Political Moms Unite!

Hold On Moms

2012-01-21T22:09:00.022-07:00

I was reading some Tina Brown (the editor in chief of Newsweek) today and she was thinking about how she missed Michelle Bachmann and her comments about mothers bearing the brunt of this recession by trying to keep their families sane as well as intact with band aids and duct tape. Even thinking about this makes me tired. Er, I'm sorry, I mean, tireder.

I love to read about politics and lately the political testosterone-filled reality show has been unsurpassed, but I forget that it wears. me. out. Too much man stuff is going on, so much so that the stuff (testosterone) is flinging from their pores. I don't want anymore of that crap on my skin.

It's making me break out.

I want the sweet smells of women who get me. Me, meaning 50 percent of the voting block. No one running for office seems to give a damn that we, women, are bearing the brunt of the recession just as much if not more than men. So many jobs descriptions, so little time. Worker, doctor, psychologist, cook, maid, accountant, shoulder to cry on, support, chauffeur, life coach, and sex slave (Ok, that one's not that bad). Give me another minute and I'll think of ten more.

We need a voice. A human connection that brings the points that matter to women into focus. Bachmann went back to crazy so currently we have none. Sarah Palin? Hillary Clinton? Elizabeth Warren? Anyone? I'm ready to be courted. I'm ready to hear someone, man or woman, ANYONE who will speak in a rallying cry that isn't that steady sugar-free diet of tax reform and vulture capitalism. I'm not only hungry for something of substance. Something that really affects me and my everyday life. Something that actually matters.

I'm starving for it.

Occupy Wall Street

2011-10-14T20:35:00.002-06:00

I originally wasn't going to post about this, because well: Who on earth could be against Occupy Wall Street?

But then, much to my complete inability to understand, some people actually are against it.

I can not, for the life of me, understand how this can be. I mean, seriously, peaceful people gathering to protest greed.

Not corporations. Greed. There is a BIG difference, and I think that is why people are supposedly against it- because they don't understand it. (Or, they only watch FauxNews and for some reason believe what is said on that so-called station).

Liberals and democrats are all for businesses. We're all for hard work. What we are NOT for is CEO's getting a 27% pay increase while middle-class workers get a 2% pay raise. What we are NOT for is CEO's pocketing millions of dollars while they ship jobs overseas. What we are NOT for is CEO's taking billions of dollars of bail-out money, and holding on to it: refusing to lend so that thousands of small businesses go under.

What is to like about those CEO's?

Let me give you a personal example.

My mom lost every penny of her retirement- retirement she had dilligently saved for over 30 years of dedicated service at Washington Mutual. When it went under (in very shady circumstances if there ever was one), she lost EVERY. SINGLE. PENNY.

What did Washington Mutual's CEO get? He got paid 21 MILLION dollars for 17 DAYS of work.

Yup, TWENTY ONE MILLION for 17 DAYS.

What hard-working middle-class citizen thinks that is just great? Fair? Reasonable? Right? What true, hard-working American is not furious that we live in a society where that is not only OK, it's acceptable?

That's what Occupy Wall Street is about. It's about this top 1% who DID NOT work hard to get where they are. They simply screwed the most people.

And, I'm so incredibly SICK of people saying that the poor are lazy. I grew up so poor the stories I could tell you would make your head spin. But my dad was, and still is, the absolute hardest worker I know. He worked three jobs to make ends meet. Those bastards on Wall Street who stole my entire mom's retirement have no clue what hard work is- they have never done what my Dad did. They have never sacrificed and worked like I watched my dad.

The janitors, mechanics, and factory workers are the TRUE hard workers in America. Screw you Republicans who think if you have money it's because you "worked harder." Screw you Herman Cain for treating the poor like trash, saying they just need to work. Screw every person who honestly thinks that "working hard" automatically equates to making money.

I have, unfortunately, seen how the "real world" works. I saw my mom cry for weeks while some Wall Street hypocrite took everything from her.

So, yeah, I'm pretty pissed at Wall Street. Not businesses and corporations in general. At these selfish, greedy, despicable men (who I am absolutely certain will rot in Hell someday) who are stealing from the working class, and then blaming the working class for being in such a plight.

And if you're not angry, you don't get it. Start researching, and you'll be angry.

UPDATE: I will note, that I do NOT think the violence in Rome is OK. The protests in the USA have been incredibly peaceful. In Denver, the leaders of Occupy Denver actually went around the park and collected and got rid of anything that could be used as a weapon (large rocks, sticks, etc.) and held several meetings discouraging violence. Even though the police came, it was incredibly peaceful with no violence from either side. Peaceful protests should always be encouraged in a country that claims democracy.

Something Everyone Can Cheer About

2011-08-21T20:30:00.000-06:00

You thought I was going to mention Gadhafi based on the title of this post, but no, it's a Jon Stewart clip that I think everyone will enjoy (unless you are really sensitive to bleeped out cuss words...there's a bit of cussing, but they are bleeped). Enjoy!

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

For America's future, parties must find political common ground

2011-07-02T10:35:00.000-06:00

Unfortunately, we now live in a world where compromise has become a dirty word.
--Michael Fitts

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- As Americans come together to celebrate Independence Day with parades, backyard barbeques, and fireworks, we should also look back on our history and reflect on what has made us the great republic we are today: political compromise.

Our need for compromise is as great as ever. But as the 2012 election cycle heats up the prospects for bipartisan action to address our country's most serious problems decrease with each passing day. The United States is engaged in two wars (at least) overseas, faces an ever-increasing deficit, high unemployment, and soaring health care costs -- all during a sustained economic crisis.

While the recent golf summit between President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner was a rare show of bipartisanship, compromise on real issues remains elusive.

The White House and Congressional Republicans risk defaulting on the country's debt as they continue to squabble over raising the debt ceiling. Many in Congress question whether Obama is flouting the War Powers Resolution with continued American military "support" in Libya. And so far the current crop of Republican presidential contenders are speaking to just one side of the electorate when offering their prescriptions for what ails America.

The reality is that Americans elect leaders to solve problems. A basic truth many of our elected officials in Washington fail to grasp is that to confront major problems and reach some level of viable agreement, effective political leadership requires compromise.

When our leaders refuse or are unable to compromise, the results can be catastrophic. In an equally uncertain time immediately following World War I, President Woodrow Wilson, a Democrat, saw hopes for lasting peace in the League of Nations, stating prophetically in 1919, "I can predict with absolute certainty that within another generation there will be another world war if the nations of the world do not concert the method by which to prevent it." But he and Senate Republicans refused to compromise and as a result Wilson's dream for American involvement in helping lead a peace-preserving world body was shattered.

More recently, in 1993, then-newly elected President Bill Clinton devised a plan to "to fix a health care system that is badly broken," and provide all Americans with basic health care. Several factors led to the plan's failure a year later, from closed-door White House task force proceedings to Republican intransigence. The net effect was that for the next 15 years, "health care reform" was the third rail of politics and debate was stifled.

Alternatively, compromise makes progress -- even incremental progress -- possible. Yet moving toward the middle has frequently proved hazardous to one's political reputation.

Business considered President Franklin Roosevelt a traitor to his class for enacting New Deal legislation, while his left-leaning supporters felt the legislation was too accommodating to business. President Ronald Reagan twice angered his conservative base: first by agreeing to payroll tax increases with then-House Speaker Tip O'Neill in order to save Social Security; second, by negotiating nuclear arms reduction agreements with the "evil empire," the Soviet Union.

Today, many debate what our Founding Fathers intended. The fact is, our founders intended our three co-equal branches of government to lead figures like Reagan and O'Neill to think through their differences and compromise with one another. Our Constitution was born in compromise after Benjamin Franklin helped break the deadlock in 1787 over the divisive issue of proportional representation. Then, the center of our young, fragile republic managed to hold because political adversaries looked to Congress and the courts as mediating institutions.

Early in the 20th century, the aptly named U.S. Supreme Court Justice Learned Hand observed, "The solution to any problem will almost always be compromise based on experience." He added, to underscore the point, that no court could save "a society so riven that the spirit of moderation is gone."

Unfortunately, we now live in a world where compromise has become a dirty word. The reasons are complicated. One is simply the social stratification in our country -- we tend to work, live, and vote with people who think as we do. Another is the splintering of our media outlets. Liberals have MSNBC and the Huffington Post. Conservatives have FOX News and the Weekly Standard.

Adding to the polarization of American politics is the absence of big tent political parties that are inclusive of moderates as well as staunch partisans -- and which as recently as 25 years ago mediated many of these divisions out of the spotlight. At the end of the day, this leaves decision-making to occur in the media glare with public leaders subject to charges of inconsistency and hypocrisy.

While unilateral disarmament by either Democrats or Republicans is not an option leading into 2012, I do see some ways forward. The first is simply for each of us to recognize the degree to which we are complicit in the bloodsport of politics. Too often we see disputes over hot-button issues as battles to the death between the forces of right and wrong.

Second, we should identify and support leaders who have a genuine record of promoting real solutions and forging thoughtful compromises. History is replete with examples. In the wake of World War II President Eisenhower, a Republican, left the New Deal intact. Fervent anti-communist Richard Nixon created the opening with China. Bill Clinton backed welfare reform.

Finally, we must make special efforts toward educating future leaders to bridge and heal our societal fissures. With the increasing segmentation in our society, our universities are one of the last bastions where people from diverse economic and political backgrounds come together on a sustained basis. They are, and must continue to be, institutions that instill an ethic of respect and teach people across the political spectrum how to engage with one another in the spirit of open and respectful dialogue.

In these days of overheated partisan rhetoric, a call for moderation is unlikely to rally the party faithful. But as Walter Isaacson wrote in his biography of Benjamin Franklin, "Compromisers may not make great heroes, but they do make great democracies." That should remain our common and ultimate objective.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/07/01/fitts.compromise/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Such a JOKE!

2011-06-23T14:13:00.000-06:00

"(Reuters) - U.S. budget talks collapsed on Thursday after Republican negotiators walked out, throwing doubt on Washington's ability to reach a deal that would allow the government to keep borrowing and avoid a debt default.

Representative Eric Cantor, the No. 2 Republican in the House of Representatives, said participants had identified trillions of dollars in potential spending cuts but were deadlocked over tax increases sought by Democrats. Republican Senator Jon Kyl also pulled out, according to an aide.

"Regardless of the progress that has been made, the tax issue must be resolved before discussions can continue," Cantor said in a statement.
"House Speaker John Boehner, the top Republican in Washington, said Democrats must take tax hikes off the table.

"These conversations could continue if they take the tax hikes out of the conversation," Boehner said.

Negotiators had hoped to reach a budget deal by next week that would give lawmakers political cover to raise the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling before the Treasury Department runs out of money to pay the country's bills."

This is such a joke!!! Republicans are willing to negotiate as long as they get EVERYTHING they want, and their precious rich cronies are not affected. As long as all that is cut are Democrat programs, they are all about cutting the deficit. But as soon as their precious tax breaks are mentioned (tax breaks that have NOT created jobs or made for a better America, they have merely produced richer CEO's and the dissolving of the middle class), they just storm out- they can't even sit and have a civil discussion.

Apparently Reps. have forgotten what a democracy is all about- working together and compromising to determine what is best for the country. Apparently they have no human decency left in them, and all they can do is whine and pout until they get their way (oh, but of course they will blame the Dems for doing nothing about the deficit, even though THEY are the ones who are throwing tantrums louder and more annoying than my 2-year-old. All to protect their spoiled, rich, rotten, billionare financiers. And we wonder why nothing productive can get done in Washington!)

So Sad!

2011-05-17T18:43:00.000-06:00

I have two thoughts about this break-up:

1. I am truly very, very sad about this. They have four kids, and they seemed like such a great couple. Different backgrounds, yes, but they both seemed grounded and real. When I heard the news, I almost started crying I was so upset- for them as well as their children. I guess it just goes to show that even seemingly great marriages still have problems.

And,
2. Republicans can get off their high horse about thinking they are so morally superior to Democrats- they have officially lost their self-righteous and self-given title of "moral gods and goddesses" of America. Granted, they lost it a long time ago, but now they can really shut up about having higher standards than everybody else, because they don't.

Whew, felt good to get that off my chest!

CNN Presents- A Shout Out

2011-05-16T08:15:00.000-06:00

Last night my husband and I watched CNN Presents: The Hunt For Bin Laden (I'm not sure if that is the exact title, but it is something like that). If you have CNN, you should definitely watch this!

This special feature goes into detail of what occurred for the preparation and the mission of getting Bin Laden. It is fascinating- and caused me to have a much greater appreciation for our intelligence community (dang, they are smart people!) and for what our special opps forces can accomplish (real life is WAY better than the movies!).

It is a great piece of journalism- I'm sure you will not be disappointed! Definitely a 5 star piece!

The Irresistible Revolution

2011-03-28T21:47:00.000-06:00

"When people begin moving beyond charity and toward justice and solidarity with the poor and oppressed, as Jesus did, they get in trouble. Once we are actually friends with folks who struggle, we start to ask WHY people are poor, which is never as popular as giving to chairty. One of my friends has a shirt marked with the words of late Caholic Bishop Dom Helder Camara:

'When I fed the hungry, they called me a saint.

When I asked why people are hungry, they called me a communist.'

Charity wins awards and applause, but joining the poor gets you killed. People do not get crucified for charity. People are crucified for living out a love that disrupts the social order, that calls forth a new world.

People are not crucified for helping poor people.

People are crucified for joining them."

-From The Irresistible Revolution: Living As An Ordinary Radical by Shane Claiborn

The Human Predicament Cycle

2011-02-11T15:29:00.001-07:00

I am fascinated by what is going in Egypt right now. I can hardly take my eyes off the television. It is awesome to know that we are truly watching history being made. But, it begs the question: What's next?

The answer, of course, is anybody's guess.

But I am reminded of what I learned in college- in BYU's American Heritage class. The BYU professors came up with what they call, "The human predicament cycle." It is a cycle that centuries of civilizations have gone through that goes like this:

1. Tyrannical leader/dictator
2. Revolution to get rid of said leader
3. Leader is ousted, anarchy ensues
4. A new tyrannical leader is put into power to establish order

Wash, rinse, repeat.

The United States of America is the country that was able to break from this cycle. Watching Egypt, I am reminded once again of how great our founding fathers really were. After the Revolutionary War, the people wanted to crown George Washington King of America- but he refused, knowing they had just fought a war to be rid of a king. Instead, he worked with other great men to form our Constitution and establish the United States of America. We are certainly blessed to be a part of that legacy!

Now, we wait and see what Egypt will do. Will they fall victim to the Human Predicament Cycle and have anarchy that will lead to yet another dictator? Or, will they break free and establish a government of the people, by the people, and for the people?

Only time will tell, and I am anxious to see how this all plays out!

2011 Economic Collapse?

2011-01-23T15:35:00.001-07:00

HERE is one of hundreds of articles talking about how our economy might collapse- sooner, rather than later.

I am sure that by now all of us agree we are in a crisis situation in regards to the economy and the national deficit.

I, however, have lost faith in both political parties to do anything about it.

Both parties caused this. One party did not do more damage than the other- and I will not argue about that. BOTH sides are responsible.

The worst part, though, is that NEITHER side is doing anything about it.

They both promise to.

They both say they will.

But nothing gets done.

Even the beloved (HA!) Tea-Partiers have vowed to reduce the budget by only 30 billion. That's 1.67% of the deficit. That's the same amount the Fed prints every MONTH. Meaning: Even the tea partiers are completely unwilling to do anything that will actually reduce the deficit.

