My daughter's dog (the one whose picture is on this blog) is an exceptionally badly behaved animal. My daughter has spoiled him rotten to the point he feels he has to mind only when he chooses. This is not an alternative with me, so over the past two years I've been slowly training him. He's far from perfect, but he does mind me much of the time.
Today, however, was not one of those days. Both dogs were outside and I was preparing to leave to go grocery shopping and to run some errands. I called them in. He was busy eating shit and didn't want to come in at the time. So I let the other dog in and locked up and ran my errands, leaving a short haired dog outside in sub-freezing temperatures. Before you get the wrong idea, there is a well-insulated doghouse out there so he wasn't really outside. But he was not in where it is marginally warmer either. He was not a happy camper, but I'll bet that the next time I say "come on in, Brisco," he makes a beeline for the door. He's stubborn but he's not really as stupid as he acts.
We are all feeling bad about his sister. I wrote about finding a mass in her mouth before Christmas. The results are in. It's malignant melanoma. They say she has anywhere from 4 months to a year to live. We all talked it over and will not subject her to major surgery and radiation. She's 12-1/2 years old. There is no point making her last few months sick and miserable. As long as her quality of life is good, we'll do our best to make her happy. When she begins declining, she will be put to sleep. That's going to break my heart. She's probably the sweetest, gentlest dog I've ever met. I will sincerely miss her.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Cold
Cold seems to rule my life at the moment. I am always freezing. My daughter heats the house with wood, which is fine when she makes sure we have plenty and can use it. Unfortunately a couple of days ago something went wrong with the fuse panel in the house. It will have to be repaired before we can use the blower for the stove that warms the house. Unfortunately Susan cannot afford the repairs at this time. It's like 48 degrees in the house at the moment. I will light a fire shortly, but it will do little to chase the chill without the blower to circulate the air.
Right now I am wearing lined slippers, heavy socks, fleece sweats (wish I could wear two pair), three sweaters and gloves. And I am freezing.
What's worse is that the circuit for my lamp is on the same one as the blower, et al. We simply don't dare throw the breaker for this circuit as it's sparking and could start a fire in the walls. So I also can't use my bright light which means I can only quilt and read during the daylight hours.
I am sincerely hoping something breaks, but the way things are right now it appears it will be spring before Susan gets the money from her divorce settlement and can get the circuit box fixed and buy the new, more efficient stove. That's a lot of very cold days ahead. Also, if she doesn't make an issue of getting her nephews over here to chop the rest of the wood we actually have we will run out within a week or so. If that happens I will go online and order a cord delivered and pay for it myself. I'm simply not going to be that cold with the worst and coldest of the season yet to come.
I got a gift card from Joann's for Christmas. I'll buy some heavy flannel and will make myself two flannel slips. I also plan to buy two pair of long thermal knit undies for wearing under sweats. With the slips it should be warmer. My gloves are fingerless but work wonderfully to keep my poor hands more or less warm. Without them I would barely be able to use my hands they would hurt so badly. I hate being this cold.
Right now I am wearing lined slippers, heavy socks, fleece sweats (wish I could wear two pair), three sweaters and gloves. And I am freezing.
What's worse is that the circuit for my lamp is on the same one as the blower, et al. We simply don't dare throw the breaker for this circuit as it's sparking and could start a fire in the walls. So I also can't use my bright light which means I can only quilt and read during the daylight hours.
I am sincerely hoping something breaks, but the way things are right now it appears it will be spring before Susan gets the money from her divorce settlement and can get the circuit box fixed and buy the new, more efficient stove. That's a lot of very cold days ahead. Also, if she doesn't make an issue of getting her nephews over here to chop the rest of the wood we actually have we will run out within a week or so. If that happens I will go online and order a cord delivered and pay for it myself. I'm simply not going to be that cold with the worst and coldest of the season yet to come.
I got a gift card from Joann's for Christmas. I'll buy some heavy flannel and will make myself two flannel slips. I also plan to buy two pair of long thermal knit undies for wearing under sweats. With the slips it should be warmer. My gloves are fingerless but work wonderfully to keep my poor hands more or less warm. Without them I would barely be able to use my hands they would hurt so badly. I hate being this cold.
Monday, December 25, 2006
Merry Christmas
I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Another year is coming to an end. It's amazing how fast they fly by now. When I was drying my hair the other day I noticed for the first time that once you get beneath the brown layer, the underneath is almost all grey. Another sign of getting old I guess.
