"If it WALKS like a duck and QUACKS like a duck, it's a...."

Damn DUCK, right?

Over and over again we're hearing from the Bush administration apologists that we're NOT in a RECESSION!!!

And then a bunch of so-called "recession examples" are thrown up in the air to (allegedly) PROVE that we're not in a recession.

Here's a test you can take for yourself.

Is there less money in your bank accounts than there used to be?

Are the balances on your credit cards higher than they used to be?

Are you using MORE credit cards than you used to use?

Are you spending more time between haircuts or any kind of hair appointments than you used to?

Are you buying less food than you used to?

Are you using less gas than you used to?

If you are lucky enough to HAVE a job, are you making less money than you used to?

If you're healthy enough to be ALLOWED to purchase HEALTH INSURANCE, can you AFFORD it?

Can you afford to take a vacation like you used to?

Can you afford to buy new clothes for your kids' new school year(s) like you used to?

That's ten questions for you to answer. I could have written more. What question or questions would YOU like to add to this list? Send 'em to me at scottstjames@sbcglobal.net.

But for now, answer the ten questions above. If your answer is, "YES!" to more than four of these questions, WE'RE IN A RECESSION! If your answer is, "YES!" to more than seven of these questions, we're dangerously close to being in a DE-PRESSION!

For you see, if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and floats like a duck, IT'S A DAMN DUCK!!!

GAY MARRIAGE IS NOW LEGAL IN CALIFORNIA!!!

Are you in favor of gay marriage? Even though the California Supreme Court says gay marriage is now legal, people against this decision plan to put it on the ballot box with the idea of making gay marriage against the law if enough people vote that way.

Well, we here in California tried to do something at the ballot box about the terrible illegal immigration problem we had here many years ago (and still have) , but courts, backed by well meaning people who felt the law was "unnecessarily mean" partnered up with illegal immigration advocates and got the law overturned.

What part of ILLEGAL don't these people UNDERSTAND?!? I want to SCREAM it to the HEAVENS!!!

Back to gay marriage. I don't have a strong position on this, one way or the other. I do not believe that people choose to be gay! I believe they are born gay and like all humans, they are sexual beings who want to be loved. Because the man/woman marriage thing is so important to most religious groups, (and therefore, most people) my feeling is that the "civil union" option for gay people was a good option.

But let's go back to the "religious objection". People who are religious believe we all were created by an Almighty God. Because some people are "born gay", does that mean God made a mistake? And if so, if God is indeed "Almighty", don't you think this "mistake" would have been corrected by now?

So if "gay humans" are just another part of the "Master Plan" put together by an Almighty God, shouldn't "gay humans" have all of the same rights and privileges that "straight humans" have?

THOUGHTS OR COMMENTS? Please write to me at scottstjames@sbcglobal.net. I write back to everyone.

TELEVISION SHOW SEASON FINALE'S!!!

I thought the goodbye series finale episodes of "Shark" and "Women's Murder Club" were good episodes to go out on and I want to wish all of those talented actors much good luck in the future.

Did you see the season finale of "Desperate Housewives"? Wow, wow and WOW!!! When the show resumes in a few months, it will be "five years later". Will the blind guy have kids? Have the twins become serious criminals? And is the good looking plumber GONE for GOOD?!?

AMERICAN IDOL'S SEASON FINALE IS TONIGHT!!!

I know. The ratings have been down for "American Idol" this season. But they're still number one and number two each week because every other show has lost viewers as well. A lot of viewers. Is that because of the "writer's strike" or is it more because of modern technology? Technology that allows us to watch these shows whenever we want to by taping these shows. I mean, does anyone really believe that ratings services have figured out how to accurately count the amount of people who watch shows on a different night or day than the show or shows were shown on the networks?

Anyway, I saw every episode of "American Idol" this season and I enjoyed the shows.

Last night, the finals featured two guys named David. Throughout this season, I referred to them as "Young David" and "Older David".

Both of them sang three songs last night. I thought that Older David pretty much shot his wad on the first song he sang. Unfortunately for Older David, Younger David did the same thing and Younger David was better.

I thought Younger David was better on the second song than Older David and by the third song, I think both guys were pretty much out of steam.

I will be surprised if Younger David isn't declared the winner tonight, but those of us who have watched regularly know that we've been surprised before.

No matter what happens, for the entertainment we were given, I say, Bravo, Bravo, BRAVO!!!

THE NEXT BLOG?

Unless something unforseen comes up, a week from today. And you know that at least one of the subjects will be something that makes me say, "Whaaaat?!?"