I have completely lost faith in both parties to make the hard choices and actually do something meaningful to reduce the deficit. Why? Because it is political suicide to be the one to push the austerity measures that must be done to get our budget anywhere within reason. Remember what happened in Greece? Spain? London? It's not pretty for the ones who actually do the hard things.

So neither party is doing it.

Honestly, I don't understand all the numbers and how it all works and I don't get everything that is happening. But, I know it's not good- and it's not going to get any better anytime soon, regardless of who is in power.

What do I think will happen?

I think China will call our debt and leave us begging for mercy as the dollar becomes worthless. I think there will be massive riots in America as food becomes the most precious commodity. I think we will have to create a new currency and start over- which will most certainly be painful for all of us.

Yes, I think it's that bad.

How bad do you think it is?

The Mormon Ethic of Civility

2011-01-13T08:47:00.000-07:00

It seems now the timing is perfect for this wonderful article I read today. It was put out by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints newsroom in 2009. A very timely article for what is going on right now!

The Mormon Ethic of Civility

The political world is astir. Economies are faltering. Public trust is waning. Individuals feel vulnerable. And social cohesion wears thin. Meanwhile, stories of rage and agitation fill our airwaves, streets and town halls. Where are the voices of balance and moderation in these extreme times? During a recent address given in an interfaith setting, Church President Thomas S. Monson declared: "When a spirit of goodwill prompts our thinking and when united effort goes to work on a common problem, the results can be most gratifying." Further, former Church President Gordon B. Hinckley once said that living “together in communities with respect and concern one for another” is “the hallmark of civilization.” That hallmark is under increasing threat.

So many of the habits and conventions of modern culture — ubiquitous media, anonymous and unsourced online participation, politicization of the routine, fractured community and family life — undermine the virtues and manners that make peaceful coexistence in a pluralist society possible. The fabric of civil society tears when stretched thin by its extremities. Civility, then, becomes the measure of our collective and individual character as citizens of a democracy.

A healthy democracy maintains equilibrium through diverse means, including a patchwork of competing interests and an effective system of governmental checks. Nevertheless, this order ultimately relies on the integrity of the people. Speaking at general conference, a semiannual worldwide gathering of the Church, Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles asserted: “In the end, it is only an internal moral compass in each individual that can effectively deal with the root causes as well as the symptoms of societal decay.” Likewise, Presiding Bishop H. David Burton emphasized that the virtues of fidelity, charity, generosity, humility and responsibility “form the foundation of a Christian life and are the outward manifestation of the inner man.” Thus, moral virtues blend into civic virtues. The seriousness of our common challenges calls for an equally serious engagement with reasonable ideas and solutions. What we need is rigorous debate, not rancorous altercations.

Civility is not only a matter of discourse. It is primarily a mode of engagement. The technological interconnectedness of society has made isolation impossible. Of all the institutions in the modern world, religion has had perhaps the greatest difficulty adjusting to the reality of give and take with the public. Today, and throughout its history, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints continuously encounters the legitimate interests of various stakeholders in its interaction with the public. Rather than exempting itself from the rules of law and civility, the Church has sought the path of cooperative engagement and avoided the perils of acrimonious confrontation.

Echoing this mode of civil engagement, President Monson declared: “As a church we reach out not only to our own people but also to those people of goodwill throughout the world in that spirit of brotherhood which comes from the Lord Jesus Christ.” Speaking of civility on a personal level, Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught Latter-day Saints how to respond to criticism: “Some people mistakenly think responses such as silence, meekness, forgiveness, and bearing humble testimony are passive or weak. But, to ‘love [our] enemies, bless them that curse [us], do good to them that hate [us], and pray for them which despitefully use [us], and persecute [us]’ (Matthew 5:44) takes faith, strength, and, most of all, Christian courage.”

The moral basis of civility is the Golden Rule, taught by a broad range of cultures and individuals, perhaps most popularly by Jesus Christ: “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise” (Luke 6:31). This ethic of reciprocity reminds us all of our responsibility toward one another and reinforces the communal nature of human life.

Similarly, the Book of Mormon tells a sober story of civilizational decline in which various peoples repeat the cycle of prosperity, pride and fall. In almost every case, the seeds of decay begin with the violation of the simple rules of civility. Cooperation, humility and empathy gradually give way to contention, strife and malice.

The need for civility is perhaps most relevant in the realm of partisan politics. As the Church operates in countries around the world, it embraces the richness of pluralism. Thus, the political diversity of Latter-day Saints spans the ideological spectrum. Individual members are free to choose their own political philosophy and affiliation. Moreover, the Church itself is not aligned with any particular political ideology or movement. It defies category. Its moral values may be expressed in a number of parties and ideologies.

Furthermore, the Church views with concern the politics of fear and rhetorical extremism that render civil discussion impossible. As the Church begins to rise in prominence and its members achieve a higher public profile, a diversity of voices and opinions naturally follows. Some may even mistake these voices as being authoritative or representative of the Church. However, individual members think and speak for themselves. Only the First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles speak for the whole Church.

Latter-day Saint ethical life requires members to treat their neighbors with respect, regardless of the situation. Behavior in a religious setting should be consistent with behavior in a secular setting. The Church hopes that our democratic system will facilitate kinder and more reasoned exchanges among fellow Americans than we are now seeing. In his inaugural press conference President Monson emphasized the importance of cooperation in civic endeavors: “We have a responsibility to be active in the communities where we live, all Latter-day Saints, and to work cooperatively with other churches and organizations. My objective there is ... that we eliminate the weakness of one standing alone and substitute for it the strength of people working together.”

HERE is a direct link. I hope you guys enjoyed it!

Was Jesus a liberal Democrat? Well, duh.

2010-12-21T22:51:00.006-07:00

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Jesus Is a Liberal Democrat

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor & Satire Blog

March to Keep Fear Alive

Insanity Point #4: North Korea

2010-12-17T08:20:00.000-07:00

I was going to write about the new Tax Deal, but to be honest it truly just upsets me and there is SO MUCH there to discuss I wasn't ready to tackle it. If somebody else wants to, though, please give it a go, as like I said- there is a lot to discuss there!

Instead, however, today I will discuss North Korea.

Yahoo! posted THIS article today.

It quotes a North Korean website that says:

"Because of the South Koreans' reckless war policies, it is not about war or peace on the Korean peninsula but when the war will break out."

There is more in the article about how if they go to war it will be a nucleur war and not limited just to the Korean Peninsula.

Personally, I think North Korea is just looking for an excuse to go to war! Their actions the past year seem to show they are anxious to fight.

Very good friends of ours just returned from living in South Korea for two years, and they said North Korea is always making vain threats and they think all of this is show. In fact, they said they would move back- they aren't scared at all.

But I think the North is looking for a fight, and it could erupt at any moment. Then we would get involved, Russia and China would get involved, the EU would have to get involved, etc. etc.

Any thoughts?

Insanity Point #3

2010-11-16T16:45:00.002-07:00

I took the girls swimming today at the local pool, and as I was headed out I overheard this conversation:

Man #1: Soon we are going to be a second rate county.

Man #2: That's what Obama wants.

I almost walked over there and asked him if that was seriously what he believed.

Really??? The man who fought to give all citizens the right to health care wants to destroy America? The man who talks constantly of an America full of opportunity for all wants us all to suffer? The man who puts billions into improving our education and into fighting the correct war wants America dismantled?

I could not believe my ears.

This is exactly what John Stewart was talking about.

You may not agree with Obama. You may not like his policis. You may not think his decisions will solve all of the problems we currently face. But to go around saying Obama- the President of the United States- wants us to become a second rate country is ignorant at best and detrimental to our society at worst.

We are ALL Americans. We are ALL on the same team. Including Obama.

Let's stop name calling and accusing each other and instead find common ground to work together to fix the things that are wrong with this country, instead of destroying it from within.

And Man #2- find something more useful to do with your time than spread hate and lies.

THE Article

2010-11-11T09:15:00.003-07:00

I posted this article on Facebook:
-
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_16569466?utm_medium=facebook
-
The main purpose I posted the article is due to the overall premise that blaming health insurance premium hikes on the new Health Care Bill is untrue. Please feel free to read the article- it is not too long.
-
I believe there are a million lies/untruths/misinformation out there about the health care bill.
-
First and foremost, people should STOP calling it "Obamacare." It is not Obamacare. A much more accurate term is "Health Care For All." Not Health Care for Obama. So please stop using the term. It is absolutely, completely, 100% FALSE.
-
Second, we need to stop calling it socialized medicine. It is NOT socialized medicine. The government does not own the hospitals. The government does not own the doctors. The government does not make any decisions about your health care. Compare these reforms to Europe, and there are little to no comparisons to be made. That is yet another falsehood. (In fact, if you are a Republican, compare this bill to your beloved voucher program that uses government money to pay for private schools and you should immediately fall in love with this bill- the two concepts are quite similar)
-
Another falsehood is what this article stipulates, hence the reason I posted the article. The idea that the Health Care bill is causing premiums to skyrocket.
-
The fact of the matter is that premiums were skyrocketing every year well before health care reform was passed.
-
My dad owns a small company. He spends about $1500.00/month per employee on health care for his employess. For years he has been saying he would either go under or have to stop offering health care to his employees.
-
Now that health care reform has passed, he continues to say the same thing. However, from what I understand, now if he opts to not offer insurance, they will be able to still get insurance and still be covered, for the small fee of 900.00/year. That is WAY cheaper than what he is currently paying, so he will be able to stay in business.
-
I am not saying the Health Care Reform bill is perfect. It is a work in progress. But I am saying let's stop using scare tactics and lies to convince people it is a bad bill. This is a bill that affects everyone, and virtually every American agrees something has to be done to fix the health care crisis in America. Let's take this bill and tweak it, fix it, and give it a chance to succeed. For ALL Americans.
-
Can't both sides at least agree on that?

Insanity Point #2

2010-11-09T13:25:00.003-07:00

Before children, falling back was fun.

The falling back I mean is the falling back where you got an extra hour of sleep once a year when you change your clocks.

With children, unfortunately, the glory of the extra hour of sleep is non-existent. Instead of snuggling with my comforter an extra hour, my kids woke me up 5:45 am. Oh, joy.

Which leads me to my insanity point.

Why do we change clocks?

Apparently it is to save energy. But I am not sure, because now it is dark at 5:30 instead of 6:30 and so that leaves us turning on our lights an extra hour earlier.

So I am not sure.

But I think we should forgo this wild tradition of ours so that I can get some sleep.

Insanity Point #1

2010-11-06T09:55:00.005-06:00

You gotta be proud as a Republican when your newly elected leader says:

OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE OBAMA A ONE TERM PRESIDENT. -Senator Mitch McConnell

It's gotta feel good to elect a group of people who don't care about helping out the economy. Who don't care about creating jobs. Who don't care about getting money to small businesses.

There are a lot of noble goals I could think of for a politician at this time. If I were a politician, my goals would include strenghtening the health care bill to give insurance companies less power, not more. My goals would include a teacher recruitment program. My goals would include bringing jobs back to America instead of outsourcing them to foreign countries.

But that's just me. Why would I expect elected officials to have goals that would actually HELP the people? Why should they have productive goals, when their ONE goal could be to stop the president from doing anything productive?

Let the insanity continue.

Restoring Sanity/Keeping Fear Alive

2010-10-30T15:51:00.005-06:00

-After reading in the newspaper there was a satellite rally in downtown Denver where the Restoring Sanity/Keeping Fear Alive rallies would be broadcast live, my husband and I decided to head downtown and check it out. I am so glad we did!
-

Truly, this was not a political rally. But it was definitely something we need to hear.

There was comedy, musical numbers, and a good time for all I am sure.

But there was also a serious message.

And the message I got was simple:

We need to work together to get things done.

In promoting his rally, John Stewart used rallying cries such as:

I may disagree with you, but I am pretty sure you are not Hitler.

With that, I knew the rally would be good. And it was.

He slammed cable news networks that use name-calling and fear to demonize anyone who disagrees with them. He called out all the networks and asked us as consumers to change the channel when the anchors started using name-calling and hate as a way to convey their message.

He had several great quotes:

"This was not a rally to ridicule people of faith. Or people of activism or to look down our noses at the heartland, or passionate argument or to suggest that times are not difficult and that we have nothing to fear. They are and we do. But we live now in hard times, not end times. And we can have animus and not be enemies."

And one of my personal favorites,

"If we amplify everything, we hear nothing."

He talked about the need for us to work together- not resort to name calling. He wants us to end toxic political rhetoric and instead remember that we are all Americans- we are ALL on the same team.

He talked about how the news wants us to believe that all we do is fight and hate each other and that we should fear anybody who is different than us, but that in reality every day people of different political backgrounds, different religions, different races are working together to solve problems.

I liked what he had to say. I am glad he has asked us to stop fighting and instead to come together and all be AMERICANS.

I wish that was in a political ad.

Self Destruction At It's Best

2010-09-15T10:58:00.003-06:00

For the 2010 election cycle, us Dems expected to be pounded. I wasn't surprised- whenever one party has all the power, the other party will certainly gain ground in the next election. It has happened many times before, and so I, at least, accepted that Dems would lose some of it's power. And, I was actually OK with that.
-
But then strange things started happening...
-
In Colorado, it seemed the Reps were poised to take back the Governor's seat. Until crazy lunatic Tom Tancredo (a one issue candidate who has people carrying confederate flags showing up at his rallies- yes, Curt, there are pictures of this when he was running for President in SC) decided to become a spoiler candidate and run as the American Constitution Party candidate. All of a sudden, the Rep. votes are split, and the Dem. candidate has the easiest ride to victory ever seen.
-
Now complete unknowns have been elected by the Tea Party. The problem? Many of them are so extreme the GOP refuses to help their efforts, and they will certainly not attract independent mainstream voters- a voting bloc absolutely necessary to win general elections. Like it or not, tea partyers (or tea baggers- hehe!) come across as crazy people. You can blame this on the media. I blame it on the words that come out of their mouths.
-
What is happening? The Republican party seems to be imploding. They are being destroyed from within.
-
As a member of the Democratic Party, I could not be happier. We were poised to lose A LOT in this next election. Now, while we certainly will lose some spots, it appears it will not be nearly as much.
-
So, THANK YOU TEA PARTY!!!!! By causing factions within the Republican Party, you have greatly helped us out!!!!!! This November doesn't look nearly as bad as it once did!

Why I'm a Morman and a Democrat- and that's a good thing

2010-08-13T17:28:00.002-06:00

Found this article and had to share. EVERY Mormon who has ever said the statement, "how can you be a Mormon and a Democrat?" MUST read this. I am including it in it's entirety, because the whole thing should be read:

By Boyd Peterson

When I was growing up in Utah, Calvin Rampton and Scott Matheson were our Governors, Frank Moss was one of our Senators, and Gunn McKay was our Congressman. All were Mormon Democrats. My father was a steelworker who believed that the Democrats were the party that ended the Depression, won the War, and fought for the rights of working people.

Evidently many Utah Mormons agreed with him. It was not until the mid- to late-1970s that the Democratic party fell out of favor among Utah Mormon voters. That shift resulted, I believe, because the public debate about morality became more narrowly focused on sexual issues like abortion. But the Mormon retreat from the Democratic party has been detrimental to both the party and the LDS Church. Furthermore, there are moral issues that, I believe, are better represented by the Democrats than by Republicans.

At election time each year, a Church statement of political neutrality is read in LDS congregations throughout the nation, which "affirms [the Church's] neutrality regarding political parties, platforms, and candidates." Importantly, it also stresses that, "principles compatible with the gospel may be found in various political parties." Implicit in this statement is the notion that gospel truth may be found in the Democratic party's platform.

