"Good News Keeps Rolling In."

WASHINGTON-House Majority Whip Roy Blunt released the following statement on the creation of 248,000 jobs in the month of May, exceeding Wall Street’s expectations:

"The good news keeps rolling in. More jobs are being created, more Americans are earning paychecks, and more families are experiencing firsthand the positive effects of our robust economy."

"Congress must continue to implement policies that foster sustained job growth. Naysayers who seek to ‘roll back’ tax relief should take note of today’s news: tax relief has proven to be the right medicine for a reeling economy, resulting in a healthy economic environment for even more Americans."

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job creation is:

Up 248,000 in May
Up 346,000 in April
Up 353,000 in March
Up 1,189,000 this year
Up 1,435,000 since August 2003

There is one thing that most folks have in common, the dislike of standin’ in lines. They will stand around the coffee pot, stand on a bus, stand in front of windows in the mall all day long, but waitin’ in line just isn’t to be stood for. ‘Course since standin’ in line is such a nuisance, the one thing that might top the aggravation is havin’ someone cut in front of you while your waitin’. I witnessed a real sneaky attempt at line cuttin’ over the weekend while waitin’ for a table at a restaurant.

A mom and her kid come in, the kid heads for the restroom, the mom waits in line. After a while I look up and the kid is standin’ next to a table bein’ cleared, wavin’ to his mom. She makes a move but is cut off by a savvy line stander. "Oh did you want that table?" she asked innocently.

And they ask where kids get the ideas. I thanked this one for savin’ our table for us.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Carthage Printing

THIS IS A HAMMER

By Samantha Mazzotta

Picture-Perfect Walls

Q: The walls and ceiling of our older house have a lot of character — mostly in the form of small cracks and uneven surfaces. This summer, we’ll be painting room by room, and I want to get rid of these unsightly areas. Any tips? — Shauna L., Baltimore.

A: Stock up on drywall plaster, because you’ll be using quite a bit before the summer’s over. This substance really is a painter’s friend, because the correct application can make a home’s walls look like new — after the paint job is finished, of course.

Older homes typically have a lot of small stress cracks, especially around corners, door and window frames. These occur as the house settles, so there’s really no stopping them — you’ll be covering these up every few years. (Big giant cracks, like those that run from floor to ceiling, are another matter entirely, and professional help is needed.)

Your walls and ceilings may also have indents and shallow depressions (a quarter-inch deep or less) in places from daily wear and tear. Before starting work in each room, take a look at the surfaces and write down all the problem spots that need attention. This will give you an idea of the tools and materials necessary, and of how much time repairs will take.

And now, to plaster: Tackle the biggest jobs first, so they’ll be out of the way. Smaller areas that just need a bit of spackling compound can be finished last, right before painting. Your tools will include wide and narrow putty knives, sandpaper of different grades, mesh wall tape, staples and/or a staple gun and a hammer.

Depressions in walls or ceilings can be smoothed out with a generous application of wall plaster. However, the plaster needs something to hold onto. This is where staples come in: tap them into the depression at random spots so that they protrude slightly (without jutting past the normal surface level). If you prefer to use a staple gun, tape a thin strip of wood to the gun bottom so that the staple won’t be fully inserted. Then, ladle the plaster onto the surface and smooth quickly, leveling it with the surface and feathering the edges.

Meshed wall tape is the tool of choice when dealing with stress cracks. Rather than filling the cracks with compound, which will crumble away after a few years, mesh tape flexes with the walls so that patching and painting are kept to a minimum.