I have this enormous wish list for the next year. I have health insurance again for the first time in years, so I am going to pursue sleep. I haven't slept through a night in around 20 years. I'm making an appointment with the sleep clinic where my insurance lies to book an appointment for yet another sleep study. My intention is to get this problem under control within the next year. I also have to see to getting a hernia repair which I will put off until the last possible moment (I loathe surgery), my cataracts repaired, and a bone spur on my heel repaired. Other than that, I'm actually disgustingly healthy other than my weight.
Weight is an issue, but not on the front burner for the upcoming year. I plan to tweak my diet as I go along, but not worry overmuch. I'm too old to care and it's not as if someone is suddenly going to find me overwhelmingly attractive should I lose a large amount of weight. Besides, if one should I would reject him as overly superficial. I'm a treasure as I am, excess weight or no.
Writing is a big issue this coming year. Getting organized is important. Building my website is critical. My hope is to find a modest way of earning money. I don't need much.
I am planning two trips this coming year: one to Chicago and one to North Carolina to visit the rest of my family there. My only hesitation is that they are going to allow cell phone blather on airplanes. I may check into trains or even the bus to avoid having to put up with self-important people and their boring blather on those damned phones.
Anyway, I am busy planning for the new year. Everyone enjoy the last days of this year, and I wish you the very best for the upcoming one.
I have this enormous wish list for the next year. I have health insurance again for the first time in years, so I am going to pursue sleep. I haven't slept through a night in around 20 years. I'm making an appointment with the sleep clinic where my insurance lies to book an appointment for yet another sleep study. My intention is to get this problem under control within the next year. I also have to see to getting a hernia repair which I will put off until the last possible moment (I loathe surgery), my cataracts repaired, and a bone spur on my heel repaired. Other than that, I'm actually disgustingly healthy other than my weight.
Weight is an issue, but not on the front burner for the upcoming year. I plan to tweak my diet as I go along, but not worry overmuch. I'm too old to care and it's not as if someone is suddenly going to find me overwhelmingly attractive should I lose a large amount of weight. Besides, if one should I would reject him as overly superficial. I'm a treasure as I am, excess weight or no.
Writing is a big issue this coming year. Getting organized is important. Building my website is critical. My hope is to find a modest way of earning money. I don't need much.
I am planning two trips this coming year: one to Chicago and one to North Carolina to visit the rest of my family there. My only hesitation is that they are going to allow cell phone blather on airplanes. I may check into trains or even the bus to avoid having to put up with self-important people and their boring blather on those damned phones.
Anyway, I am busy planning for the new year. Everyone enjoy the last days of this year, and I wish you the very best for the upcoming one.
Monday, December 18, 2006
Another Year
*sigh* Another year gone. They just seem to slip by. I retired this year. I didn't do it voluntarily but rather because there were no more jobs to be had in my profession. I'm just too damned old to retrain into a new one. That leaves me with the dilemma of trying to figure out how to make money off of what I do best. So far I haven't found any solutions but I'm still trying to find something. I utterly reject the idea of "do you want fries with that," or "Welcome to WalMart" as an alternative.
Things are pretty somber around my house today anyway. Yesterday I discovered a huge mass growing inside one of my daughter's dog's mouth. The emergency vet holds out little hope that it is anything other than a malignancy. They lost their other dog (litter mate to this one) to cancer a year ago. This is one of the most gentle, even-tempered, sweet dogs. She's never any problem at all. My daughter and her ex are not taking it well. Both are devastated as they love these dogs as if they were their own children. They decided to make the dog as comfortable as possible and will keep her as long as they can for as long as her health is good. They won't subject her to surgery and radiation. She's 12 years old. Far too old for her last days to be miserable through surgery to remove half her jaw and the sickness of radiation. They will let her go quietly when the time comes. We will know more by the end of the week when she sees her regular vet and they do a biopsy on the mass.
Things are pretty somber around my house today anyway. Yesterday I discovered a huge mass growing inside one of my daughter's dog's mouth. The emergency vet holds out little hope that it is anything other than a malignancy. They lost their other dog (litter mate to this one) to cancer a year ago. This is one of the most gentle, even-tempered, sweet dogs. She's never any problem at all. My daughter and her ex are not taking it well. Both are devastated as they love these dogs as if they were their own children. They decided to make the dog as comfortable as possible and will keep her as long as they can for as long as her health is good. They won't subject her to surgery and radiation. She's 12 years old. Far too old for her last days to be miserable through surgery to remove half her jaw and the sickness of radiation. They will let her go quietly when the time comes. We will know more by the end of the week when she sees her regular vet and they do a biopsy on the mass.