In an interview in 1998, Elder Marlin Jensen, a Mormon Democrat, spoke of the need for political diversity in the Church. Jensen outlined three main concerns Church leaders have with the misconception that the Republican party is the Church party: First, the Church's reputation suffers with the waxing and waning tides of national political fortunes. "There is a feeling that even nationally as a church, it's not in our best interest to be known as a one-party church," stated Jensen.

The late Elder James E. Faust, also a Mormon Democrat and a counselor in the First Presidency, reiterated this point: "It is in the interest of the Church to have a two-party system . . . . Both locally and nationally, the interest of the Church and its members are served when we have two good men or women running on each ticket, and then no matter who is elected, we win."[1]
Second, Elder Jensen suggested that the overwhelming Republican affiliation of Mormons in Utah and throughout the intermountain West weakens the checks and balances of good democratic government. As Elder Jensen put it, "any time you don't have the dialogue and the give-and-take that the democratic process provides you're going to be poorer for it in the long run."

Third, Elder Jensen stressed that it would be "very healthy for the church -- particularly the Utah church" if the common misconception that one cannot be a good Mormon and a Democrat "could be obliterated." Elder Jensen continued, "everyone who is a good Latter-day Saint is going to have to pick and choose a little bit regardless of the party that they're in and that may be required a lot more in the future than it has in the past."[2]

Jensen's call for political diversity recognizes an important truth about political parties and public morality -- there are many moral issues and none of the political parties has a monopoly on them. "I am a Democrat," stated Senator Harry Reid, "because I am a Mormon, not in spite of it."

Like Reid, I believe that the Democratic party takes the strongest position on many moral issues. For example, King Benjamin's address in the Book of Mormon admonishes us to prioritize, "feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants" (Mosiah 4:26). I believe the Democratic party works harder to protect and defend these moral priorities.

Elder Faust stated that his reading of the Book of Mormon also influenced his political views: "I believe what is said in the Book of Mormon, that the Lord values all of his children equally -- black and white, bond and free, male and female, Jew and gentile." As a result, Elder Faust said, "I like to see all people enjoy every advantage, every blessing, every opportunity that comes to them by reason of citizenship."[3]

Furthermore, the LDS scriptures' call to educate ourselves, "to seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom, seek learning even by study and also by faith" (D&C 109:7), is, I believe, more constantly supported by the Democratic agenda. I also believe LDS scriptures' insistence that the world and all living things were created spiritually prior to their physical creation calls us to environmental stewardship, another moral issue defended more robustly by Democrats.
Finally, I am a Democrat because I believe LDS scripture and prophets have urged us to live within our means, to be fiscally responsible. Democrats believe we need to pay for any programs we create, and Democratic administrations have, since the Great Depression, consistently lowered deficit spending, while the Reagan and two Bush administrations have greatly increased it. Democrats have a strong record of fiscal responsibility.

Many Mormon Democrats like me are pro-life, and find no pressure to change that view. Senator Harry Reid once told how, when an abortion issue came up for a vote during his first year in the Senate, some senators were expressing to him the importance of his vote. Reid recalled how Senator Barbara Mikulski, "at that time the only woman in the Senate and one of the nation's feminist leaders, told everyone to leave me alone, my vote was a matter of character." Reid's pro-life stance in the Senate has not hurt his career -- in 2006 he became the Senate Majority Leader, the highest-ranking Mormon in Washington.

I believe Mormon Democrats can make a difference, not only like Reid in Washington, but in their own local party. I have witnessed first-hand how Mormon Democrats in Utah county have worked to make the county platform more in-line with LDS values.

Boyd Petersen is the Program Coordinator for Mormon Studies at Utah Valley University, the biographer of Mormon scholar Hugh Nibley, and a former candidate for the Utah State legislature.

Thanks For Nothing- Again

2010-08-08T13:42:00.003-06:00

Once again, it's politics as usual in Washington.

A popular small business bill, basically written by Republicans and loved by small business owners, was shot down by....

The Republicans!
-

Even though they wrote the dang bill, not ONE Republican voted for it- NOT ONE!
-

It had bi-partisan support, with Democrats sitting down and listening to the Republicans, and what do they get for it???

NOTHING!

Give me a break, Republicans! You can't blame "not having a say" on this one! Obama has repeatedly tried to extend the olive branch out to you guys, has consistently tried to reach across party lines, and what do you do????? -

WRITE YOUR OWN LEGISLATION AND THEN VOTE AGAINST IT!

How does this make any sense?

"As a result, Republicans robbed Democrats of an election-year legislative victory until at least September, even though it meant unanimously opposing a bill they helped write and which had wide support in the business community. "

Wow. Thanks for hurting small businesses, hurting the economy, and hurting Americans just so you can play your political mindgames.

It makes me sick.

**For the full article, click here.

***For the record, I believe that until these rediculous games are done being played, this country will NEVER solve the problems we are currently faced with. Politicians need to get off their high horse of only looking after their parties' best interest, and instead look at America's best interest!

Another deep thought from Idaho..

2010-07-08T22:40:00.007-06:00

Some Republicans (not all I know) in Northern Idaho strike again. Bonner County Republicans refuse to put the word "fiesta" on their committee booth - even though that's the theme for the BC fair this year. They're sticking with the word "celebrate" since "we speak English in this country." REALLY?? What's to go next I wonder? Tamales = corn wrapped shredded pig. Tortilla = flat flourly toasted thingy, burrito = beans and meat with cheese in flat floury thingy. But what about those other pesky words that are so unAmerican. "French" fries = fried potatoes that cause heart attacks. Gyros = dead lamb on a flour stick. I was always under the impression that our language is mainly just an amalgam of other, older languages. But hey, maybe speaking only "English" words will limit their vocabulary and we won't have to hear them talk. Dare to dream.

It's people like this that push me even farther left. They are crazy!

I'm a little confused..

2010-07-07T12:33:00.005-06:00

Dear Republican Party:

I guess I'm a little confused. Some of you are apologizing to BP for our government making it set aside 20 billion for claims against it for lost income due to their negligence - hence ruining the gulf coast economy (Texas Rep. Joe Barton), and at the same time others are complaining that the moratorium on offshore drilling is more damaging than the spill itself on the gulf coast economy (Mississippi Gov. Haley).

So which is it then? Because it seems to me the chess pieces fall something like this:
Who is to blame for ruining these people's lives and their livelihoods?
Democrats - British Petroleum
Republicans - the Federal Government

I'm scratching my head here. Would the Republican party prefer the taxpayer pay for this destruction and its many rippling effects instead of poor BP?

Sigh...I guess it's come down to picking sides. Again.
I'm tired of it.

Game Change: Obama and the Clinton's, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime by John Heilemann

2010-06-24T09:08:00.002-06:00

After reading this, I've learned something about myself...I love reading about other people's problems, especially famous, super rich people. I lap it up like a dog attached to a soup bone. I don't want to know what that says about me..

Some suspicions that were confirmed by this book:

- Bill Clinton is just as gross as I assumed he was. Smart, but ew. Ew. Eeewwww!

- Hillary swears like a f%$#^&king sailor. You rock,#^^$&#@*&, Hillary! And surprise, surprise, she may actually love her husband! Go figure!

- McCain had an affair in the 90's with someone my age.. oh.my. gosh. Can you imagine? Probably you shouldn't. That gag reflex is a hard one to control.

- Biden didn't get along too well during the campaign. Really?? By the way, where is Joe Biden? Sounds like a book name doesn't it. Has anyone seen Joe Biden on the news lately? What, he fall of the face of the Earth?

- My biggest surprise of the book?? I actually came off feeling slightly bad for Sarah Palin.. Yes, I know, I'm currently clutching my chest and breathing heavily at the thought of it.

Ah, you poor, poor multi-millionaires. Life would be rough without you for entertainment. As for me, I'd rather have my feet scraped than run for office...(And I'll mail you a pretend dollar if you know from what movie that last line is from...except you Suzette..)

A must read for any political junkie..

4 stars.

Here's Another One

2010-06-15T17:37:00.001-06:00

Sorry for the cussing, but this is pretty funny!

The Devil's in the details BP...

2010-06-02T20:27:00.002-06:00

Found this on thinking or sitting. Thinking about this makes me sick to my stomach, but I almost laughed at this.

Thank you George Bush!!

2010-05-22T09:03:00.008-06:00

It seems we forgot to be thanking our past president for all the glorious things he's done for us.

Thank you George Bush!!!

-You gave a huge tax credit to the wealthy. Woo-hoo! Yeah team! You're awesome! Middle class me damned..

- Health care, smelth care. Your emergency room advice was spot on, poor poor multi- millionaire.

- You were the lead in Dick Cheney's puppet show of torture and death.

- You started a terrible, massively expensive war that will set our country back for decade upon decade, just to get even with the guy who tried to kill your dad. What a good son!

- Thanks to your Dick Cheney we soon will no longer have a Gulf of Mexico. Who needed it anyway right? Hey, maybe we can change the name to the Sea of Black Death!

- You're lack of regulating probably led to the Wall Street disaster. Woo-hoo!! Because remember, everything bad that happens is the president's fault, right?

So, again. Thanks so much for all your help. Much appreciated.

Bumper Sticker Faux pas

2010-05-20T13:53:00.002-06:00

I am coming across some obnoxious bumper stickers that I think people should remove. I would love to hear some that you have found that you think should be outlawed as well!!!!

Here are my favorites for being banned from society:

If you want $5 gas, vote democratic.

I was at the gas station the other day with somebody who had that sticker. I looked at the price of gas, and it was $2.49- far lower than what it was when Bush was in office. Because this supposed bumper sticker prophecy did not come true, he should remove it- otherwise, he just looks like a goon.

Another one:

How is that hope and change working out for you?

Let's see...since Obama has been president, my stocks have gone up about 40%, we are more respected as a country, and we passed universal health care. I would say that "hope" and "change" are working out pretty dang GREAT for me!!!! So, while this sticker is supposed to be a stab at people like me, it reminds me instead of how grateful I am that Obama is the president, thus defeating the purpose of the bumper sticker, and therefore should be removed.

Here's another:

I'll keep my money and my guns, you can keep the change

When I saw this one, I was tempted to follow the guy until he got to wherever he was going and ask him what guns of his were taken away and what his tax return was this year. As far as I can tell, Obama has done nothing to take away guns, AND I got a MASSIVE tax return this year- so it seems to me, we are keeping our guns, we are keeping our money, and we are getting a change for a better America- SWEET! But, again, this person just looks like a goon because the message on his sticker is completely false.

Now, this last bumper sticker is actually one that I ABSOLUTELY LOVE! It is my favorite bumper sticker of all time- and I am being completely honest. Here it is:

Colorado: We don't waste money on education

What more needs to be said than that?

Any favorites of yours?

I Love This Man

2010-05-04T14:09:00.000-06:00

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

The Word - No Problemo

http://www.colbertnation.com/

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor

Fox News

Oh, but what about Drill Baby Drill!!

2010-04-30T14:14:00.007-06:00

I recently found out something astounding about myself: I have the gift of prophesy. I was so generally miffed at President Obama a few weeks ago when after his big Health Care Reform win, he painfully grafted an olive branch in the conservative fruit tree called the Republicans in Congress with his - we will drill for more oil along our coast lines, so we can save some primary elections - speech. Who gets elected is so much more important than the quality of our oceans, marine life, and our beach ecosystems anyway, don't you think. Just as long as we can be total and complete gas and energy hogs. Heaven forbid we sacrifice a little!

At the time I wondered, wouldn't it be ironic if one of these went down in such horrific glory as to show the t-e-r-r-i-b-l-e effects that one of these metal contraptions imploding does to our environment. Our economy. Our life.

Well, hell now it's happened.

Good bye Gulf of Mexico.
But hey, we have enough gas to drive our fat, overweight behinds around though.
Hope it was worth it.

Drill baby drill...

True Colors

2010-03-24T17:37:00.002-06:00

Republicans should be proud- their true colors are coming out.

"My answer is violence, by getting their attention," (Republican political blogger M. B. Vanderbutt) "If we can get across to the other side that they are within inches of provoking a civil war in this country, then that's a good thing."

Wow. Encouraging violence and wanting to start a civil war. Sounds like the type of people I want to hang out with. (Oh, wait- I try to avoid hanging out with traitors and terrorists- my bad!)

Happiness is....

2010-03-22T13:22:00.005-06:00

Happiness is...

- Being able to go to the doctor when you're sick with the flu and not worrying you'll break the bank in the process...

- Being able to afford regular check-ups because believe it or not people with pre-existing conditions are not just their illness. They get sick, occasionally break a bone or two, get in minor accidents, and have high blood pressure just like the rest of us. (Really they do!) They don't just have diabetes or cancer or ms or arthritis...

- Knowing even some care is better than nothing...

- Caring about someone else's health needs besides your own, and be willing to look ahead to the future a little in the process...

- Knowing Governor Otter of Idaho (and other governors suing the Feds) is a total jack-ass for wasting money when he's massively cutting education, but still be willing to live in this beautiful state - besides the fact we have a lush for a governor....

- Knowing that although this bill isn't perfect, it's a good start in the right direction for equal health care for all Americans, sick or otherwise. Finally a president who kept his lips to the icy pole until the thing was passed. Finally.

- Being a Democrat in this time, in this age, in this lifetime...

- Saving a waa-hoo for just the right moment...

- Waa-hoo..

If You Want To Cut The Abortion Rate, Vote YES For Health Care Reform!

2010-03-22T08:20:00.002-06:00

As the health care debate continues, there is one group of people who should be jumping on-board FOR health care: Pro-Lifers.

Industrialized countries WITH universal health care have remarkably LOWER abortion rates.

The reasons are not so shocking. When a woman is able to provide health care coverage for she and her baby, she is more likely to keep the baby. Also, with free health care coverage, women are more likely to go to the doctor to get a diaphram or another form of birth control so she won't have an unwanted pregnancy.

In interviewing a Cardinal and others in Britain in an attempt to explain the lower abortion phenomenon that so many other countries have already figured out, T.R. Reid said in his article:

"The cardinal said that there were several reasons (for reduced abortion rates) but that one important explanation was Britain's universal health-care system. "If that frightened, unemployed 19-year-old knows that she and her child will have access to medical care whenever it's needed," Hume explained, "she's more likely to carry the baby to term. Isn't it obvious?"

A young woman I knew in Britain added another explanation. "If you're [sexually] active," she said, "the way to avoid abortion is to avoid pregnancy. Most of us do that with an IUD or a diaphragm. It means going to the doctor. But that's easy here, because anybody can go to the doctor free."

For various reasons, then, expanding health-care coverage reduces the rate of abortion. All the other industrialized democracies figured that out years ago. The failure to recognize this plain statistical truth may explain why American churches have played such a small role in our national debate on health care. Searching for ways to limit abortions, our faith leaders have managed to overlook a proven approach that's on offer now: expanding health-care coverage."

For the entire article, go here.

One solution to ending abortion in America is clear: Vote YES for a universal health care system!

Who knew Reagan was soooo hot!

2010-03-04T16:03:00.005-07:00

Funny or Die's Presidential Reunion from Will Ferrell

Thanks Suzette! I needed a little humor is this current political crap shoot!

Response

2010-02-20T14:38:00.002-07:00

I got an e-mail and saw this on a blog, so I thought I would post this response about it.

Have you seen this letter? It's some retired VP (who apparently is the smartest man in the whole world) who wrote why Obama"scares" him. I am sure he has NO agenda- like protecting his fortunes- and he is writing this out of true concern for the welfare of our country. Because, of course, nothing Bush did was scary.

