I'm sorry, but if this is the main argument [the collective] you have in favor of McCain, I'm just going to be forced to disregard it. I honor his service and I thank him, but I will not vote for him solely for that. John Kerry was a war hero too and it didn't get him much but ridicule. Do you know who else was a war hero? Ulysses S. Grant. And he was a shitty president. We also considered Joseph Stalin a war hero - for us, anyway.
FDR was NOT a war hero and is one of the top three Presidents in our short history; we still feel the positive effects of his presidency to this day.
So, if this is/was your main argument, I hope you can understand why on its own I give it no merit.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Donate to Planned Parenthood in Palin's name
This is the link to the web page but I will paste information below
Make a donation to Planned Parenthood. In Sarah Palin’s name. And here’s the good part: when you make a donation to PP in her name, they’ll send her a card telling her that the donation has been made in her honor.
Here’s the link to the Planned Parenthood website:
So just click the In Honor donation link. You’ll need to fill in the address to let PP know where to send the “in Sarah Palin’s honor” card.
I suggest you use the address for the McCain campaign headquarters, which is:
McCain for President
1235 S. Clark Street
1st Floor
Arlington, VA 22202
Feel free to send this along to all your friends and urge them to do the same.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
My letters to the people who represent me
I am a citizen of the greatest country on Earth. *cough, choke*
I am an American citizen - and I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore!
Here is what I wrote to my senators:
I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!
I will not tolerate the bailout in its current form. I do not think it will fix things and I resent that I and future generations will be responsible for a social burden for which I am most definitely not at fault. I pay my taxes, I go to work, and I pay my debts. I do not own a home or have a mortgage, and I most certainly did not default on a mortgage. I am losing my ass on Vonage stock - do I get a bailout for a gamble I took on a risky stock? No!
And section 8 IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. Judicial and administrative review MUST be part of this bailout if it goes through. I will not accept that a debt I will assume as a legal US Citizen cannot be verified as having been spent on what we are told it is spent. Desperate people do dishonorable acts and no person in this country could honestly say without a doubt that given full control over $700 billion dollars they would be completely ethical and responsible - especially while knowing there will be no review or consequences!!
Please fight for me! Thank you.
-Me
Here is what I wrote to Mr. President:
I, [From the desk of Angie], am a law-abiding tax-paying citizen. I do not own a home or have a mortgage, and those debts I do have are paid monthly and on time.
I do not agree with or support the bailout which will cost me and untold future generations of my family sums of money that I cannot even begin to imagine.
I ESPECIALLY will not tolerate section 8 in its current form - this is unacceptable. I work for [a public entity] and we have so many controls on our spending it is unreal. However, since it is [not our] money, it is necessary so we can reassure [the people who contributed the money] that we are doing everything possible to spend it wisely. Unfortunately, I do not see this in our federal government; why should a [public entity] be expected to uphold something the federal government does not honor? Review by the judicial branch and administrative agencies MUST be part of this. How can we be certain that the money is being spent on what we're told it's spent otherwise? The sum of money is ridiculously large and could lead the most honest man on Earth to dishonest practices; how can I expect anything different of someone who is not an elected official and who is answerable to no one?
The web of deceit and faulty business practice that has led us to this point is NOT my social burden. If I were in the same predicament, could I look to my government to bail me out? No, I couldn't. If things were bad enough I might be able to receive help from social programs, but that is assuming that they have the financial means to support the number of citizens who need them. I will not get into the Iraq war spending but I also do not agree with that.
For our current calamity, I fully place the blame on the lenders and do not appreciate your Administration placing the blame on poor Americans. The lender ultimately has control of the money they lend and they should have done their due diligence to ensure that the loan could be paid in full. The poor who had mortgages that are now in default may have been partially to blame, but the far more heinous crimes have been carried out by the lenders and brokerages.
I have much more to say but I need to go to bed so I can work my 8 hours tomorrow and pay for this bailout, while at the same time fully expecting another Great Depression no matter what is decided.
Sincerely and in disgruntled spirits,
Me
Here is what I got from the general e-mail:
Yes, I am sure he appreciates me, considering how well he takes criticism :D
I am an American citizen - and I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore!
Here is what I wrote to my senators:
I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!