Parenting
I sometimes wonder why people even bother to have children. My daughter agreed to babysit for a friend's seven-year-old son on Saturday. At first it was just supposed to be for a few hours, then it became overnight. This was fine. The kid is a handful according to his mother, but he's never been a problem with either my daughter or with me.
The thing is his mother seems to regard him as a nuisance that has to be handled somehow. Most of the time she simply turns on the TV or puts him in a room by himself with a gaming console and some of the most violent games out there with no regard for their suitability for a seven-year-old child. It is a given among her friends that she will never return when she promises when they agree to watch him.
Just recently she was admonished by his school and threatened with being reported for child neglect unless she began such things as feeding him a decent diet regularly, seeing to it that he does his homework, and ensuring he has a reasonable bedtime. Even more recently she was called to the school because her son reported he had been sexually molested by the mother's partner. This turned out not to be true, but apparently the kid knows how much the partner hates him (and says so in front of him) and he didn't like the idea that he and his mother were moving into the same apartment.
The child's father claims the child has numerous allergies. The mother has never asked to see the medical report to ensure this is true and feeds the child anything she wants without bothering to see if he is actually allergic. Her argument is that it doesn't make him sick so he can't be allergic to it.
My question is simply why would a woman such as this even bother to have children? She doesn't really care about him. I asked him over the weekend what kind of books his mother reads to him, thinking of maybe getting him a book for Christmas. He looked at me as if I had taken leave of my senses. This isn't a bad kid, but it is definitely a neglected child.
Yesterday morning I discovered a nasty mass growing inside my daughter's dog's mouth that required the dog to go to an emergency vet immediately. Susan called the boy's mother and told her she had to come and get him and told her why. She was really put out by the fact she had to get her own son. I won't babysit for the child; not because I don't like him but because I've done my babysitting in the past and don't care to do it any more now. This annoys the boy's mother who seemed to have marked me as a babysitter when she was told I had retired.
So I repeat...if you don't want to take the time to raise a child, why have one? Why not surrender custody to the boy's father since she obviously isn't willing to actually interact with him any more than she absolutely has to? This really bothers me.
The thing is his mother seems to regard him as a nuisance that has to be handled somehow. Most of the time she simply turns on the TV or puts him in a room by himself with a gaming console and some of the most violent games out there with no regard for their suitability for a seven-year-old child. It is a given among her friends that she will never return when she promises when they agree to watch him.
Just recently she was admonished by his school and threatened with being reported for child neglect unless she began such things as feeding him a decent diet regularly, seeing to it that he does his homework, and ensuring he has a reasonable bedtime. Even more recently she was called to the school because her son reported he had been sexually molested by the mother's partner. This turned out not to be true, but apparently the kid knows how much the partner hates him (and says so in front of him) and he didn't like the idea that he and his mother were moving into the same apartment.
The child's father claims the child has numerous allergies. The mother has never asked to see the medical report to ensure this is true and feeds the child anything she wants without bothering to see if he is actually allergic. Her argument is that it doesn't make him sick so he can't be allergic to it.
My question is simply why would a woman such as this even bother to have children? She doesn't really care about him. I asked him over the weekend what kind of books his mother reads to him, thinking of maybe getting him a book for Christmas. He looked at me as if I had taken leave of my senses. This isn't a bad kid, but it is definitely a neglected child.
Yesterday morning I discovered a nasty mass growing inside my daughter's dog's mouth that required the dog to go to an emergency vet immediately. Susan called the boy's mother and told her she had to come and get him and told her why. She was really put out by the fact she had to get her own son. I won't babysit for the child; not because I don't like him but because I've done my babysitting in the past and don't care to do it any more now. This annoys the boy's mother who seemed to have marked me as a babysitter when she was told I had retired.
So I repeat...if you don't want to take the time to raise a child, why have one? Why not surrender custody to the boy's father since she obviously isn't willing to actually interact with him any more than she absolutely has to? This really bothers me.
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Getting Things Done
These past few days have been good for me in terms of getting stuff done. I just got home from mailing packages. Everything will arrive by Christmas other than one thing for Sewmouse that unfortunately hasn't arrived yet, despite being shipped on the 7th. I guess it's coming by way of the pony express or something.
Yesterday I got six potholders cut and pieced. Still have to do the sashes. I also have to cut two more at Susan's request. I will do that today and also get the backings and heat-resistant batting cut and everything pinned together. Susan is going to help me sew them all as gifts for family.