Anyway, I don't really care and so I probably won't say anything further. This letter is so rediculous, I can not believe anybody would take it seriously, but apparently people are. Here is a response I saw by a guy named Kevin, and I liked it, so I thought I would post. It is LONG, however, but pretty much sums up what I think about this letter and was too lazy to write myself:

Lou,

You scare me.

I am more scared of you than of Obama.
Why?
Because I don’t know what you eat for breakfast. Thus, the proper response is fear, I guess.
Huh? Of course that’s not worthy of fear, is it? And neither are your reasons to be afraid of your own democratically elected President.

When will Republicans stop using fear as their only policy tool?

Your letter to Obama is filled with paranoia and probably an underlying whif of racism.

I am a white kid from California, and I am an American. I have no reason to respond to you except for that your e-mail was forwarded to me and it was so full of ignorance and misinformation that I couldn’t just sit by and let you spread such fear mongering.

For the record, I think Obama’s ok. A better choice than most. He's not perfect, and I don’t expect him to be. Some of his policies I approve of, and some I don’t. But when I don’t agree, my first logical step is not to dream up lies and fear about it as a policy alternative like you do.

I’m just an average guy and not that into politics. But I can’t keep quiet on this, as I can’t stand ignorance. Just can’t put up with it, especially when its so unsupported by facts or logic.

I’m an American, and I want my country to succeed and prosper. And you are truly the one being Unamerican here.

Why bother to be so lilly livered scared, Lou?

You don’t realize it, but you are part of the minority here… apparently one of those who is afraid of democracy.

See, a majority of the American people voted for Obama, and a majority support him.
We are not afraid, like you, of democracy.
Your fear list is made up of lies and unsupported parinoia.

If there is anyone to be afraid of, its Republicans. I have some facts on my side rather than fear mongering.

Under Repubicans, and their leader GW Bush, the nation TORTURED. Bush and Cheney approved of it and demanded it. Now that’s not only wrong, its ILLEGAL.
Under Repubicans, and their leader GW Bush, the nation SPIED ON ITS OWN CITIZENS WITHOUT WARRANT. Bush and Cheney approved of it and demanded it. Now that’s not only wrong, its ILLEGAL.

Under Repubicans, and their leader GW Bush, the nation SUSPENDED HABEAUS CORPUS. Bush and Cheney approved of it and demanded it. Now that’s not only wrong, its ILLEGAL.

Under Repubicans, and their leader GW Bush, the nation LIED TO ITS OWN CITIZENS TO GET THEM TO GO TO WAR WITH A NATION THAT HAD NOT ATTACKED US. Bush and Cheney approved of it and demanded it. Now that’s not only wrong, its ILLEGAL, per the United Nations President at that time.

Now, that scares me. Remember the Soviet Union, and how they were such a menace because of their fascist undemocratic ways?
Bush really did resemble the USSR in the worst ways imaginable, because what he did was ILLEGAL.

But apparently massive violation of the ideals and laws of the US are ok, what really scares you is a guy who has been hired to pick up the pieces? Because he is “omniscient”? What? That’s what scares you? A totally unsubstantiated projection of your knee jerk fear onto a regular guy just trying to clean up a terrible mess. Yes, blame the janitor, his happy juice was spilled in the hallway? Right.

Again, I have to remind you that your views are actually in the minority here. And with good reason - they are unsubstantiated and in fact a bit paranoid.

Do you not remember it was Bush and his Paulson team that started us on the road to “socialism” by approving TARP? No, you’d rather blame the guy who inherited the worst failure of American capitalism since the great depression.

Or did you forget so quickly that it was under Bush that the nation’s financial world fell apart, ushering in a CRISIS.

Oh, but you’d rather monger some fear without fact instead, huh?

Let’s go down you fearful laundry list one by one and correct your misperceptions before we close out this little rebuttal.

1. You are the thirteenth President under whom I have lived and unlike any of the others, you truly scare me.

Really? Not Nixon, who broke laws and was forced to resign? Not Bush, who bankrupt the country by spending us into a ditch on a war which was unjustified for reasons which Bush and cabal knew were false? You have wierd standards for what gets you fearful, and a very very short memory.

2. You scare me because after months of exposure, I know nothing about you.

And who’s fault is that. I doubt you tried very hard to get to know him. Have you ever read a book, or are you just completely xenophobic?

3. You scare me because I do not know how you paid for your expensive IvyLeague education and your upscale lifestyle and housing with no visible signs of support.

Oh, that’s a real biggie. Almost on par with getting caught releasing photos of US troops torturing detainees and ruining the country’s reputation? No. Yes, our Ivy League schools, the best education in the country and world… is pernicious and must be stamped out! If you were semi-literate you’d read O’s two published books and get your answer. But let’s just answer your question: SCHOLARSHIPS and CASH and some STUDENT LOANS. Because O was in fact at the top of his class at Harvard Law. See- he’s better than the C student dry drunk Bush whom you somehow think is less scary than the best and the brightest in our country? Education should not be feared! And being upscale is not a crime, as all the Republicans on bailed out Wall Street could tell you, and those in the top percent for wealth in the country who got more tax breaks than the common american under Bush can also tell you that Republicans usually think wealth is ok. Ok, that is, unless you want to use class issues as wedges to defeat the country’s efforts to get back on the right track after a decade of crisis creating policy by republicans. Only then, apparently, is wealth a bad thing. Only for those who would put their narrow little political party tactics above the betterment of the country is education and a upper middle class lifestyle somehow scary.

4. You scare me because you did not spend the formative years of youth growing up in America and culturally you are not an American.

Oh- the worst accusation that can ever be made!! Lou– have you ever travelled outside the US in your life? There’s a whole world out there Lou, really. Travel broadens the mind, so its clear you’ve never set foot outside your insulated little republican stronghold. This is myopic and racist. Don’t you see that you’ll never win another election in America again when you are seen to be the party of redneck reactionaries? Where did your ancestors originally come from, Lou? Under such standards, you are Unamerican! And what “proof” do you have that “culturally” Obama is “not an American.” What’s your criteria? If he eats Kelloggs cereal does he get a passport, but if not he’s not American? If he played with silly putty as a kid, would that do it? Howabout he runs GM into bankruptcy, would that do it? Howabout he tortures innocent civilians held without habeus corpus (which used to be a core American ideal)? Would that do it?
Again, so far we have a lot of fear and accusation but no real logic or fact to support it. NOW THAT’S REALLY SCARY!

5. You scare me because you have never run a company or met a payroll.

Yes, because your hero Bush really did a great job running Harken energy, right? So that’s alaways the best criteria for a leader. But again, facts are getting in the way of your fear. He did meet payrolls when he was the director of community organizations in Chicago which he ran. He ran the HARVARD LAW REVIEW as well, and so has some experience in leadership and management. But you’d only know that if you picked up a book instead of throwing your energy into closing your mind so often.

6.You scare me because you have never had military experience, thus don’t understand it at its core.

Ahh, yes. the Right wing must have its macho postures on war to be a real meat eating American. Except that there were more “chickenhawks” in the Bush adminsitration who sent others to war when they had the chance (and so then actually bungled it beyond belief) than there is space to list here. But let’s put it this way: Cheney, who fought all his life to avoid military service to their country, and Bush who actually went AWOl from the National Guard, said we would be greeted as liberators in Iraq. Yes, their experience and understanding of the military was impressive indeed! If you want to use that criteria against O, use it on your own party’s failures first and be afraid of them first, because the facts on them are even more clear than on O’s lack of experience which so far hasn’t cratered the world’s opinion of the US. (Yes- the world’s opinion counts, because they are TRADE PARTNERS with us… duh).
You scare me because you lack humility and ‘class’, always blaming others.Oh- the dreaded lack of humility. The word “always” here is what makes this sentence bogus.

7. You scare me because for over half your life you have aligned yourself with radical extremists who hate America and you refuse to publicly denounce these radicals who wish to see America fail.

Who, exactly, are you referring to other than the boogieman Acorn or Rev Wright? This is a lot more unsubstantiated raving parinoid here. Show me the list of names, and show me quotes that state “I wish to see America fail, signed…” I bet a million dollars you can’t find it except in transcripts of Rush Limbaugh’s radio shows. The truth is, there are a lot of people who want to see America succeed at being the best America it can be. Lou, no one, no one, wants to see America fail, and no one around Obama today and far into the past hates America. They only hate the problems in America that keep it from being the America it should be, with equality and justice for all. To say I hate that my country’s past government which broke its own laws and ruined our international reputation by torturing innocents does not mean I hate America, I only hate Lawbreakers.

8. You scare me because you are a cheerleader for the ‘blame America’ crowd and deliver this message abroad.

But he looks so cute holding pom poms when he acknowledges that America in the last administration broke its own laws and international standards of decency. And acknowledging errors in order to set the stage for fixing them… weakness!

9. You scare me because you want to change America to a European stylecountry where the government sector dominates instead of the private sector.

I don’t think he said that’s what he wants to do. Anyway, have you ever visited Europe? Lovely place. Being American does not mean always putting your head in the sand in xenophobia, Lou. If the French are paying a third of the cost for healthcare than I pay, tell me how they do it and if it works we’ll use it. But for some parinoid, foreign always means bad. (Even as you continue to use arabic numbers on your own money! If you give up using american currency because it came from foreigners, I’ll accept that you are truly beyond influence from foreigners.)

10. You scare me because you want to replace our health care system with a government controlled one.

What a big lie. The government option will simply be there as a backstop in case there are those (and there are many) who can’t get healthcare any other way. You are free to go about your own purchasing of private healthcare if you want. So why do you want to spread disinformation? Perhaps because being partisan and wanting to see the president fail is more important to you than truth and success for Americans? So who is unAmerican and wants to see America fail, then? Calling it a “health care system” implies that we have one already instead of a costly ineffcient hodgepodge of private corporations who are raising their bill to you at a 6% clip.

11. You scare me because you prefer ‘wind mills’ to responsibly capitalizing on our own vast oil, coal and shale reserves.

You scare me because you know nothing about energy policy. First, did he state he “prefers” windmills? When? Cite please. In any event, what is bad about clean energy that creates jobs in a future looking sector of theeconomy? Apparently, you love pollution more than sensible energy policy. No one thinks O is going to ban oil, shale and coal, and tomorrow you’ll be able to fill up your gastank just like yesterday, and you’ll also continue, I guess, to espouse dependence on commodities that benefit foreign entities like the Saudis at the same time. But I guess your xenephobia doesn’t extend to terror sponsor states when they are equated with muscle cars and unchecked long term raping of the environment to feed them.

12. You scare me because you want to kill the American capitalist goose that lays the golden egg which provides the highest standard of livingin the world.

Are you blind to what just happened to America’s economy? The goose suffocated in its own excrement after years of overfeeding and no cage cleaning. O didn’t cause the crisis that led Bush and Paulson to bail out the banks; Bush is the leader who’s policies killed the capitalist goose by getting the government into the bailout business. If a doctor has to apply chemotherapy because a patient let themselves get cancer from smoking, it is not the fault of the doctor that the chemo feels bad. In this case, due to unprecedented crisis, O is offering the cure at the behest of smart people like warren buffet and his other esteemed financial advisors. Some would say O is not going far enough in favoring the average american over the wall street fat cats who almost sent us into another great depression overtheir greed and lack of risk management.

13. You scare me because you have begun to use ‘extortion’ tactics against certain banks and corporations.

You scare me because you use scare tactics yourself. Note, of course, that all of this was not O’s idea. The companies themselves invited it by asking for bailouts (GM) and by bringing themselves to the brink ofbankruptcy and national collapse. Or would you like to see your tax dollars wasted on bonuses for those who created the mess?

14. You scare me because your own political party shrinks from challenging you on your wild and irresponsible spending proposals.

O’s proposals are responsible, and directed towards getting the country on its feet, create more jobs, and re-regulate areas of the economy that failed under the last president. But since when does O control the mind of every last blud dog dem in the senate? What stupid expectations you have about political power. You scare me because you will not openly listen to or even consider opposing points of view from intelligent people.
Yes- he won’t even consider favoring the minority interests of the super-rich, what an affront! Except I don’t think you have any solid facts to back that up, considering the fact that at almost every juncture O has invited opponents to the White House again and again to discuss just such differences in an attempt to get a consensus. Do you want me to make a list of the meetings, or can you do your own research before spouting off unsubstantiated claims?

15. You scare me because you falsely believe that you are both omnipotent and omniscient.
You are truly in outer space on that. I think you are confusing O with Jesus Christ.

16. You scare me because the media gives you a free pass on everything you do.

Except for Fox News and Bill Kristol, and Rush Drugsbaugh and Glenn Beck, your brave heroes. And your mighty fear mongering email chain letter, of course.

17. You scare me because you demonize and want to silence the Limbaughs, Hannitys, O’Relllys and Becks who offer opposing, conservative points ofview.

Did O call them demons and I didn’t catch it? Did he really shut down their companies in a federal raid and I missed it? Did he really ask them to be silent and I missed it. You’re really going to have to give me some facts and quotes before I believe this little lie. Plus, there’s a difference between “conservative points of view” and nutjobs who cry for ratings on tv about how they don’t like black people being racist for trying to stop the white perogative to be racist.

18. You scare me because you prefer controlling over governing.

Except for all of the times when he couldn’t control things. So where is his quote from any source where he states this? Or even demonstrates it? Facts, that’s what you lack. Fear, that’s why you’re a hack. Meanwhile, your hero Bush actually said about the Presidency, quote, “it would be easier if this was a dictatorship”. And that didn’t scare you but trying to solve the healthcare problem in American does? You are really down the rabbit hole, Lou.

19. Finally, you scare me because if you serve a second term I will probably not feel safe in writing a similar letter in 8 years.

Yes -its true- because our last government and its disrespect to the rule of law was to be feared, so I completely understand. After all, they were guilty of TORTURE, SUSPENSION OF HABEUS CORPUS, ILLEGAL SPYING ON THEIR OWN CITIZENS, and other anti-American acts that would have been unthinkable ten years ago. (Even Regan came out stating torture was unacceptable in all circumstances, Lou. But that doesn’t bother you as much as a black man trying to reform healthcare in America?) Sure, in this case I agree with you… I’m a little scared of neo cons and Republicans too, since they are closet facists, so i understand where you’re coming from and I agree that Obama should work harder to roll back such abuses in the future. Isn’t that what you mean? Oh– its not? You really think Obama will jail you or supress you worse than Bush already did? You are high, because its not going to happen. Instead, note that liberals and democrats actually seek to uphold this country’s values, not take the fear mongering tack in an attempt to get back into power and send America back into the ditch at the same time.

Love,
Kevin

You GO Girl!

2010-01-28T09:15:00.003-07:00

So yesterday I saw this headline:

John Edwards to finally admit baby is his

And I had two immediate thoughts:

1. You are a scumbag, John Edwards

and

2. Was ANYBODY surprised by this announcement? Anybody? Anybody?

We won't get into how stupid politicians (and Tiger Woods) are by thinking that they won't get caught. News flash: YOU WILL GET CAUGHT. But, we talked about that earlier.

Instead, I want to focus on this headline:

Elizabeth Edwards finally leaves cheating husband, John

Way to go, Elizabeth! You deserve better than a husband who cheats on you while you are going through cancer treatments! Good for you for standing up and refusing to take this crap any longer!* The same kudos go out to Jenny Sanford for leaving her husband!

Maybe if more women stand up to these rediculous politicians who think their wives won't leave them because of their status, more men will THINK before they start sleeping around!

I think we can safely say John Edward's political career is over.**

*Some couples can work through an affair and come out stronger. When that is the case, that is obivously the best case scenario for a horrible situation- especially for the kids, who are the real losers in all of this. But, in these political situations it seems to be too public to really be worked out, and the wife seems to stay just for political reasons, which to me is sad. Unless they can work it out. But often they can't.