I will not tolerate the bailout in its current form. I do not think it will fix things and I resent that I and future generations will be responsible for a social burden for which I am most definitely not at fault. I pay my taxes, I go to work, and I pay my debts. I do not own a home or have a mortgage, and I most certainly did not default on a mortgage. I am losing my ass on Vonage stock - do I get a bailout for a gamble I took on a risky stock? No!
And section 8 IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. Judicial and administrative review MUST be part of this bailout if it goes through. I will not accept that a debt I will assume as a legal US Citizen cannot be verified as having been spent on what we are told it is spent. Desperate people do dishonorable acts and no person in this country could honestly say without a doubt that given full control over $700 billion dollars they would be completely ethical and responsible - especially while knowing there will be no review or consequences!!
Please fight for me! Thank you.
-Me
Here is what I wrote to Mr. President:
I, [From the desk of Angie], am a law-abiding tax-paying citizen. I do not own a home or have a mortgage, and those debts I do have are paid monthly and on time.
I do not agree with or support the bailout which will cost me and untold future generations of my family sums of money that I cannot even begin to imagine.
I ESPECIALLY will not tolerate section 8 in its current form - this is unacceptable. I work for [a public entity] and we have so many controls on our spending it is unreal. However, since it is [not our] money, it is necessary so we can reassure [the people who contributed the money] that we are doing everything possible to spend it wisely. Unfortunately, I do not see this in our federal government; why should a [public entity] be expected to uphold something the federal government does not honor? Review by the judicial branch and administrative agencies MUST be part of this. How can we be certain that the money is being spent on what we're told it's spent otherwise? The sum of money is ridiculously large and could lead the most honest man on Earth to dishonest practices; how can I expect anything different of someone who is not an elected official and who is answerable to no one?
The web of deceit and faulty business practice that has led us to this point is NOT my social burden. If I were in the same predicament, could I look to my government to bail me out? No, I couldn't. If things were bad enough I might be able to receive help from social programs, but that is assuming that they have the financial means to support the number of citizens who need them. I will not get into the Iraq war spending but I also do not agree with that.
For our current calamity, I fully place the blame on the lenders and do not appreciate your Administration placing the blame on poor Americans. The lender ultimately has control of the money they lend and they should have done their due diligence to ensure that the loan could be paid in full. The poor who had mortgages that are now in default may have been partially to blame, but the far more heinous crimes have been carried out by the lenders and brokerages.
I have much more to say but I need to go to bed so I can work my 8 hours tomorrow and pay for this bailout, while at the same time fully expecting another Great Depression no matter what is decided.
Sincerely and in disgruntled spirits,
Me
Here is what I got from the general e-mail:
On behalf of President Bush, thank you for your correspondence.
We appreciate hearing your views and welcome your suggestions.
Due to the large volume of e-mail received, the White House cannot respond to every message.
Thank you again for taking the time to write.
Yes, I am sure he appreciates me, considering how well he takes criticism :D
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Disturbing thoughts
My husband's co-worker is a far right conservative/libertarian/free market economy supporter. They were talking/arguing the other day and he said that he'd like to get rid of minimum wage.
I know the man can't make more than $11.00/hr just based on his position and the pay at which it caps out. I am completely and utterly baffled at how he comes up with arguments supporting the 1% ers time and time again. It is so alien that I can only imagine that he is a reincarnated Rockefeller or Morgan or even maybe a Kennedy (although far too right wing and selfish in his beliefs for a Kennedy).
My husband and I were discussing the aftershocks and ripples of abolishing a minimum wage and I am shocked and disturbed at what something like that would mean.
First, a lot of people making minimum wage - which is typically not LIVING wage, mind you - would find themselves making far less. Our guess was around $4.00/hr but that could be off in either direction. I tend to think that once the corporations really got going they would drop it that low - people who are desperate will do anything, and consider what illegal aliens make. Not that I've done the research, but I tend to think it's lower than minimum wage or they would hire legal citizens. That puts it at lower than $5.50some and that's not far from the estimate. Anyway....
While many other positions are not directly related to minimum wage, I think they are arrived upon by way of minimum wage. For instance, the data entry position at my husband's employer starts at $8.00/hr. That says the company believes it requires more skill than minimum wage but only x% more. So, if the minimum wage is lowered and the company isn't doing well, they can lower salaries. No matter what happens, there will be another starving body willing to work for $6.00/hr.
When salaries go down, though, that doesn't mean costs will necessarily follow. Mortgages are still set at the 30 year interest rate and re-payment schedule and the bank doesn't really care that the house is now worth significantly less. That leaves millions homeless. Not long ago, just 150 years ago in the States, we used to build houses from the available materials, such as clay, sand, water, and straw. Sometimes this is carved in a hill hobbit hole-style, and sometimes it is formed into cobs to build a cob home (similar to adobe but not the same). Except for a few select groups, this is a lost art. Unfortunately this means something like Flint, Michigan - people will be kicked out of their homes and forced to live on the street or beg for shelter that isn't available due to the high demand. Or, they may turn squatter.
Without cash flow electricity is also out. Most people don't know how to cope without electricity because so much of what we do is based on it. Some people couldn't even cook because their range is electric - provided of course they can keep the houses.
Most people can't make soap, clothing, tools, or even food because we haven't had to do it in such a long time. Households used to make their own soap, bread, and candles - not so much in modern America. Sure, I can probably use a melter I bought at Hobby Lobby and melt some wax from a 5 pound package and pour it in a form I bought from Hobby Lobby and then insert a wick from Hobby Lobby...but that's not really making candles, is it? That's not harvesting the wax or fat to make tallow. In a pinch, I wouldn't know the first thing about any of that!
The same goes for farming or raising animals to slaughter. I don't know how to sow seeds or plow or planting seasons for various fruits and/or vegetables. I don't know the best soil, or how much water to use, or how to develop a healthy root system for the best yields. I don't have livestock and I don't know how to raise them. If they or I got sick, I don't know enough about herbs to make a medicine or poultice or whatever needs to be done.
The list goes on and on...and it's scary how much we DON'T know how to do. If nuclear winter set in right now and everything as I know it was destroyed I wouldn't know how to survive. I'm sure I'd learn, but what a hard lesson to learn without any training.
I know the man can't make more than $11.00/hr just based on his position and the pay at which it caps out. I am completely and utterly baffled at how he comes up with arguments supporting the 1% ers time and time again. It is so alien that I can only imagine that he is a reincarnated Rockefeller or Morgan or even maybe a Kennedy (although far too right wing and selfish in his beliefs for a Kennedy).
My husband and I were discussing the aftershocks and ripples of abolishing a minimum wage and I am shocked and disturbed at what something like that would mean.
First, a lot of people making minimum wage - which is typically not LIVING wage, mind you - would find themselves making far less. Our guess was around $4.00/hr but that could be off in either direction. I tend to think that once the corporations really got going they would drop it that low - people who are desperate will do anything, and consider what illegal aliens make. Not that I've done the research, but I tend to think it's lower than minimum wage or they would hire legal citizens. That puts it at lower than $5.50some and that's not far from the estimate. Anyway....
While many other positions are not directly related to minimum wage, I think they are arrived upon by way of minimum wage. For instance, the data entry position at my husband's employer starts at $8.00/hr. That says the company believes it requires more skill than minimum wage but only x% more. So, if the minimum wage is lowered and the company isn't doing well, they can lower salaries. No matter what happens, there will be another starving body willing to work for $6.00/hr.
When salaries go down, though, that doesn't mean costs will necessarily follow. Mortgages are still set at the 30 year interest rate and re-payment schedule and the bank doesn't really care that the house is now worth significantly less. That leaves millions homeless. Not long ago, just 150 years ago in the States, we used to build houses from the available materials, such as clay, sand, water, and straw. Sometimes this is carved in a hill hobbit hole-style, and sometimes it is formed into cobs to build a cob home (similar to adobe but not the same). Except for a few select groups, this is a lost art. Unfortunately this means something like Flint, Michigan - people will be kicked out of their homes and forced to live on the street or beg for shelter that isn't available due to the high demand. Or, they may turn squatter.
Without cash flow electricity is also out. Most people don't know how to cope without electricity because so much of what we do is based on it. Some people couldn't even cook because their range is electric - provided of course they can keep the houses.
