I was going to write a sweet Christmas spirit kind of entry today, but it just isn't happening. Some years I'm overwhelmed by comfort and joy. This is not one of them. If I go to Hell when I die (If?) there will be a choir of nitwits singing "Little Drummer Boy." Another group will follow with "The 27 Days of Christmas" or whatever number it is. For the solo, I want a lounge singer with a boozy version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Whatever."
Our newspaper gives a "Sour Orange" award for the worst scoundrels of the year. Sort of like hoping Santa reads the Times and will bring them a lump of coal. Instead, their misdeeds are richly rewarded. The runner-up was Duke Energy, who has collected billions in advance to build a nuclear power plant that they have decided not to build after all. They not only get to keep the billions they collected but never spent, we are also going to spend billions more to decommission their old, broken plant. They will just keep on burning oil, thank you anyway.
The winner was Congress, who is refusing to reconsider a bill passed in haste last year that blows the lid off flood insurance. They were assuming that the "subsidies" being given to owners of homes in flood zones were rewarding rich people with waterfront mansions. Actually, the average homes affected in our area are about 1500 square feet, are not on the water or even in view of the water, and met all building codes when built. Their flood rates are going up from $2,000 to $40,000 a year, but they don't know for sure until the bills come in. The required affordability study was never done, and they voted with erroneous data, but they shrugged it off.
The third pisser of the week was Texas Governor Rick Perry getting a bill passed making it legal to say "Merry Christmas." This has people surprised and angry that it was illegal (it wasn't) and makes Perry a hero. Brilliant! I wish everyone Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Festivus, and Good Ramadan, just to make a point.