**Hillary stayed with Bill and maybe that allowed for them both to continue with their political lives. I think that while they have mutual respect for each other, the only reason they are still together is for political reasons and somehow that works for them. By these women leaving, they probably are ruining their husbands political ambitions, and some may aruge they should therefore stay with their husbands. To which I would respond: if he was so worried about his political career, he SHOULD NOT HAVE CHEATED IN THE FIRST PLACE! It is his fault she left, not hers!

Why you should never date a diehard conservative man.

2010-01-04T19:48:00.009-07:00

1. They can't take a joke.

2. They can't take a joke. Ever.

3. They have no sense of humor. It's like every day somebody killed their dog.

4. They use words like, "Hey sweetheart, let me tell you how you're wrong..." and then they talk and talk about how sensitive they are.

5. They love to brag about all the poor people they've helped, and yet...

6. They believe it's okay for everyone to pay for children in this country to get an education but not for them to have adequate health care. (That's just a privilege for the rich kids don't you know!)

7. Did I mention they can't take a joke?

8. They believe global warming is just a myth started by evil scientists, that pollution is just a big bad fog caused by peculiar weather patterns that will go away with magic fairy dust, and the end of the world began when Obama took office ( I must add here - because every time a Democrat takes office, the world ends..)

9. They renewed their subscription to Gun Lovers Anonymous, er, I mean Runners World after Sarah Palin was on the cover in her red shorty shorts. (Ooooo, how sexist of them! I'm sure those big bad editors doctored the cover. Oh wait, she posed for that picture! Huh..)

10. I'm betting they aren't so good in the sack either.

Sad so sad.

The perfect Christmas gift for a woman??

2009-12-07T10:07:00.003-07:00

My husband is under the impression that this is a fantastic product. Shampoo, conditioner and body wash all rolled into one!

Wow.

I guess I should expect this under the tree then..

What this political mom thought of President Obama's shpeel.

2009-12-01T22:08:00.010-07:00

1. The extraordinary amount of women in the audience. Are we finally well-represented in the military or just strategically placed? I was hoping it was the former and felt a little twinge of pride for our sex. In this case gun-toting women rock!

2. Does anyone else think his lips and teeth are blue? Is he not taking enough breaths between each word?

3. I liked his tie.

4. Finally an American political official who says Pakistan correctly.

5. What? Only 1-2 applause break-ins? Is that a record?

But seriously, I'm not for escalating this conflict, so I was really looking to the President to make his case. Boy oh boy can he give a great speech. Light on details, but heavy on patriotic juice. He's a likeable, persuasive man who could probably also sell me the Golden Gate Bridge, but did he sell this fight? I don't know.

From what I've read, the Middle East follows a particular pattern. If they actually want to be helped, progress is made. As we've seen in Iraq they will not be forced. Are the Afghans ready to fight the Taliban and govern themselves? Apparently some are, fighting that is, these spawns from Hell who treat women like the crud stuck on the bottom of their shoes. Perhaps that will turn the tide. But I fear for many things, like the cost in lives and dollars. Money that could be better spent here in the U.S.

I hope he's made the right decision.

Picture of the Day - Is there a draft in here? Real or not?

2009-11-12T16:15:00.004-07:00

Found this over at a great blog, Terry and Liz's house .
Funny stuff.

You Will Like this!

2009-11-09T17:40:00.002-07:00

I hope you can all watch this and get a good laugh. I loved it when Ben Affleck parodied Keith Olbermann, so please know that any offense is not intended. Instead, watch it for the comedy!

Cancel the cable and all your health care problems are solved..

2009-11-06T23:46:00.019-07:00

An actual letter to the editor from our local rag on Thursday:

Don't give government control over our health care

The issue is not whether the government does or does not have "death panels"; it's that if the government controls and runs all health care, there is no option. Currently if an insurance company doesn't want to insure you because you have a pre-existing condition (which is within the company's right), you can go out and pay for your own treatment. The government wants to make it illegal for people to do that.

If someone can afford the very best health care in America, they have every right to it and shouldn't be denied that because some people thinks that's unfair. I would have trouble paying for my own health care, but that's OK - I can choose to stop paying for Internet, cable, cell phones, etcs., if I really need to pay for health care. That's my choice, not the government's.

The United States was founded on basic rights and limited power for the government, not entitlements for all. It's time to get back to our roots.

M. Marostica

Sorry, Mr. Marostica, but you forgot to stop paying for food, and your rent or mortgage payment too. Since having the extra 100 or so dollars a month by getting rid of what you mentioned will hardly pay for what can amount to huge health care costs for some sick people. Any idiot knows that, but apparently with you I digress...you're obviously healthy and are of course in God's good graces since you weren't born with a pre-existing condition that requires thousands of dollars of care a year because no insurance company will touch you with a ten foot pole.

Maybe you just did something right in heaven and are more blessed than the rest of us poor, unhealthy souls who have brought this financial mess on ourselves because we want to feed and clothe our families, not provide them with cell phones.

This letter does nothing more than reaffirm in my eyes what ass hats people like you are. You give a damn about yourselves only. Sick people are nothing but the crud stuck to the bottom of your shoes. This isn't really about government run health care, this is about people like you and what you're afraid you'll have to give up to actually help someone else in need. That's it plain and simple. What a concept! Caring about other people! Is that "PROMOTING THE GENERAL WELFARE!!!!"

This kind of stuff makes me seethe with such fury, I want to spit fire. I'm just so tired of people being blamed for being sick, for losing their homes and going bankrupt because of it. Like it's their fault somehow, for getting cancer and losing everything. All because they wouldn't cancel the cable?

I never win anything...until NOW!

2009-10-28T13:27:00.009-06:00

Woo-hoo! My unlucky streak must be over...yeah right, but several hundred people entered this contest and I was one of the lucky three to win a brand spanking new copy of this book.

I believe we lost a great man this year and I'm really looking forward to reading more about this political icon, this "lion" of the Senate. Unlike some who've recently published memoirs..., ahem, Ted Kennedy had a captivating and full life. I'm sure I won't be disappointed.

Special thanks to Bookin' with Bingo for hosting this giveaway.

Picture of the Day - Courtesy of The Daily Dish

2009-10-24T16:56:00.006-06:00

This is the kind of thing that moves me. Sorry, but communists taking over our government - since IT'S THE STUPIDEST THING I'VE EVER HEARD, just isn't high on my list of important things to think about. I'm more concerned about why we're ranked No. 37 in the world for our health care system. I'm concerned about our country being the only well-developed country in the ENTIRE world that rations health care based on wealth. That if you can't afford your cancer treatments you're expected to beg. That's what Republican Congressmen are saying - BEG! I'm concerned about our environment and that soon our oceans will be nothing but a giant garbage dump! I'm concerned about the future for my children's sake.

Everyone has different priorities I guess.
For me I prefer not to waste my time because I have bigger fish to fry, like how to pay the bills, how to pay the 10 grand I owe in doctor bills this year because I have crappy insurance, and most especially, what to make for dinner.

What are you worried about?
(Warning - don't turn this political or trollish)

America's Funniest Home Videos - Courtesy of Glenn Beck

2009-10-16T22:03:00.011-06:00

Apparently Glenn Beck wants to...(sob)go back,..(tears gushing)to the 70's...(massively crying now)when...Carter was President.

I can't believe people actually watch this guy with a STRAIGHT FACE!

Watch it if you can stand it. It's hard. Believe me.
Thanks to The Daily Dish.

Embrace your inner hickness to get this one..

2009-10-13T11:27:00.006-06:00

This picture has inspired me to lose weight, wear sunblock, and stay in school. I don't care if I'm already done. I have to go back!!

Thanks Carlos!

Picture of the Day (from the Daily Dish)

2009-10-11T21:42:00.005-06:00

I finally have my revenge on these pesky critters that invade my house in droves every Fall. More deadly fly art here.

Oh, CRAP! The World Is Beginning To Like Us Again...

2009-10-10T13:26:00.005-06:00

When my sister served a mission (2002) in Taiwan, church leaders told her to lie and say she was from Canada and not from America so that she would not be assaulted.

When I toured Europe (2004) signs everywhere in every country I visited said things like, "Yankees out!", "Amis go home!", etc.

It seems there was a period of time where the world truly hated us. We were seen by other countries as bullies and believed we could do anything and everything we wanted with no thought of the consequences. My friends from foreign countries have affirmed these last statements to be true. I won't go so far as to say it was all George Bush, though the Iraq War certainly did not help this image. Our country has done many unforgivable things to obtain these feelings from others- just look at we did in the Congo, it was horrible. But it was during Bush's reign that the loathing from other countries seemed, to me, to escalate.

Now we have a president that other countries like. He is a likeable guy- a great smile, good looks- a JFK persona, if you will. And, well, his wife is also mesmerizing. Obama is willing to talk to other countries and show them respect- not immediately start calling French Fries Freedom Fries just because the French disagree with him. The feeling of other countries toward America has changed- drastically. And yet, for some reason, some people believe that is a bad thing.

We lost the 2016 bid for Chicago to host the olympics. I feel as though I am the only one surprised that we lost, but look at it from an IOC voter. If you could choose anywhere in the world, would you rather:

A. Have the olympics at one of the most beautiful beaches in the world with throngs of supermodels walking along the coastline, or

B. Have the olympics where you could see fat people eating at restaurants

To me, it was a no brainer, and I am incredibly happy at where the Olympics will be held. When I think of Chicago, I think of wind and cold- NOT summer and outside activities. The obvious choice, in my mind, won. I do not think for one second it has any bearing on Obama- there are WAY too many other factors involved to blame it on one person.

Now Obama has won the Nobel Peace Prize- and, of course, people are lined up to say why he doesn't deserve it.

I, however, am proud that our nation is once again being seen in a positive light by others. I am excited that missionaries no longer have to lie about where they come from for fear of being beaten. I am thrilled that our president is respected by other national leaders, instead of laughed at. In other words, I like having a president who is liked and respected- and am very confused as to why others don't.

First the Olympics, now this?

2009-10-07T14:20:00.004-06:00

Enlarge here.

When will Republicans in Congress quit blaming people for their sickness?

2009-10-06T22:25:00.004-06:00

So, according to this senator, or I mean doctor from Wyoming, the top 5 percent of the sickest people in this country are obese smokers who don't eat their fruits and vegetables. So, it's my fault if my thyroid decides to quit working, even though I don't smoke, I eat plenty of veggies and I watch my weight. Somehow I've still brought this upon myself. Why are people who aren't able to get insurance held to a higher standard physically than those who do? Is it because the latter can go to a doctor sooner before small problems escalate? They don't want a public option, but they want to legislate my dietary choices? I wonder how that keeps government out of my life. Hmmm..

Things I would rather do before I read Going Rogue by Sarah Palin

2009-10-05T19:42:00.004-06:00

I would rather be eaten by a shark.
(I stole this idea from Letterman.)

Protect Health Insurance Executives

2009-10-03T12:52:00.002-06:00

Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will Ferrell

Things I hate today.

2009-10-01T18:59:00.006-06:00

Everything is getting on my nerves today. I should've locked myself in my house.

1. People who pick their nose while driving. I can see you in my rearview mirror people!

2. Checkers at the grocery store who mumble while I'm trying to write my check. Don't get me wrong here, I talk just as much as the next girl, but a lot of the time I can't understand a word of what they're saying. Something about her husband, or the new Star Trek movie, something..it's a mystery. I nod and smile, and grit my teeth.

3. Women who wear tights and boots that are exactly the same color. Where does one end and one begin? Do you need a map to find the zipper? They look like leggings straight from Cat Woman, and you ain't Halle Berry.

4. Shorts that are so short butt cheeks are hanging out like sagging curtains.

5. The fact that I like David Lee Roth better in Van Halen than Sammy Hagar.

6. Glenn Beck (I just always hate him.)

7. Number of wolves killed so far in Idaho - 15. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

8. The pretend Republican health care plan that does nothing whatsoever for the problem.

9. Stepping on one of those sticky mousetraps. That glue is from another planet I swear!

10. That Palin's book is already No. 1 before its release. What?

Sheesh, what a day. Next time I'll try to have a more positive attitude.
(hee-hee, that is a good one)
Anybody else got issues?

I had no idea kids singing about our presidents was the same as the Khmer Rouge

2009-09-29T12:11:00.006-06:00

Be careful when you watch this "liberal indoctrination camp" video. It might make you, oh I don't know, BE PROUD OF YOUR COUNTRY!!!

Another round of spittle is here.
I just don't get it I guess.

Clearly President Obama's hiring practices are so he can form a "Communist, Fascist, Czarist, Kenyan, Martian type of government"...

2009-09-17T21:48:00.007-06:00

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Don't forget the HYPOCRISY Czar you weird people.

And some are wondering why the news didn't cover this...

2009-09-15T23:09:00.004-06:00

I don't mean to overshadow your excellent post Christina, but these people really frighten me. This is what we're up against, and I'm guessing Glenn Beck couldn't be prouder.

The face of health care opposition -

If this isn't blatant racism, then I don't know what is.

What Is Going On?

2009-09-15T11:50:00.003-06:00

Our very conservative newspaper in our very ultra-conservative area posted this editorial:

"Why can’t we work together?

First, I want to say that I'm a 32-year Republican, 21-year military veteran, and "straight" — being married for 29 years, to the same woman even — with two sons, one of which has already followed mom and dad into the Air Force. So you can't say I'm not a patriot or don't love my country.

However, for all that time I thought the Republicans stood for fiscal responsibility, small government and minimal intervention in our lives. Well the Bush administration proved me wrong. First they spent trillions on a war against a country that was no threat to us, spending us literally into the poor house.Then they spent untold millions of dollars on trying to tell people what they can and can not do in the privacy of their own bedrooms with their "defense of marriage" and other interventions based upon religious edicts. I thought we had separation of church and state.

And now, when the government wants to spend money on improving the lives of our own residents, they get "angry" about wasteful government spending. Where were they when we first went on this spending spree?

I've been "angry" ever since shortly after I voted for Bush the first time and we invaded Iraq. We could afford a better health care program if we weren't in the poor house from the Bush Republican's wasteful government spending. I agree we need to watch the budget, but people give it a break. Can't we work together on this? Together we should be able to come up with a better way to provide health care for our residents, but many Republicans are ready to do anything to "break Obama." That is not the country I fought for starting in Vietnam through the first Gulf war.Please tell the Republicans in Congress that for the first time I'm ashamed of how we are behaving like spoiled children.

Jeff Hartig"

I was so glad this was posted! FINALLY a voice of reason from the Republican side! This is somebody I could sit down and have a decent conversation with. There are so many things frustrating me right now with politics:

1. The philosophy that my side is ALWAYS right, and your side is ALWAYS wrong- regardless of the issue

2. Rather then trying to have a decent conversation to come to a consensus- or at least a better understanding- name-calling and yelling ensue (I still don't understand why yelling and screaming at a town hall meeting is somehow better then coming prepared with decent, legitimate questions)

3. Every problem America has is Obama's fault- period. If it is mentioned that a large part of the reason we are in the mess we are in is because of a certain other president, we are told to stop blaming him for anything- because it is all Obama's fault (even though he has only been president for 9 months and that other guy was president for 8 years).

4. It seemed in the past some people were willing to cross the aisle to work with the other side- now I don't see that happening at all. Nobody is willing to bend an inch, to be seen as "weak" by their constituents.

These are a few of my observations- if anybody else has other observations, please let me know. But based on these observations, I have decided the following:

1. If you*** start name calling- throwing the term Nazi, Communist, Socialist, Marxist, etc. around- I will immediately cease listening to what you are saying and ignore you. At least have the decency to hold an intelligent conversation about issues, not labels.

