  Blue Willow, Blue Delft, Italian Blue

Spode, or any cobalt blue glass gives me a thrill.  See my

teeny, tiny cat in the basket?  The teapot in the middle is

actually from James Sadler of England.  The Oklahoma

plate is a present my mother bought for her mother many

years ago.  When I was a child I had a blue Fiesta ware plate

that my grandmother gave me.  I still have it.  I used to eat

all of my meals on this plate.  It must be over 60 years old.

Maybe that is why I like blue so much.  It gives me such

good memories.