Tomorrow and then Tues. I'll do the holiday cooking/baking I need to do for gifts. That will pretty much finish off my work for the holidays. We have dinner with the ex and others on Friday evening, then a big family gathering with a traditional meal on Saturday. Sunday is just for lazy and of course Monday is Christmas. Then that's all out of the way for another year.
I was thinking today just how much small things matter these days. More specifically small acts of kindness by total strangers. When I was in Costco today I reached for a box of the premade fireplace logs. The box weighs 54 lbs. and I knew it would be a struggle to get it in the cart. A nice young man came over and picked it up for me and put it in the cart. That was really nice. As I was pulling out of the parking lot, another guy stopped and helped me get out because I couldn't see traffic well. Then when I went to mail my packages, a woman held the door for me because my arms were so full.
I realize these are very small common courtesies, but they are so rare today they bear commenting upon. These people brightened my day. To me that counts.
Yesterday I got six potholders cut and pieced. Still have to do the sashes. I also have to cut two more at Susan's request. I will do that today and also get the backings and heat-resistant batting cut and everything pinned together. Susan is going to help me sew them all as gifts for family.
Tomorrow and then Tues. I'll do the holiday cooking/baking I need to do for gifts. That will pretty much finish off my work for the holidays. We have dinner with the ex and others on Friday evening, then a big family gathering with a traditional meal on Saturday. Sunday is just for lazy and of course Monday is Christmas. Then that's all out of the way for another year.
I was thinking today just how much small things matter these days. More specifically small acts of kindness by total strangers. When I was in Costco today I reached for a box of the premade fireplace logs. The box weighs 54 lbs. and I knew it would be a struggle to get it in the cart. A nice young man came over and picked it up for me and put it in the cart. That was really nice. As I was pulling out of the parking lot, another guy stopped and helped me get out because I couldn't see traffic well. Then when I went to mail my packages, a woman held the door for me because my arms were so full.
I realize these are very small common courtesies, but they are so rare today they bear commenting upon. These people brightened my day. To me that counts.
Friday, December 15, 2006
Storm
We had a humongous storm last night. Winds in some parts of the state hit 100 mph. High winds are a particular hazard where I live since we are surrounded by huge Douglas fir and cedar trees, some 50 feet or more high. we've been having a record-breaking wet season so the ground is saturated. The trees are shallow rooted anyway, and with the wet ground can be uprooted by high winds.
My daughter called a few minutes ago. She's out right now and is scared by the damage she is seeing caused by trees falling. We have this huge old tree in the back yard that was swaying badly last night. She's going to have someone come out and evaluate its stability. If that one came down it would take out any one of several homes within its range. I'm not even sure how they would get it down. In pieces I would suppose since it's well over 50 feet hight. She will leave it if it's stable.
The rain was coming down at a rate of over 2 inches an hour. There was also thunder and sheet lightening. It was quite a storm. Two of our floating bridges were shut down, and one remains closed today since four huge bolts sheered away because of the wind and wave action. Many of the freeways were closed because of standing water. The commute this morning is going to be a royal mess. At least I don't have to worry about that.
So far the death toll is only one but that will probably go up as they begin finding people. The one was a woman who drowned in her own basement.
It's raining this morning but the winds are gone and the weather service says things will be ok. Where I am we got flickering lights and the cable went out a couple of times. I stayed offline and shut down my daughter's computer as well. We're fine other than for a nervous dog. He hates thunder and when it started he tried to climbed into my lap. This would be ok were he a little guy, but he's 70 lbs. That's too big for a lap dog. I know. A couple of months ago my daughter got upset and was yelling and slamming doors around the house and he actually did climb all the way into my lap then sat leaning against my chest shivering. Big whoose.
My daughter called a few minutes ago. She's out right now and is scared by the damage she is seeing caused by trees falling. We have this huge old tree in the back yard that was swaying badly last night. She's going to have someone come out and evaluate its stability. If that one came down it would take out any one of several homes within its range. I'm not even sure how they would get it down. In pieces I would suppose since it's well over 50 feet hight. She will leave it if it's stable.
The rain was coming down at a rate of over 2 inches an hour. There was also thunder and sheet lightening. It was quite a storm. Two of our floating bridges were shut down, and one remains closed today since four huge bolts sheered away because of the wind and wave action. Many of the freeways were closed because of standing water. The commute this morning is going to be a royal mess. At least I don't have to worry about that.
So far the death toll is only one but that will probably go up as they begin finding people. The one was a woman who drowned in her own basement.