2. You should at least be willing to admit that mistakes have been made on both sides, and that one party is never going to be right ALL of the time or I will view you as a crazy partisan lunatic who I don't want to talk to.

3. Pick your battles. There is a battle raging over health care and people chose to get in a huge huffy over the president telling kids to stay in school (I am embarrassed by e-mails I got from people claiming to be Christian in regards to this issue) and even pulled their kids out of school. What is that teaching your children?

4. Respect the other side- even if you disagree with them. Otherwise, we won't get anywhere in our discussion.

5. Listen to the other side- otherwise, I won't listen to you.

If people on both sides would be willing to sit down and follow these rules, I actually think health care reform and other issues would move forward in a positive way. But, I won't hold my breath.

***YOU is being referred to as a very general term- because I engage with everybody on this blog, I don't think any of you break these new "rules" of mine. I am referring to a general atmosphere in the whole of America right now that is very disheartening and, I believe, bringing our country down.

I guess we're back in high school....

2009-09-11T14:05:00.012-06:00

Photo courtesy of Carlos at thinkingorsitting

Or should I say pre-school.

No grown-ups allowed in South Carolina apparently. Good luck getting re-elected you big baby.
See here.

Just another rant from a poor, uneducated and uninformed Democrat

2009-08-27T21:45:00.014-06:00

If health care isn't a civil right, then what is it I ask? A privilege then? How so exactly? If you develop or are even born with a pre-existing condition, and are either denied insurance coverage altogether or are asked to pay thousands a month in premiums and have a morbidly high deductible, is that just your fault somehow? Are you being punished by God? Are only the "privileged" ones "deserving" of insurance? Is that what you conservatives think? These people deserve what they get? That they want handouts? I just don't get it.

Would you prefer the insurance industry control your lives and make piles, upon piles, upon piles of money on you or the government?

50% of all bankruptcies are medical bill related. Premiums have doubled in the last 10 years alone. Imagine what they will be in 50 years. They project something like more that half the population will not be able to afford insurance by then. And once again it's not the poor or rich - it's the middle class who is going bankrupt. If the middle class fails - the country fails. Let's look to the future. Is it that hard to look ahead a few years? Really?

Competition is one of many answers. We have a President who's willing to give it a go. At least he's trying to come up with a solution. The opposition offers none such that I've heard. They only complain, bring guns to Presidential rallies and shout "Nazi" and "Communist."

I remember the good old days when being a Democrat was just plain liberal. Now it's Socialist, Marxist, Nazi, and Communist. Wow, that's a lot of meanings for so little a word. Oh, and I forgot if your a Dem you're poor, uneducated and lazy (code word for a minority).

Just like this guy. Just a regular hobo Democrat.

And now according to some of you I need to worry about this guy -

The Health Reform Robot who wants to control our very lives!

Watch out people! He means to make sure we all have access to some health coverage of some sort! Even you sick people! He means to help cut costs and keep 1 in every 700 medical dollars being spent in this country from going to the CEO's of giant mammoth insurance companies!

Perish the thought!!

Hide your children from this world ending monster!

And once again I'll end with my all time favorite line:

Good friggin' grief.

(That's code for I think you're nuts.)

Oh, and one more tiny point..

Promote - move up to a higher rank or position; help forward; begin the process of forming or making.

Provide - make preparation; supply or equip, get in what will be required.

Those two definitions sound pretty ambiguous to me.

So in other words -

It's no longer the 1700's! Times and circumstances change.

It's called life.

As the crazies line up once again I say, I love being a Democrat!

2009-08-24T20:40:00.007-06:00

Thank you Carlos for bringing this to my attention. And as he says, honorable mention goes to Washington Congressman Rick Larsen: "I've got facts on my side, you've got Glenn Beck."

I couldn't agree more.

And the winner is.....

Glenn Beck mocking the Holocaust. Wonderful.
I see it is possible to make his name as big as his giant head.
What an embarrassment to his religion.

The "I've-got-mine-so-screw-you" mentality

2009-08-23T15:39:00.005-06:00

I'm tired of hearing the horror stories. I'm tired of hearing the all out lies. I'm tired of supposedly "intelligent" people in Congress still professing Obama was born in Kenya and that if health reform passes our grandparents will be killed by the government. These are the people making the laws of our country. How proud I feel.

I consider myself to be a reasonably intelligent person. I'm generally willing to give people, including those in political office the benefit of the doubt, to a certain degree anyway. For instance, I didn't agree with most of what Bush did in office, but I never demonized him, or compared his leadership to probably the worst political regime in centuries. In fact, it's become so popular now to refer to the "Nazi regime" whenever you disagree with Obama, that it's lost its effectiveness. I don't hear anything you say. I just think you're crazy. Nuts. Stupid. The only people actingly Nazi-like are those that keep professing it. Seriously such hate. Really something to be proud of, that I've-got-mine-so-screw-you mentality. And now they're bringing their guns.

Great.

I'm tired too, of hearing about health care rationing, when currently it's the insurance companies denying care. Blue shield denying high-tech cancer care even if a doctor recommends it. Cigna denying a liver-transplant to a 17-year-old who is now dead because of it. And then there's my most favorite one of all: you'll wait forever for care like the dreaded Canada. But according to a study by the Commonwealth Fund, Americans wait longer to see primary-care physicians than patients in Britain, Germany, Australia, or New Zealand - all countries with strong-public health systems. Hmm, how interesting. We pay more for our health care than any other country and yet we have some of the worst care and millions without any coverage at all. Another proud moment.

As far as I'm concerned being able to receive health care is a civil right. Everybody should have the right to receive quality care regardless of how sick they are or how much money they make. It's called human kindness. It's called taking care of each other and working together for a solution. It's not bringing up the Nazis. That's just weak and cowardly in my opinion.
Grow up people.

W.- A Review

2009-07-26T11:50:00.004-06:00

Last night my hubby and I watched W.- the film by Oliver Stone about George W. Bush. I don't know if any of you saw it, but I thought I would give a quick review in case anybody was curious.

I actually didn't want to watch this movie. It's pretty obvious I do not like Bush at all, but I didn't want to watch a movie that bashed him and made him look like some sort of monster. I am very skeptical of movies like this because how can anyone know the intimate conversations he had with Cheney, or Laura, or anybody else? So I came into the movie with very low expectations- and I will say, in the end, I was pleasantly surprised as this movie did exceed those low expectations.

The movie focused on the Iraq War and Bush's relationship with his father. The movie was incredibly well researched- and they give you the research notes, annotations, etc. with the DVD. You see a human side of Bush and his administration. You see that mistakes were made (in particular WMD's- or lack thereof), and that Bush seems genuinely distraught that he made those mistakes. I think that regardless of political persuasion, if one came into the movie with an open mind they could learn a few things about Bush that they didn't know before. However, I think it would make most people angry in some way. For my husband and me, we were angry with Cheney (again) and Bush (again) for the way 9/11 and Iraq were handled, and I imagine conservatives would be angry that it shows Bush as a real person who did some things wrong and not a hero that many wish he was (don't be offended, the same can be said of Obama and liberals).

The acting in the movie was OK, but I have to say the character of Condaleeza Rice drove me nuts- I hated the way she talked and how she enabled Bush. I don't know much about her in real life, but my hubs said he thought she was just as annoying in real life, so maybe she is- I don't know.

Overall, I would give the movie a 3 out of 5.

Dead from Health Care Rationing: Americans - 22, Canadians - 0

2009-07-19T22:27:00.007-06:00

Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) in testimony before the house recently went on to say how health care rationing - like in Canada (whatever!) will lead to dead Americans. According to him:

Madam Speaker, a critically ill baby was born in Canada just last month. Her name is Ava Isabella Stinson. She was born 13 weeks premature and weighed only 2 pounds. Unfortunately, Canada rations health care. And since the government must grant permission for one to have health care access, Ava was unable to get the
treatment she needed to survive....Fortunately for her, Ava's parents were able to quickly transport her to Buffalo, New York. Little Ava's life was saved by the best doctors in the world right here in America.

See the whole splendid load of tripe here.

Read the rest of this post on my new hero blog here.

Another good one, a former top insurance exec blows the whistle, is here.

My favorite quote:

Not only does Texas explicitly ration care, but so does US, implicitly. Multiple
studies have been been published, all of which show around a 25% increased
chance of death for the uninsured. That breaks down to about 22,000 deaths in 2006 due to health care rationing based on wealth.
I remember when Harry and Louise were on the telly lying through their scripted teeth about Clinton's health care plan. And it worked! Never again, never again.

Palin says she'll stump for conservative Democrats?

2009-07-12T21:08:00.007-06:00

Excuse me while I choke on my potato salad.. Wait, they're doing the Heimlich right now. Wait ---okay. hahahahahahhahahahhahahhahahahahahahhahahhaha......

Apparently Jupiter and Saturn have their stars and moons crossed. We're now in an alternate universe where Sarah Palin claims she's bipartisan, and Spock is young again (and he has a girlfriend! they even kiss, ugh) and Kirk can't get any if he tried. Kirk for crying out loud! See here and here if you don't believe me.

Ah, no thanks.

Republican Health Care Reform - Don't Get Sick

2009-07-09T07:14:00.019-06:00

I want something done about health care in this country. We have a president now whose willing to do something about it. Finally. He wants to spend billions of dollars to do it.

A few years ago we had a president who wanted to do something about Saddam Hussein. He spent billions of dollars to do it. We let him.

I want someone to explain the difference here. I want to know why some people are willing to justify spending billions of dollars on war with other countries, and not justify spending that much on providing health care for every hard-working American.

My husband works harder than anyone I know. Yet he can't get health insurance now because he has a pre-existing condition. Even if the business he worked for provided it, which they don't because they can't afford the premiums, there would still be a waiting period of at least 1-2 years before they covered his medical condition, if they covered it at all. Not everyone can work for huge companies that provide excellent benefits, except Walmart (the largest employer in the US) of course, they make their employees wait two years, or so I heard.

I want to clarify a common misconception perpetuated by the listeners of Rush Limbaugh who take what that doofus says as actual truth - Americans who want some sort of health care reform do not want something for nothing. So let me make something perfectly clear. My husband doesn't want free medical care. My husband, and all Americans who have some sort of medical condition would like the opportunity to buy insurance at a reasonable price, to not have to decide between going bankrupt or going to the doctor if they feel sick. People are dying every day because of this, because they are not going to the doctor. Not poor people; they get Medicaid. Not rich people; they all can afford insurance, or if they can't get it, they can afford to pay out of pocket. It's the MIDDLE CLASS that is taking it in the pants! So unlike the bumper sticker below, I chose a new one to put on my car: Health Care Reform - a Choice Between Life or Death.

I choose life.

What are you choosing?

How to beat the heat - Part One

2009-06-29T08:15:00.003-06:00

When the temperature dips into the 90's I try to save on the AC and cook outside. I looove my dutch oven. A few briquet's, a sturdy pot. What more do you need?

A new favorite I made at girl's camp last week that can easily be made at home too:

Chocolate Love Me Not Cherry Cobbler

1 Devil's Chocolate Cake mix (be sure to get the lumps out)

1 cube butter - divided into tablespoons

2 cans unsweetened cherries, partially drained

1 can of Coke

Pour the two cans of cherries with a little juice into the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with cake mix and dot with butter. Pour the entire can of Coke over the contents. Bake with about 8 briquets on the bottom and 8 on the top. It takes about 30 minutes if you leave the lid on. Serve with ice cream or the bottled whipping cream.

Seriously, this stuff is awesome!

Want the family discount at your local water park? Better have your marriage certificate, birth certificates, SSN's, date of your last pap smear...

2009-06-25T22:19:00.015-06:00

According to a recent article in the local rag, a lesbian couple and their three foster children were denied the family discount at Lava Hot Springs, Idaho, a few weeks ago.

Lava Hot Springs, the popular tourist attraction, is where the lesbian couple with their three foster kids were denied the advertised family price because they don't fit the definition of a family, under Idaho Law.

The Lava Foundation's Executive Director, Mark Lowe, said the state doesn't recognize gay or lesbian marriage and defines a family as one male, one female and children.

So, just a heads up people, if you're divorced, or say you have a common law marriage, even if you have children you're no longer a "family" in the eyes of Lava Hot Springs. They've made what they consider a moral decision to exclude a group of people from a benefit they provide to everyone else. One male and female must be present to get the five dollars off, even though Idaho law doesn't define "family" at all. It defines marriage, a whole other ball of wax.

It seems the last time I frequented one of these types of establishments for a scheduled day of sore, tired feet and a permanent wedgie from one too many water slides, that a slew of paper work to prove I was married was not required to get a discount. If a man and woman appear with children, do the Lava police ask if they're married? (Sorry sir, but you look like the type that won't commit...) I've never been asked before. What about the single mother? Is she too denied the discount, she who probably needs it the most?

No matter what you believe regarding the issue of marriage, families come in all shapes and sizes. Some are big, some small. Some thin, some fat. Rich, poor, whatever. Is it really up to anyone, especially the place of your planned summer activities that get your kids away from the tv and out of the house, to decide what constitutes a "family" or not? In 2009, is it possible that a place of business can legally chose whom it serves and whom it doesn't?

Now Lava Hot Springs is threatening to completely do away with family passes.

This whole issue is almost the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

When IS it OK?

2009-06-25T07:48:00.003-06:00

In light of this weeks top stories, I had to post. First, we have the hilarious story of this man:

Oh, Governor Sanford- what a stupid, stupid man you are. Of course, it is incredibly sad that he decided to cheat on his wife when he has four sons at home to take care of- that part is a true tragedy. But, honestly, who is dumb enough to simply vanish for three days (4? 5? I forget how many) when you are the GOVERNOR, not tell anybody where you are going, and expect not to get caught? That part is hilarious to me- I think we can all safely put him out of the presidential nominee category!

Then perhaps the saddest story of all- our beloved Jon and Kate. Who could have seen this one coming? Once again, a love affair coming inbetween the most beloved of couples. Love of the camera, and the love of another woman.

Then, on the radio last night, the DJ was asking a very thoughtful and wonderful question. She asked, "When IS it ok to have an affair?" I had to stop and think. Kate is overbearing- surely that is a good enough reason to have an affair. The Argentine was hot- surely that's a good enough reason. One silly woman actually called in and said it was NEVER ok to have an affair, but that idea was (thankfully) quickly quelched by the listeners. So, I decided to come up with my own list of when it is ok to have an affair:

1. When it starts out "innocent" and "accidentally" happens

2. When your spouse is a little controlling

3. When Ben forgets to floss his teeth- totally grosss!

4. When the guy is REALLY REALLY REALLY hot (or, just a little hot)

5. When Ben comes home late from work- that gives me so much extra free time for other activities

6. When I can pretend like I am hiking and lie to the entire country- that's awesome!

7. When I just need to get away from the kids

8. When I happen to accidentally be in a singles bar and somebody hits on me and makes me feel good about myself

9. Whenever Ben makes me mad

10. Pretty much whenever I want it to be OK.

Any other reasons that it's totally OK to have an affair?

To Cross, Or Not To Cross

2009-06-16T09:45:00.005-06:00

I was going to write about the Palin/Letterman "controversy" but then I decided that Palin was making me angry with her feigned outcry- after Letterman has already apologized- and it is all just a publicity stunt for her and is rediculous, so I will let somebody else tackle that one!

Let me start out by saying that I am a unionist through and through- the teachers union saved my job my first year of teaching when a student plagiarized a paper, his parents threatened to sue me, and the principal asked for my resignation because I refused to back down. Because of this incident, I have been faithful to the union ever since- attending rallies, conferences, negotiations, mediations, etc. I love unions- I LOVE what they have done for our country. I love 40-hour workweeks and weekends and paid vacations- all of which came about thanks to unions. Which is why it is so strange that I am so conflicted at this time.

I do not know if it is nationwide- and I apologize if it is not and you don't know what I am talking about- but our grocery union (Kroger foods) is considering going on strike because they are being asked to take cuts in benefits and pay. I am not sure of all the details. I am conflicted because never in a million years would I think to cross a picket line- but in this instance, I am at odds in my feelings towards this strike. I have two opposing thoughts:

1. We are in a recession. Many people are being asked to make cuts in their benefits and pay, and most people are grateful just to have a job. It is hard for me to sympathize with them.

HOWEVER....

2. Grocery stores are typically recession-proof. People still have to eat, and often they are eating out less and therefore buying more from stores, not less. Part of me wonders if the CEO and managers are using the recession as an excuse to make cuts, even though they don't need to- a way to force the "all powerful evil union" to give up some of their power, even though they might be making great profits (I do not know if they are or not, but I could see them using the economy as an excuse).

Of course, a more practical problem is this: I still need to buy groceries! Where will I buy them if not from a grocery store? I am ADAMENTLY opposed to shopping at Wal-Mart because of their huge anti-union stance, and I will absolutely NOT shop there, and that leaves me with very few options.

So here's the question: Cross the picket lines, or support the union?

"Rush and Newt Are Winning"

2009-06-08T09:09:00.004-06:00

You all know my hatred of Rush, which is why I found this editorial in the Washington Post at least interesting:

A media environment that tilts to the right is obscuring what President Obama stands for and closing off political options that should be part of the public discussion.

Yes, you read that correctly: If you doubt that there is a conservative inclination in the media, consider which arguments you hear regularly and which you don't. When Rush Limbaugh sneezes or Newt Gingrich tweets, their views ricochet from the Internet to cable television and into the traditional media. It is remarkable how successful they are in setting what passes for the news agenda.
The power of the Limbaugh-Gingrich axis means that Obama is regularly cast as somewhere on the far left end of a truncated political spectrum. He's the guy who nominates a "racist" to the Supreme Court (though Gingrich retreated from the word yesterday), wants to weaken America's defenses against terrorism and is proposing a massive government takeover of the private economy. Steve Forbes, writing for his magazine, recently went so far as to compare Obama's economic policies to those of Juan Peron's Argentina.

Democrats are complicit in building up Gingrich and Limbaugh as the main spokesmen for the Republican Party, since Obama polls so much better than either of them. But the media play an independent role by regularly treating far-right views as mainstream positions and by largely ignoring critiques of Obama that come from elected officials on the left.

This was brought home at this week's annual conference of the Campaign for America's Future, a progressive group that supports Obama but worries about how close his economic advisers are to Wall Street, how long our troops will have to stay in Afghanistan and how much he will be willing to compromise to secure health-care reform.

In other words, they see Obama not as the parody created by the far right but as he actually is: a politician with progressive values but moderate instincts who has hewed to the middle of the road in dealing with the economic crisis, health care, Guantanamo and the war in Afghanistan.
While the right wing's rants get wall-to-wall airtime, you almost never hear from the sort of progressive members of Congress who were on an America's Future panel on Tuesday. Reps. Jared Polis of Colorado, Donna Edwards of Maryland and Raul Grijalva of Arizona all said warm things about the president -- they are Democrats, after all -- but also took issue with some of his policies.

All three, for example, are passionately opposed to his military approach to Afghanistan and want a serious debate over the implications of Obama's strategy. "If we don't ask these questions now," said Edwards, "we'll ask these questions 10 years from now -- I guarantee it."
Polis spoke of how Lyndon Johnson's extraordinary progressive legacy "will always be overshadowed by Vietnam" and said that progressives who were challenging the administration's foreign policy were simply trying to "protect and enhance President Obama's legacy by preventing Afghanistan and Iraq from becoming another Vietnam."

As it happens, I am closer than the progressive trio is to Obama's view on Afghanistan. But why are their voices muffled when they raise legitimate concerns, while Limbaugh's rants get amplified? Isn't Afghanistan a more important issue to debate than a single comment by Judge Sonia Sotomayor about the relative wisdom of Latinas?

Polis, Edwards and Grijalva also noted that proposals for a Canadian-style single-payer health-care system, which they support, have fallen off the political radar. Polis urged his activist audience to accept that reality for now and focus its energy on making sure that a government insurance option, known in policy circles as the "public plan," is part of the menu of choices offered by a reformed health-care system.

But Edwards noted that if the public plan, already a compromise from single-payer, is defined as the left's position in the health-care debate, the entire discussion gets skewed to the right. This makes it far more likely that any public option included in a final bill will be a pale version of the original idea.

Her point has broader application. For all the talk of a media love affair with Obama, there is a deep and largely unconscious conservative bias in the media's discussion of policy. The range of acceptable opinion runs from the moderate left to the far right and cuts off more vigorous progressive perspectives.

Democrats love to think that Limbaugh and Gingrich are weakening the conservative side. But guess what? By dragging the media to the right, Rush and Newt are winning.

Source:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/03/AR2009060303239.html

Stories from the Potty - Part One

2009-05-20T06:27:00.009-06:00

Speaking of those smarty-pants astronauts who just successfully repaired the Hubble Telescope (Good going ladies and gents!), my son, who is currently in the last phases of diaper wearing, the other day after he spent about 20 minutes squatting on his potty with a grim, then extremely satisfied set to his pouty mouth said with excitement as he looked down into the toilet seat and the great prize in contained within,

"Look mommy, it's a rocket ship with flames coming out of it!"

Definitely a future astronaut in the making...

Interesting Article

2009-05-18T20:55:00.002-06:00

Oops! I put this on the wrong site- sorry!!!

I found this article on msnbc (this is NOT where I get my news, but this article was interesting) about how Americans are becoming more pro-life.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30771408/?GT1=43001
I thought some of you might be interested. I agree that because Obama is so left wing in the area of abortion, it is turning many to become more conservative in that area. Any other thoughts?

Happy Mother's Day to all animals everywhere

2009-05-10T11:11:00.012-06:00

Motherhood, a precious gift.

Brings a tear to your eye seeing just how deeply and tenderly all creatures care for their babies.

Perhaps I am Naive

2009-05-06T11:29:00.003-06:00

I have been thinking today about the suicides of two 11-year-old boys who were bullied at school. Obviously, this is incredibly tragic and my heart goes out to their families.

Bullying has now become a hot topic issue. Certainly bullying is not new, and I would think virtually everybody at some point in their lives goes through some type of bullying in one degree or another. So why is it now such a hot topic? Have no other teenagers ever committed suicide or had psychological problems related to this problem? Perhaps it is because they are so young- 11 is a shocking age to consider suicide! Perhaps it is because rather then bullying for race, people are bullying because of one's sexual orientation- perhaps that is seen as a worse reason to bully. I don't know, but I was thinking three things in regards to this issue.

1. I don't have school age children, so I don't even know how this would work. But, if your child is being bullied by another child, can one get a restraining order against that child? That might cause more problems, I don't know. But, it should at least keep that bully away from your child. That would certainly inconvenience the bully's parents, because that child might have to switch schools to stay away from the one who got the restraining order (I may be wrong, but I believe the one who has the restraining order against them is the one who has to make the changes to stay away from the one seeking the order- but, I could be wrong on that).

2. I in NO way want to say that these boys parents are to blame- certainly the bully's parents are MUCH more to blame, but I am wondering why this bullying would lead to suicide. Like I said before, bullying has been going on since Cain and Abel. But is there something we, as parents, can do if our children are on the receiving end of being bullied to help them have the strength and courage and self esteem to overcome the bullying? I don't know what that would be, but it seems that if parents were more involved in their children's lives and taught them that their worth is not based on a few mean kids at school, maybe it would lead to less tragic results. Again, I am NOT blaming these parents, I am just wondering if there are things we can do with our children that would be stronger then the words and possible attacks of the bullies.

3. A lot of blame has been put on the schools. I can understand that, because that is where much bullying begins and/or occurs. I do think there should be some policies specifically related to bullying- including expelling students who bully. I believe most schools do have some policies, but certainly these policies should be strengthened. But, how much can the schools do? They can not provide body guards to every student. They can not walk home with students to make sure they aren't beat up. They can't duct tape kids' mouths shut on the playground. My first year of teaching we had a huge problem with gays being beat up (that seems to be the group to bully right now- at least in our suburbs here). When I say beat up, I mean beat up- to the point where one of them almost died. I think there were 3 having these problems. Many of the beatings occurred on school grounds, but after school hours- after dances, basketball games, or whatever-when adults had left. All 3 of the boys ended up transferring schools and we, as teachers, had to teach gay tolerance programs in our classes. I had no problem teaching these classes- the problem I had was the comments the students made! It was unbelievable the hatred that came out of their mouths. How can I, as a teacher, change that? They are learning this hatred at home and it is being fed by their peers at school. I can't compete with parents in teaching tolerance! That leads me back to my original thought- how much can we really expect the schools to take responsibility for what occurs?

I have zero answers. These are just some things I have been thinking about in regards to this issue.

Save the Pigs

2009-04-29T13:41:00.002-06:00

Apparently the pigs of the USA have revolted against the horrible name "Swine Flu" indicting them as killers and sick bearers the world over.

Thankfully, the United States Government has stepped in to help save them from the humiliation of it all. Instead of "Swine Flu" we are now supposed to call this rabid disease the H1N1 Virus. Thank you Congress! I am glad you have nothing better to do then to help the poor pigs- and give us really long names that are hard to say.

Cry Baby

2009-04-23T12:47:00.016-06:00

Idaho's Governor, Butch Otter, (yes, that is his name) is living up to my expectations. His latest move is to veto everything that ends up on his desk (35 bills so far) and keep the state legislators in session until he gets what he wants.

The Governor wants to raise the gas tax and the state lawmakers keep voting it down. The Governor says he won't back down and will continue to veto everything until they pass what he wants. Real mature.

This has, so far, been the second longest running session in Idaho and it is costing the tax payers $30,000 a day to keep it going! Apparently this doesn't matter to Governor Otter.

What makes me so angry is why do we have state legislators who vote on things when the Governor won't respect what they decide? Instead the Governor tries to bully them to do what he wants. It just doesn't seem right to me.

99 Things You Can Do Outside - Happy Earth Day!

2009-04-22T09:49:00.004-06:00

1. Make maple syrup.
2. Stand under a redwood/sequoia.
3. Ski down a mountain.
4. See a saguaro cactus.
5. See an alligator in the wild.
6. Find a shell on a beach.
7. Skip a rock on a lake.
8. See a sunrise.
9. Pick an apple from a tree.
10. Grow a sunflower.
11. Sleep under the stars in a sleeping bag.
12. Find the Big Dipper.
13. Climb a sand dune.
14. Walk in the rain with or without an umbrella.
15. Find a fossil.
16. Take a photo of the Grand Canyon.
17. Go to the lowest point of North America-Badwater, CA
18. See a raptor fly.
19. Be able to identify ten birds.
20. See a mushroom.
21. Visit a tide pool.
22. Visit a volcano.
23. Feel an earthquake.
24. See a tornado.
25. Experience a hurricane.
26. Catch snow on your tongue.
27. See a deer in the wild.
28. Touch a dolphin.
29. Go ice skating on a pond.
30. Go fishing.
31. Go snorkeling.
32. Whittle a stick.
33. Gather chicken eggs.
34. Milk a cow or a goat.
35. Ride a horse.
36. See a moose.
37. Gather acorns.
38. Pick berries and eat some.
39. Watch a lightning storm.
40. Build a campfire.
41 Press a flower.
42. Use binoculars to spot a bird.
43. Identify five wildflowers.
44. Take a photo of Half Dome.
45. Find a piece of obsidian.
46. See a tumbleweed.
47. See a wild snake.
48. Watch a spider spin a web.
49. Climb a tree.
50. Get lost on a hike.
51. Watch ants in a colony.
52. Hatch a butterfly.
53. Climb a rock.
54. See the Continental Divide.
55. See the Northern Lights.
56. See a bear in the wild.
57. Dig for worms.
58. Grow a vegetable and then eat it.
59. See a bat flying.
60. Feel a sea star.
61. Swim in the ocean.
62. See a geyser erupt.
63. Walk in the fog.
64. Observe a bee.
65. Find a bird’s nest.
66. See a beaver’s den.
67. Go whale watching.
68. See a banana slug.
69. Stand on the edge of a cliff.
70. Blow a dandelion.
71. Throw a snowball and build a snowman.
72. Cook an egg on the sidewalk...can you actually do that?
73. See a lightning bug. Or do you call it a firefly?
74. Visit a cave.
75. Make a sandcastle.
76. Hear a cricket.
77. Catch a frog.
78. Watch for the first star in the evening.
79. Smell a skunk.
80. Feel pine sap.
81. Feed a duck.
82. Learn to use a compass or GPS.
83. See a buffalo.
84. Get wet in a waterfall.
85. Swim in a lake.
86. Walk on a log.
87. Feel moss.
88. Jump in a pile of leaves.
89. Fly a kite.
90. Walk barefoot in the mud.
91. Hear a sea lion bark.
92. Hear a coyote.
93. Pan for gold.
94. Crack open a nut.
95. Go snowshoeing.
96. Feel a cattail.
97. Smell a pine forest.
98. Sit under a palm tree.
99. Walk across a stream on rocks.

How many have you done?

New Democratic National Committee Ad

2009-04-21T11:14:00.002-06:00

When can I move to Afghanistan

2009-04-20T08:00:00.006-06:00

A controversial law that critics say legalizes marital rape is unconstitutional and leads toward the "Talibanization" of Afghanistan's legal system, according to a petition signed by dozens of Afghan ministers, lawmakers and officials.
The law, quietly passed and signed last month, has stirred international outcry over women's rights. The law says a husband can have sex with his wife every four days unless she is ill, and it regulates when and for what reasons a wife may leave home alone.

What only four days? We women can do it at least every four hours if we have to. Why not make us do it at least once a day? Why give us four days? We can run away and have an affair with our neighbor in four days. We can go to the store, go to work, take the boys to school and let our daughters sit home and knit, oh but wait that's only if we can leave the house. Which now in Afghanistan we can't.

Hmm, that's progress for you. Glad we've Americanized that country. At least these women are taking to the streets. Now that's a protest I can believe in.

Hmm, this guy looks suspicious...

2009-04-16T22:01:00.002-06:00

Never judge a book by its cover - part two

2009-04-16T21:23:00.002-06:00

I had to put this on both sites I like it so much. Wonderful stuff!

EMBED-Susan Boyle Stuns Crowd with Epic Singing - Watch more free videos

I Dreamed a Dream (from Les Miserables)

I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high
And life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving.

Then I was young and unafraid
And dreams were made and used
And wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung
No wine untasted.

But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hope apart
As they turn your dream to shame.

And still
I dream he’ll come to me
That we will live the years together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms
We cannot weather…

I had a dream my life would be
So different form this hell I’m living
so different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed
The dream I dreamed.

The Best Waterboarding in the Caribbean!

2009-04-16T10:08:00.007-06:00

On her blog, Miss Universe, Dayana Mendoza after visiting the Guantanamo Bay detention facility called it "a relaxing, calm, and beautiful place."

Hmmm...perhaps she should return to her modeling career.

I'm so happy she represents our universe.

