Flip Flop

It’s the end of the week. Friday has arrived and I’m right on top of things. I have my coffee, laced with eggnog and a dash of syrup, here in front of me. (Two Tbs eggnog, two Tbs Torani Italian Eggnog Syrup, place in empty coffee cup and microwave on high for 22 seconds. Add coffee to desired level) I’m good to go now…

The full moon is revealing the fact that it is foggy outside. Darn! I was hoping to get some burning done today, but with everything wet from the fog, it may be more of a chore than I want to tackle.

I suppose I should take a look at the headlines and see what’s new. The White House concedes defeat and agrees to Sen. McCain's amendment banning "cruel, inhuman, or degrading" treatment of any detainee in U.S. custody, anywhere. The White House had spent the past few months threatening to veto it and more recently to water it down. Don’t forget; this is the same president that has never vetoed a bill. None. Never. But, earlier this week, the House joined the Senate in overwhelmingly supporting the amendment. (Traitors?) After that, the White House announced that the president thought that McCain's proposal was the finest thing since sliced bread. "We've been happy to work with him to achieve a common objective," said the president, who had invited McCain over to the White House to celebrate. My, how time flies. Just a little over a year ago, that kind of behavior was called Flip Flopping or Waffling and only Democrats did that sort of thing.

The other big headline is that the White House has promised to spend $3 billion on flood protection for New Orleans. That will not be anywhere near enough. One; it’s a government project so all costs will double before they start. Two; they have not begun planning, and after planning, all costs will double. Three; after completion and after all the Change Orders are billed, the costs will double. It’s just normal government operating procedures. Example; a pedestrian walkway was proposed to be added to the bridge crossing the Sacramento River at the Capitol Mall. First proposal was around $1.5 million. After some additional scrutiny by many agencies, the cost went to $3 million. Obviously more review was needed. The final cost to walk across the Sacramento River is still unknown, but the contract to do the work was made for $9 million. I’m just guessing, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see it go over $11 million after all of the Change Orders are figured in.