I read an interesting article comparing the Buffett/GS (Goldman-Sachs) deal with government/9 bank deal. You may have already thought of this, but don't you think it is interesting that Buffett was able to get a better deal with a 5 Billion dollar infusion to GS than the government could get with a $250 billion infusion to the 9 strongest banks in the country?
I am concerned that the government is only exacerbating the problem by increasing the money supply and lowering interest rates. The last thing we need is for the government to stimulate consumer spending when consumers should be curbing their spending and paying off their debts.
If I was addressing members of the church that are drowning in debt, I would tell them to forgo present consumption. (Live on less than you earn.) Stop using credit cards as a revolving credit account, stay home and read to your children, cancel the cable, stop going to movies, stay away from restaurants (except Brinker International, of course!) buy clothes you need, not the ones you want, get one more year out of your tired automobile, if possible. Skip the family vacation and get creative with the family in town. Do day trips and save...perhaps thousands of dollars. Hunker down and see what you could live on if you had to.
Nobody here misses television or the movies. We do allot a little entertainment budget to buy theater tickets (once a quarter) and museum tickets (twice monthly, at least).
Today, we went to the Space Museum only to find that it is closed for remodeling. There was plenty of statuary and history inscribed on the outside of the building though to make it an interesting visit. We know enough history and Russian to know that the inscription under the date 1957 was about the coup the Russians pulled off, when the Soviet's sent Sputnik into space, taking the lead in the space race.
After that we went to an exhibition of Michael Kenna's black and white photograpy. We found a little courtyard with shop areas that was charging 100 roubles a piece to get in. They said the the gallery we were looking for was closed. So we just walked around the courtyard, not having to pay. Then Sam stumbled into a building with a number of interesting art sculptures and another studio with a number of interesting black and white photographs. Then, a little while later we discovered another studio...which happened to be the exhibit we were looking for. It was very interesting and it didn't cost us a rouble!
The girls haming it up!!
Later, we went to McDonalds for lunch and then we headed for the Mayakovskaya metro stop, where we hoped to find the Mayakovskaya Museum. At this point I was leading the group, only to find that I remembered it wrong. The Mayakovskaya Museum is at the Lubyanka metro stop. We decided at that point we would pick the museum up on another day.
We ended the day at the Mason's home for cake and celebration of Rene's birthday, which was yesterday.
This has been a week of desserts. Here is the list of culinary delights that have passed from our lips to our hips; Homemade pies from Sister Curbishley, Apple-Cranberry, Lemon Meringue, Banana Cream that were for FHE. The next day we had Apple-Cranberry tarts and an eight-layer honey cake that Sister Nechiporova made (it was her birthday). Later that day we ate pumpkin cookies with chocolate chips that Chris had made the night before. The next day, Acia showed up with homemade Carrot Cake. Somewhere along the way, Marina showed up with the best watermelon of the year, so far. At Russian Club, Narene treated us to ice cream on top of fudge brownies, and lastly the cake at the Mason's. I need a 40-day fast!!
More later...Chris is calling.
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