Not too much going on that I want to comment on, mainly because I haven't felt too well lately. I've been fighting a cold so that's sapped a lot of my strength. But it's not too bad. The weather here remains extremely cold, rarely getting above the freezing mark, even during the day. I love cold weather, but it's not easy getting up in the morning (it never is; my depression is always worse in the morning. The doctors said that was common.) Not much chance of a warm-up any time soon, at least according to the weather forecast. But then, given how miserable it was here last summer, that doesn't bother me too much.
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We had some Japanese high school kids here Thursday and Friday, and I think that was the most delightful bunch of students I've taught since I've been here. They were just as sweet as they could be, which made me wonder how their grandfathers and great-grandfathers could have been guilty of Pearl Harbor. Different age, I suppose. Anyway, they were pretty typical Japanese, i.e., taking pictures of anything and everything. In case you are interested, it is virtually impossible to tell the Japanese from the Koreans; their features are exactly the same. We've got nothing but elementary school kids this week, so I'm hoping my cold will get worse, and I can take some sick leave...
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I do have some political stuff I want to comment on soon, mainly the economy, which I think will get better this year since the Republicans have the House now and will be able to defeat any recession-prolonging legislation that Obama puts up. The psychology is important; as long as Obama and the Democrats were holding the total reins of power, businesses were, rightly, afraid to invest because of the possibility of new regulations and taxes slicing into investment funds. But with the Bush tax rates remaining, and no chance of cap-and-tax and other Democratic economic ignorance getting passed, there might be a little more optimism and willingness to invest. Let's hope so. Make no mistake about it. This is Obama's recession, indeed, it was mostly caused by the Democrats in the first place--Carter and Clinton's egalitarian housing and banking policies. The Democrats' claim that Bush's "regulations" were the cause of the recession is ludicrous; letting people keep and spend their own money is not recessionary. Forcing them to spend that money in ways they otherwise would not IS because economies cannot be planned and will always weaken when the attempt is made. European governments are now having to dip into private pension funds to prop up their socialistic, deficit-driven governments. It won't be long until that happens here, too. But maybe for a few years that can be staved off.
It's about time the Democrats realized that George Bush isn't President any more and quit blaming him for every problem in America, and especially the economic malaise which Barack Obama has done absolutely nothing but prolong because of his economic policies. Bush was far from the best President this country has ever had, but he is far superior to Obama, who hasn't a clue how to govern. Well, he never did. He is the most unqualified President the United States has ever had, and I, frankly, was highly offended that such an amateur even offered himself to the people as a choice for the most powerful political position in the world. His incompetence is plain to see for anyone who isn't ideologically--or CNN--driven. What America--and the world needs--is less government controlled economies and more free market policies. Let governments defend their borders and protect the property of their people. Much more beyond that and governments move into realms of which governments are inherently incapable of effective performance. That is a lesson of history that very few people have ever, ever learned. Our Founding Fathers knew it, but even they weren't able, ultimately, to control the selfish, power-hungry nature of an elite who thinks they know better how to run people's lives than the people themselves. And it's even worse when that elite has no conscience or religious restraints. Witness the barbaric, atheistic-driven 20th century. I doubt it will get any better any time soon.