And what would Christmas be without a tree decked out in red, gold, blue, and silver and a dozen collectible Beanie Baby 2008 Republican elephants? Certainly, not a Christmas we’d want to miss out on. Be sure to see this charming bit of holiday magic sponsored by Lewis & Clark County Republican Central Committee the at the Festival of Trees at the Helena Civic Center December 3 – 7. We can’t think of a merrier way to start a warm and wonderful Yuletide.

One of the most successful and least touted successes of the Bush Administration – The President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief – has saved the lives of millions of desperately poor and ill across the African Continent. Since 2004, over $15 billion in antiretroviral drugs, medical supplies and training, and education has resulted in what has been described as “the most significant aid program since the end of colonialism”.

Even so – there is much more to be done. This holiday season Starbucks is helping to raise money to fight AIDS in Africa. The Seattle-based Starbucks Coffee and (Red) recently announced a multi-year partnership that will begin next month with the sale of three co-branded products. From Nov. 27 to Jan. 2, the retailer will donate five cents from the sale of (Red) Exclusive Holiday beverages Peppermint Mocha Twist, Gingersnap Latte and Espresso Truffle to the Global Fund, which was established in 2002 to finance programs to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria worldwide.

My youngest daughter, who has been a proud member of the Starbucks family since her freshman year in college and is now a store manager in Lake Oswego, Oregon, and her husband produced this video to share the reality of this epidemic with her partners. I am thrilled to be able to share it with my friends too. And join me in a Gingersnap Latte tomorrow – a nice warm way to remember that helping someone is a very good thing.

Just a thought. For any company that accepts bailout funds from the federal government, financial compensation for ALL employees – from the CEO to the janitor – shall be based on the civil service pay scale – retirement and benefits included. And shall remain at that level until every red cent plus interest of the taxpayers’ money is paid back. No bonuses, period. For anyone. All travel is by commercial airline – coach! – and the frequent flyer miles go into a pool to reduce travel expenses. Little get-togethers and spa-meetings – canceled.

Now, just in case you might be thinking that this austerity program is unfair and unreasonable, let me ask you one question: Was there anything that you would rather do with the $15,000 per person share of the bailout that YOUR family is contributing?

Following my post on Wednesday regarding the countries where my blog has been read, I am pleased to announce that 2 Helena Handbaskets has penetrated the Mongolian blogosphere with a huge jump in readership. We have also shown a significant increase in the European market. Apparently, several people in Belgium, London, and Italy are very concerned with the goings-on in Mongolia and stopped by here to assure themselves that I intended no harm to that far-away country.

Wonder what – or who – may show up with this post out there? Such fun!

My son, the computer genius and tech guru, subscribed to this cool application for bloggers called Mint. It tracks a bunch of stuff about who’s reading your blog, how they’re finding it, where the readers are located. I haven’t totally figured out all the info yet, but it is kind of interesting to check out.

He installed it for me about a month ago and I can now make a few observations: Readership seems to increase when I post something new, and while I have made tentative inroads into the European market, Mongolia remains an untapped opportunity. As does Russia, China, all of South America, and continental Africa. I do have a fan somewhere in the Western Atlantic, however.

And now a word from our sponsor…

We now return to our regular programming. For those of you who came here to read about my choice for Energy Secretary in the new administration, continue below.

Remember way back before the election – on Monday – the big story was about then-candidate-and-now President-elect Obama’s disclosure that he intends to bankrupt the coal industry? Perhaps in all the euphoria following the histrionics surrounding historic selection of the first black man (not to mention possibly the first illegal alien) to inhabit the White House, we may have forgotten that tiny little issue. It seems that America’s collective memory has also minimized $4 gallon gas and completely overlooked the promised “skyrocketing” electricity costs. I’m thinking that, before we all go out shopping for our inaugural ball gowns, maybe we ought to revisit the whole energy independence issue.

Somewhere on the way to the election gas prices went from OhMyGodCanYouBelieveThis to Fill’erUpNoProblem, and the urgency with which we were advocating Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less seems to have reverted back to Check Back Later and We’ll Let You Know. Short-sighted to say the least. If we don’t start now, we’ll always be 10 years away from the goal.

This is when the services of a carnival barker PR master are most effective. Someone who can extol the virtues and generate the buzz to get the people excited about the project.

Therefore I humbly and sincerely want to suggest that P-eBO re-consider appointing Brian Schweitzer as America’s energy czar. Obviously the infamous Trial Lawyer speech didn’t tarnish BS’s image, and we have to admit there’s been nobody who has hawked clean coal more enthusiastically than he. Why shouldn’t he be front and center promoting one of the most feasible solutions to the problem of our dependence on foreign energy sources?

I can’t see a downside – can you?

While I – like everybody else out there – have plenty of opinions about yesterday’s election, the most impressive thing I have witnessed occurred this morning. President George Bush – the much reviled and maligned current resident of the White House – showed the kind of class that I have always admired in him. He has publicly invited the Obamas to the White House and has gone above and beyond in facilitating a smooth transition. Remember the welcome the Bush administration received? Teen-age-style vandalism (hidden computer keyboards etc.) that greeted the new group and disgusting and relentless ad hominem attacks that have continued throughout his two terms. Totally tacky.

I hope that the Obamas and his administration have enough class to appreciate the inherent kindness and generosity of spirit that President and Mrs. Bush have always exhibited. It’s very hard to find in Washington.

Blogging has officially become a family sport – first my son, then me. Now my husband has homsteaded in the blogosphere with his own personal, private blog, Old Cub Driver. I’ve linked it on this site, so if you’re interested in flying (think Piper Cub – and that is a picture of him piloting the plane he helped his father restore, BTW), economics, or maybe a little bit of politics (ok – he’s married to me – politics is a staple in this house and it sometimes gets a little heated!), you might check it out and see what he has to say.