On my first day back in Indy Saturday, over lunch and in talks with family and friends, the above phrase -- "privatize the profits, socialize the loss," was applied by several people to the nation's financial crisis.

Here is a quote from a letter to the editor of the Hendricks County Flyer, written by friend Nick Crews. Crews was responding to an earlier letter to the editor, which called him out as a Marxist for his opposition to now defunct 30-day law on campaign signs in Plainfield.

"....the kind of socialism we're facing now from the Bush administration is a different, more sinister sort. It's the kind where profits are privatized: put into the pockets of the privileged few we're going to bail out, and socializes all the liabilities and risk to the rest of us."

By the way, my original reporting on the Hendricks ordinance was incorrect. The law actually disallowed political signs until 30 days BEFORE an election. Crews and his wife Crystal had an Obama sign out since the primary. Hence he received a letter citing him by the city and asking for the sign's removal until that time period. He instead filed a lawsuit with the ACLU of Indiana and prevailed. Thanks to all the great reporters out there who followed up on this story and got the time-line correct. Because of the move, I was without a computer and unable to make the fix. But the word was spreading: Crews has had major coverage, from print, TV and radio.

Also, on the typos: for what it is worth my corneal transplant that was slated for Sept. 15 had to be delayed until Oct. 15 due to my move from Putnam to Indy. Delaying the transplant means that even with the view/increase text sign key at the max, type is still blurry. Please call me out if you see an error. Also, it is now convenient to blame the baby for everything, altho he is asleep right at the moment. Innocent lamb.

And, to paraphrase the English, God save the country.