I say yes, you say no, OR People are Strange

Mary - what you said, exactly!  Also, it's just an excuse since the governor of that state has cut funding and student enrollment has dropped. I think a lot will be blamed on Obamacare, but primarily, what you said.  It's a never ending game of excuses, when the real problem is Americans don't pay enough taxes for what they expect.

Love Costco Alexandria..primarily for how they treat their employees. I'm fearful the CEO has set himself up to be the next whipping boy, though, based on a few recent events. I'll probably double down on my shopping trips there.

No, I've never noticed that. 

(burp)

L

Good Afternoon Ladies,

I've been busy editing reports and then doing some chores.  Mr. Tim should be home in about an hour.  I think he actually has the entire weekend off ... yay! Of course when he called he wanted to know what was for dinner.  I just laughed.  I'll make a roast tomorrow though.

Really enjoying all the art work.  I am a fan of Pollock.  I also like Sorolla ... I'll see if I can find some pictures of his work.

Just talked to my friend Brenda and I'm going down to see her next Thursday.  Will help her decorate her tree and bring up her decorations from the basement.  She's have a lot of trouble walking and will see the orthopedic oncologist next week.

No snow here ... it's 60 degrees today.  The only thing good about the snow is the exercise I get when I have to shovel it.

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

hugs,

Bren

I've been a FAN of Costco for years - especially when I found out how CHEAP, seriously CHEAP, their Pharmacy was.  I don't even need a co-pay, tho the prescription for Arimidex isput thru my Medicare Part D, it's cheaper for me to pay CASH than the co-pays.  While several well know name pharmacies ( Walgrren, CVS, etc) are still charging a huge amount for generic Arimidex ( "it's an expensive generic" is what I'm told, and I giggle) Costco has REDUCED the cost from the $20. a month to about $15. a month ( or less) - and they always are SO KIND about getting me TEVA, cuz I want a USA based generic. 

Hope all the Costco shoppers have already tried the Almond Butter - huge jar, delicious.

I enjoyed that site where you could hover your cursor over that One Nation painting - somebody has a sense of humor.  After our art interlude yesterday I got to playing around at the National Gallery of Art website, lots of fun:

http://www.nga.gov/collection/index.shtm

Costco is opening up over here - they are in a battle with another shopping centre regarding the store they want to open just north of my city, but the government are on their side, so hopefully we'll have one nearby in the future.

Up early, but didn't go for a ride - bad Susie - shopping to do this morning. Markets tomorrow - can't wait.

I've got ChrissyB flying in on Thursday and we're having a get together over the weekend with some other Aussie girls - not a lot of us but enough. I so wish we had money so I could come over to Niagara next year.

Before I return to the 19th century for some Hudson River delight, here is Picasso's Guernica - considered one of the best protest painting about World War II even though it was not initially conceived that way:

Coast Scene, Mount Desert by Frederick Edwin Church. This is one of the best known paintings from that movement:

And, really, aside from the fact that he was also a Frenchman who painted in the 18th century, Greuze could not have been more different from his compatriot. He painted royalty and the aristocracy and all the lewd and lascivious aspects of life in a way that had not been done before. Here is The Village Betrothal:

I'm going to return to the Costco conversation for just a moment.  I just refilled my prescription for letrozole.  Last refill I paid $36 for a three month supply (I don't use my insurance, as then I can only get a month's worth, and it drives me crazy to have to refill that often).  Anyway, I just refilled, and it was $18 for three months.

I am a HUGE Costco fan, and have been a member since shortly after they opened.  (I don't know if y'all know they originated here in Seattle.  I pass store #1 every day on my commute to work).  I told my husband I could live anywhere, as long as it's within 30 miles of a Costco.  We do 90% of our shopping there, and fill-in at Fred Meyers (owned by Krogers) or Trader Joes.

Costco is not unionized, but there is no need for them to be, as the company has ALWAYS treated their employees very well indeed.  I know a few people who work there, and they are quite happy to be Costco employees.  There was a bit of a fuss here in Washington over the last year, as Costco threw a LOT of money at an issue to get liquor out of state run stores and into regular grocery stores (and Costco, of course).  A number of people were very angry (mostly the liquor store employees who were losing their jobs - which was sad)  Costco offered those employees first interview rights for new positions that were needed to handle the change in business, but some were so angry that they weren't interested - especially so since they were losing union jobs.  But one person I know did make the move from the state store to Costco, and she at least says that she's happier working at Costco - who knows for sure, as many of us are of the "make lemonade" mindset - but at least she is not actively unhappy.  A lot of people who shop at Costco in other states expected the prices to plummet, which of course did not happen, as most of the cost is taxes, and Washington has one of (or possible THE) highest taxes on liquor in the country.

And finally, (for now....I will be back - wicked laugh), who can talk about religion, desperation, expressionism (or mannerism, as the 16th-17 century artistic and architectural form is now referred to) and decay in art without mentioning the "Spanish" painter El Greco. Of Greek origin, he spent his entire career in Spain. Here is The Opening of the Fifth Seal of the Apocalypse:

Final one....promise, promise...here is a larger reproduction of the Pollock painting on the previous page. It is called Autumn Rhythm: