balloon? that's no balloon - that's a jiffy pop thingie!

in case you didn't get the memo, mao tse-tung was an evil dictator who is responsible for 10x to 12x more deaths than hitler. the current usa political administration lauds mao, so it is important to have this context.

salt lake tribune: "President Barack Obama's $787 billion economic recovery plan has created or saved roughly 1 million jobs since it was enacted in February, an administration economic official said." that's $787,000 per job. i don't know about you, but that seems a bit steep to me. also steep - the nearly 10% national unemployment rate.

on the lighter side -- did you hear about the boy who supposably flew away in his family's weather- & alien-tracking* balloon today, and appeared to have fallen from the basket and perhaps plunged to his death? turns out he untied the balloon and let it float away, then he was afraid he would get in trouble, so he hid in a box in his attic until found hours later. [*let's just say his parents are... interesting, and leave it at that.]

but then, it's really not that hard to understand how the kid felt. i mean, all this current events shizzle can make you feel like untying the family space balloon and hiding in a box.