Most people can't make soap, clothing, tools, or even food because we haven't had to do it in such a long time. Households used to make their own soap, bread, and candles - not so much in modern America. Sure, I can probably use a melter I bought at Hobby Lobby and melt some wax from a 5 pound package and pour it in a form I bought from Hobby Lobby and then insert a wick from Hobby Lobby...but that's not really making candles, is it? That's not harvesting the wax or fat to make tallow. In a pinch, I wouldn't know the first thing about any of that!
The same goes for farming or raising animals to slaughter. I don't know how to sow seeds or plow or planting seasons for various fruits and/or vegetables. I don't know the best soil, or how much water to use, or how to develop a healthy root system for the best yields. I don't have livestock and I don't know how to raise them. If they or I got sick, I don't know enough about herbs to make a medicine or poultice or whatever needs to be done.
The list goes on and on...and it's scary how much we DON'T know how to do. If nuclear winter set in right now and everything as I know it was destroyed I wouldn't know how to survive. I'm sure I'd learn, but what a hard lesson to learn without any training.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Wishes
I wish...
I knew what to do with my life
I had never charged on a credit card what I couldn't afford
My degree actually helped me make more money
I could stomach public speaking
I was more outgoing
I didn't care what people think of me
I could turn off worrying
I lived closer to my family
I could afford to live in California
Money wasn't such a deciding factor in my life
I could be happy more often, and for no reason!
My mom were happy and carefree
For more children in my life, mine and my friends and family
I felt more confident in my decisions
I could take more risks and be more spontaneous...just once, step off the cliff into nothingness without a plan
I knew what to do with my life....
I knew what to do with my life
I had never charged on a credit card what I couldn't afford
My degree actually helped me make more money
I could stomach public speaking
I was more outgoing
I didn't care what people think of me
I could turn off worrying
I lived closer to my family
I could afford to live in California
Money wasn't such a deciding factor in my life
I could be happy more often, and for no reason!
My mom were happy and carefree
For more children in my life, mine and my friends and family
I felt more confident in my decisions
I could take more risks and be more spontaneous...just once, step off the cliff into nothingness without a plan
I knew what to do with my life....
What if I was 10 years old? and other ramblings
It's 12:32 on a Friday night/Saturday morning and I'm just putzing around on teh intarweb and thought it might be nice to write something. It's been a while, and it seemed like a good idea at the time...except I need a topic (yes I realize I keep changing verb tense - sue me!). The first thing I found was a 1st grade list - so here goes. I'll be Rory Gilmore and make a pro/con list :D
--------
What if I was 10 years old? (for the sake of a nice list I'll pretend I had a normal childhood)
Pros
Memories from 10 years old
--------
What if I was 10 years old? (for the sake of a nice list I'll pretend I had a normal childhood)
Pros
- No bills to worry about
- A trip to the store is fun
- Bike riding is the #1 source of entertainment and transportation
- No dieting!
- No cooking!
- Major decisions include ice cream flavors and how long to play
- Going to bed late is awesome
- birthday is the favorite day of the year
- Recess!
- Homework. ooo. bummer
- Rules seem oppressive / little freedom
- School for 180 days is torture
- Everyone tells you what to do
- Being grounded
- transportation is limited to mom or dad's patience or a bike
- Not a kid, not a teenager
Memories from 10 years old
- New baby sister / losing baby sister
- Moving from mom's to dad's and losing my favorite teacher
- Gaining a new teacher who had awesome activities, like:
- King Eaton and Going West
- Failing on State of the Week because I hated (still hate) word finds and lacked the skill to do projects which for which other kids had parental help
- Missing too many days and serving D-hall to make up the absences and subsequently working on the zeroes I had so I could pass
- Being grounded.......a lot
- Writing sentences for punishment....at home
- Reading to pass the time when grounded
- Tearing up my math homework because I was so frustrated with my stepmother for making me do homework as soon as I got home...and then having to tape it together so I could actually do it.
- Pouring out my watered down Kool-Aid because it was not much more than colored water (my stepmother added water to stretch it)
- Bringing home my sandwiches and hiding them in my room - I'm not sure why I didn't just throw them away, unless I was afraid my friend would tell on me. I don't really know what I *did* eat for lunch if I didn't eat my sandwiches. Hmm.
- Learning cross-stitch during Going West, something I still enjoy
- Eating fried rabbit and squirrel stew, also Going West
- Learning how to overthrow an oppressive and unpopular sovereign through King Eaton
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