I'm so sick of it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-04-15T15:28:00.008-06:00

I borrowed this from the thinking site, I wasn't going to because at first I didn't think it was appropriate (sorry Judi I know how much you like Mr. Beck) but now, I am so sick of the whining I just can't take it any more. This whole tea party thing is nothing more than an outlet for anti-government wackos to get in the paper and on tv. Fox News has clearly blurred the lines between journalism and advocacy. Never seen anything so "fair and balanced" in my life. Wasn't the original Boston tea party in essence a rebellion against tax breaks for big corporations!! Isn't that the Republican mantra? Their battle cry against the government? Because that's what these protests are: anti-government and anti-taxes. Truly America at its finest. What a proud moment for Republicans. It's nothing more than political posturing. And like Peter said, these people are protesting in public parks paid for with tax dollars. Wonderful. Give me a break!!

My sentiments exactly...

2009-04-15T07:24:00.004-06:00

This commercial is from Canada, but I believe it mirrors the belief of many of us poor folk here in the US of A.

Happy tax day. May we all recover with our parts intact.

Happy Easter!!

2009-04-12T23:32:00.006-06:00

This is a great contest if you like these as much as I do! See here for some funny pictures.

A disturbing trend in wildlife (courtesy of my mother-in-law, who loves me even if I am a Democrat)

2009-04-02T16:50:00.009-06:00

The photo below captures a disturbing trend beginning to affect wildlife in the U.S.

Animals, formerly self-sufficient are now showing signs of belonging to the Democratic party. They have apparently learned to just sit and wait for the government to step in and provide for their care and sustenance.
This photo is of a Democrat black bear in Montana nicknamed 'Bearack.'

Hmm, are you sure that's what he's doing? Looks more like he's just trying to find a place to live, and food to eat. His former home is now a parking lot next to an oil field. But still, isn't he cute??

A Child's Version of the Constitution

2009-04-02T15:15:00.009-06:00

Each member of my daughter's fifth grade class held a practice version today, which I attended, of their oral reports on the Constitution. Next week each panel of five will read their reports in front of three judges for a final grade. These projects are completely done at school with no parent help whatsoever, other than their practice time at home. They work very hard on these and performing in front of groups can be stressful for some. I was immensely proud of all the ones I saw read theirs today.

Upon completion of each panel's reports, the teacher allowed for a question or two to be asked by the parents. One father inparticular (an annoying father I might add), took issue with one boy's comments on who the signers of the Constitution were, and who they weren't. Specifically, the boy said in his report, that many groups of people were excluded from contributing to this document. American Indians, for one, women, poor people, etc. The father asked, weren't these men that signed this important piece of paper the best and brightest that we had to offer at the time? The boy didn't know what to say, and the teacher had to butt in and offer an explanation, like the one I just said, Indians, women, etc, were originally left out, but gained more rights under it later.

If my thermostat wasn't so out of whack of late, I might've said something, but we were in a child's classroom and it was not the time or place for debate. But still, I whispered to my friend sitting next to me. I was under the impression, while they were smart, intelligent men, they were mainly white, rich land owners. They were hardly a composite slice of what was America at the time. Just because you're rich are you always considered the best and the brightest? I'm sure there were plenty of extremely intelligent people who would've contributed nicely to this famous document, but because they were poor, female or of a different race they were excluded. That's just a fact. Let's not sugar coat it.

Oh, but wait, if women would've been allowed to participate it would've injected too much unnecessary emotion into the whole process. There might've even been tears shed, instead of blood. Or at least that's what these ya-hoos are saying here. But beware before you read it, actual brain cells may die because of it.

I needed to vent. My Bp's well below stroke level now, so I feel better. Sort of.

Get What You Deserve

2009-04-01T13:15:00.003-06:00

I was watching TV the other day and I saw a Rent-a-Center commercial that said, "Come in and get the furnishings you deserve!" I was a little shocked by this because I had thought (mistakently, obviously) that we had learned our lesson with this whole economic meltdown: If you can't afford it, you don't "deserve" it. Isn't that what got us into this mess in the first place?

The more I thought about this, the more I am realizing that this idea of spending more then we earn, that we are entitled to flat screen TV's and large cars, is somehow ingrained in our culture. Perhaps I am the last person in America to realize this shocking cultural phenomenon, but I- like I know all of you- was raised to believe that if you can't pay for it, you can't get it (hence, we went without a lot).

Is it just me, or does it seem strange that advertisers are still using the sneaky lines today that they used 5 years ago- that even in the midst of an economic crisis, we are entitled to nice furniture? I do not believe this is a political issue, but rather a societal issue- and one that needs to be changed! We have talked about the economy on a political level, but I guess in this post I am thinking more in terms of or society as a whole, and I have two questions:

1. How did we get to thinking we deserve things we can't afford?
2. How do we teach our children that spending more then you earn is an incorrect principle when so many around them are doing just that?

I am tempted to write Rent-a-Center a letter.

Yet another guide to that tricky "Road to Recovery" courtesy of the Republicans in Congress

2009-03-28T16:37:00.004-06:00

Brought to us from Nate Silver over at fivethirtyeight.

What can you do with a glossy blue pamphlet?

2009-03-27T18:28:00.006-06:00

Instead of an actual budget, the Party of NO, er, the Republicans in Congress offered nothing but a Glossy Blue Pamphlet to the American people. Must've been tough to come up with that number. Oh, wait it didn't include any numbers. Hmm...

I'm Seeing Double...

2009-03-27T07:44:00.005-06:00

Is anyone else having a hard time telling the difference between this:

And this:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

In my head, I'm having a hard time telling the difference. These two men sound exactly alike, and the long drawn out pauses...they're driving me nuts!

Not Impressed With This Season

2009-03-24T14:02:00.002-06:00

I have to admit, I am HATING this season of Amazing Race (sorry, Lula- I couldn't wait for your update!). It is only my second season watching, and every time I watch it I get angry.

First and foremost, I absolutely can not stand Victor and Tammy. I just want to slap Victor's rediculous grin off his face. He is so amazingly cocky- how many times can he mention per episode that he is a lawyer?? News flash, Victor- nobody cares or is impressed that you are a lawyer! There are plenty of lawyers- get off your high horse. Then, I loved how Tammy said Sunday, "our dad thinks we're so privledged"- gee, I wonder if it's because last week you said the biggest car you ever drove is a Mercedes Benz, or because while others were crying about the poverty the Indians lived in, they were laughing and thought it was cute that the children were naked eating elephant dung. Ughhh- they make me sick! Now, granted, part of the reason I hate them is because of Nick and Starr from last season, and perhaps that is not fair. But, honestly, they just annoy me to no end! If they win, I have vowed to never watch the show again- and I mean it, I dislike them that much!

Another thing I hate about this season: the U-Turn. When the U-Turn was given, it was rediculous because you had to go straight from the U-Turn to the pit stop, meaning there was no time to make up the time lost from the u-turn- whoever got u-turned was going to be kicked off! It's like they purposely want to take out any suspense that could have been generated. Also, I'm mad they kicked off the strongest team. What I hate about most reality shows is that they always kick off the best team/person so the best person never wins- which I hate. With this u-turn, they were able to kick off one of the strongest teams- which annoyed me.

Also, why do they cast beekeepers and hillbillies? Just so we can get a good laugh at their ignorance? They obviously don't have a chance to win, they just put them on so we can make fun of them. They might as well only have 9 teams.

Then, with this particular season, everything has been perfectly predictable. This happened last season as well, and it's just boring. For instance, I can pretty much guarantee that barring some miracle, the stuntmen will be kicked off next week. We all knew it would either be the stuntmen or the blondes kicked off on Sunday, but it didn't really matter because whoever wasn't kicked off would be kicked off next week.

Sunday's episode, of course, was the most predictable. Victor and Tammy started in front and stayed in front the entire time. Then there was a large cluster of people who stayed a large cluster of people the entire time. In last were the blondes who stayed in last the entire time. The only reason they came close to catching up is because the stuntmen stupidly chose the road block that was 100,000 times harder and more time consuming then the other (another annoyance- road blocks should be equal, and those two were definitely not).

I am sure some of you are loving this season, but I am definitely not!

The Separation of Church and State

2009-03-22T06:13:00.020-06:00

A few months ago I did a post on an Iranian woman who'd been horribly disfigured by acid because she'd refused a marriage proposal. Her attacker had been sentenced to the same fate, and so it seemed justice had finally taken a more fair right turn in that particular case in the Arab world. Or so I thought. Was that sentence a separation of church and state? I know little of the Muslim faith, but if I were wool gathering I would bet that judge's ruling had more to do with public opinion and their religious dogma than the government of Iran enforcing the laws of the land. Because the two are intertwined in many Arab countries.

In Saudi Arabia, a top cleric refused to annul a forced marriage between an 8 year old and a 47 year old man, as long as the man agreed not to have sexual relations with the girl until she'd reached puberty - whatever that means.

"It is incorrect to say that it's not permitted to marry off girls who are 15 and younger," Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Sheikh, the kingdom's grand mufti, said in remarks quoted Wednesday in the regional Al-Hayat newspaper. "A girl aged 10 or 12 can be married. Those who think she's too young are wrong and they are being unfair to her."

Christoph Wilcke, a Saudi researcher for Human Rights Watch said, "We've been hearing about these types of cases once every four or five months because the Saudi public is now able to express this kind of anger -- especially so when girls are traded off to older men," Wilcke said.
Wilcke explained that while Saudi ministries may make decisions designed to protect children, "It is still the religious establishment that holds sway in the courts, and in many realms beyond the court."

In another case in Saudi Arabia, a 75 year old woman was sentenced to forty lashes for having her nephew and a friend of his bring her a loaf of bread. Forty lashes!! For having a non-immediate relative visit her of the opposite sex. What about those men I wonder, were they also convicted? Of course not, it's always the woman's fault, no matter her age.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, in Brazil a 9 year old girl who'd become pregnant with twins after being abused by her step-father was allowed to have an abortion - it's legal in Brazil in the case of rape or medical emergency - and what did the Catholic Church do? They excommunicated her mother for allowing it and the doctor for performing the procedure! Even though the child and the twins would've most likely died if allowed to continue to term. What of the vagabond who impregnated her? The church is still mulling over his case because being a rapist isn't as bad apparently.

With the Bernie Madoff's, the Governor Blagojevich's, and more than one case of corrupt judges, I am more than grateful we live in a country where church and state are supposed to be separate. But we must be vigilant. One must only take a brief look around us in other parts of the world to know what can happen if our rights are challenged, or taken away by corrupt people right here at home.

John McCain Was Right!

2009-03-18T08:16:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I ran a million errands- including driving all across town and back in rush hour traffic because my husband Ben wanted Good Times for dinner (I wanted to go to a nice sit down restaurant and have a nice evening, but he wanted fast food, so that's what I got him). I came home, and Ben was home. I had a million things to carry in from my errands, so I did something I have never done before: I honked the horn in the garage so he could come out and help me carry things- including our daughter- in.

Honest to goodness, I kid you not- he opens the garage door. He is talking on his cell phone, and he points to his phone and gives me a look that says, "don't bother me, I'm talking on the phone" and shuts the door and goes back inside. I can't believe it! He can't possibly talk on the phone AND carry a diaper bag??????

So, John McCain was right- men CAN NOT do more then one thing at once!! You all remember in the debates he kept saying Obama was trying to take on too much at once. I now agree with McCain. It is absolutely NOT the men who are ruling the world- they are not capable. It is the women. I am convinced Michelle Obama is the one truly running the White House right now!

What is it with Facebook?

2009-03-16T15:19:00.006-06:00

I agree Facebook is really weird. Anyone else think it's weird? Do I want to be tormented by people I haven't seen or thought about since high school again? Or better yet elementary school? What is it with people who have 250 friends. Really? 250...huh. I haven't had that many friends in my entire life. I just don't get it.

Natalie Portman and Rashida Jones Speak Out

2009-03-05T10:48:00.003-07:00

NATALIE PORTMAN & RASHIDA JONES Speak Out from Natalie Portman

Is It the Right Thing to Do?

2009-03-04T10:03:00.002-07:00

In CO right now, we have a bill that is being voted on that I found interesting. I am not sure what I think about it, and would love opinions- it's a great topic of discussion.

The bill would allow children of illegals to pay in-state tuition for college if they met certain criteria: they attended a CO high school for 3 years, had good enough grades, and some other things that I can't remember.

Surprisingly, a number of high profile Republican party leaders are supporting this bill, to which I give them huge kudos. I don't know if I agree with this bill or not, but I know those leaders are going to take a ton of heat from their party for crossing party lines and doing what they feel is right, and I can definitely respect somebody for being willing to do that- regardless of what party they are in. That takes courage and guts, and I think that is wonderful.

Back to the bill. I don't want to get into the tax costs of illegals- health care, etc. Let's isolate this to just this one issue of in-state tuition, otherwise it gets too out of hand. Right now the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition is about $20,000- making college unacessible for most of these children. It is not their fault they came to America- their parents brought them here. Should they be punished for what their parents did, or allowed the same access as citizens?

At first I didn't like this bill. Now I am not sure. I can see some merit to letting them pay in-state costs. First and foremost, if they are educated, that helps all of our society. But, I also see the cons- is it fair to the citizens? This bill would NOT give them access to pell grants or scholarships as far as I understand, it would simply be that they could pay in-state tuition.

Any thoughts?

Is Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal really Kenneth from '30 Rock?

2009-02-27T23:15:00.014-07:00

Hmm.. tough call. Apparently I'm not the only one to see a similarity. A new Facebook page titled "Bobby Jindal is Kenneth the Page" has attracted more that 11,438 new members since Monday. Following President Obama is no easy task. That was pretty obvious after Jindal's folksy Republican rebuttal on Monday night. Critics have been giving the poor guy a hard time. Didn't see it? Check out Mr. Jindal's Neighborhood here.

Obama's Troop Drawdown Decision Will End Iraq War in Late 2010, Officials Say

2009-02-27T08:02:00.018-07:00

Could it possibly be true? Could the war that began over false pretenses and control of oil finally be ending? According to this article,

The Iraq war will come to an end on Aug. 31, 2010, senior officials said, following President Obama's decision to end all counter-insurgency missions by that time. Obama told top leaders in Congress on Thursday that he will transition the mission in Iraq to training, advising and engaging in limited counter-terrorist operations, according to congressional sources.

The president is expected to deliver a speech Friday at the Marine base in Camp Lejeune, N.C, in which he will order the immediate drawdown of the 142,000 Marines and Army personnel in Iraq.

Obama's decision reflects his belief that "there have been real advances" in the country and, as result, the U.S. military should now be ordered to carry out "a fundamental change in mission," senior administration officials said.

Obama told lawmakers about his decision on Thursday. He told lawmakers the troops remaining in Iraq after Aug. 31, 2010, will carry out new missions and will be trained and organized in a way that de-emphasizes combat-readiness and intensifies the focus on these three missions:
-- Train, equip and advise Iraqi security forces
-- Support civilian operations in Iraq aimed at reconstruction, redevelopment and political reconciliation
-- Conduct targeted counter-terrorism missions

Apparently Pelosi and Reid are against this plan, but McCain and some other out-on-his-own conservative agree with him. It seems our current president can do nothing right. I would say A plan, is better than no plan. 4 billion a month is better than 12 billion spent on this stupid war, I suppose, but what of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and North Korea? What of our economy? That's 8 billion a month we could spend right here at home in places like, I know, education, creating jobs, and improving our health care system!

Oh, but wait, that's spending money on American's. Why on earth would we want to do that?

Ah, if only I liked sushi....

2009-02-26T06:53:00.008-07:00

A Japanese sushi chef has developed a fantastic Obama sushi: "Obama's skin is Amis (small shrimp). Hair is black sesame, fish paste teeth." See here.

Hmm...fish paste teeth. Sounds excellent..