It's raining this morning but the winds are gone and the weather service says things will be ok. Where I am we got flickering lights and the cable went out a couple of times. I stayed offline and shut down my daughter's computer as well. We're fine other than for a nervous dog. He hates thunder and when it started he tried to climbed into my lap. This would be ok were he a little guy, but he's 70 lbs. That's too big for a lap dog. I know. A couple of months ago my daughter got upset and was yelling and slamming doors around the house and he actually did climb all the way into my lap then sat leaning against my chest shivering. Big whoose.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Conundrum
The president has been saying for the past week or so that he won't accept anything but total victory in Iraq, he won't set a timetable or even give us a plan for making the victory happen. Heck, he won't even define what "victory" means to him.
He also has said repeatedly that Iraq is a sovereign nation, and cites the constitution and the elections to prove that it is its own country making its own decision.
Now the Vice-President of Iraq has told people in Washington, D.C. that the U.S. has to come up with a timetable (no time really soon) for withdrawal with milestones, etc. How does this reconcile with the President's adamant assertions that he absolutely will not leave Iraq until he has accomplished his personal goals there? If the government itself tells the U.S. to set a timetable within x so many months to withdraw its troops, yet conditions on the ground don't meet with Mr. Bush's definition of "total victory," what happens?
It appears to me there can be only three possible actions. The first is that Bush complies with the Iraqi government demand for a U.S. withdrawal because Iraq is a sovereign nation. The second is that he complies but beefs up troops and launches an all out offensive so he gets his "victory" first. Or third, he tells them to stuff it and we'll leave when he is ready to leave and not a day before.
Personally I cannot see Bush stepping back and graciously saying "I think you're making a mistake, but you're the boss. Of course we'll leave." If the Iraqi government actually asks the United States to leave by a set date I think you'll see Mr. Bush's true colors emerge bright and clear. It should be interesting to watch.
He also has said repeatedly that Iraq is a sovereign nation, and cites the constitution and the elections to prove that it is its own country making its own decision.
Now the Vice-President of Iraq has told people in Washington, D.C. that the U.S. has to come up with a timetable (no time really soon) for withdrawal with milestones, etc. How does this reconcile with the President's adamant assertions that he absolutely will not leave Iraq until he has accomplished his personal goals there? If the government itself tells the U.S. to set a timetable within x so many months to withdraw its troops, yet conditions on the ground don't meet with Mr. Bush's definition of "total victory," what happens?
It appears to me there can be only three possible actions. The first is that Bush complies with the Iraqi government demand for a U.S. withdrawal because Iraq is a sovereign nation. The second is that he complies but beefs up troops and launches an all out offensive so he gets his "victory" first. Or third, he tells them to stuff it and we'll leave when he is ready to leave and not a day before.
Personally I cannot see Bush stepping back and graciously saying "I think you're making a mistake, but you're the boss. Of course we'll leave." If the Iraqi government actually asks the United States to leave by a set date I think you'll see Mr. Bush's true colors emerge bright and clear. It should be interesting to watch.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Doctors
I went to the doctor today for the first time in several years. I qualified for Medicare the first of this month and picked a good insurance gap program, so I went. I have no really serious health issues, but there were a couple of things that bugged me, so I went.
First off, everyone really treated me nicely and I like both the doctor I chose and the facility. I wasn't lectured or talked down to. The best part is that the doctor actually listened to me. I got half of what I wanted. The second half, to help my insomnia, will have to wait. The doctor decided that rather than just give me sleeping pills, they would do another sleep study, re-evaluate the machine I am using, and some other things. While it will take longer, he actually seemed to want to see it fixed. I'm content. I won't go into the first problem I discussed with him as it's a bit embarassing, but whatever it was he gave me seems to have started working from the instant I took the first of the medication.
Given how badly things started off today, this visit was a nice event. I have other things I need to do but this is a start. I got lost on the way to the office, the directions were faulty. Fortunately I got there in time and feel better about it now. I made the right choice of a health care provider. It is nice to have insurance again.
First off, everyone really treated me nicely and I like both the doctor I chose and the facility. I wasn't lectured or talked down to. The best part is that the doctor actually listened to me. I got half of what I wanted. The second half, to help my insomnia, will have to wait. The doctor decided that rather than just give me sleeping pills, they would do another sleep study, re-evaluate the machine I am using, and some other things. While it will take longer, he actually seemed to want to see it fixed. I'm content. I won't go into the first problem I discussed with him as it's a bit embarassing, but whatever it was he gave me seems to have started working from the instant I took the first of the medication.
Given how badly things started off today, this visit was a nice event. I have other things I need to do but this is a start. I got lost on the way to the office, the directions were faulty. Fortunately I got there in time and feel better about it now. I made the right choice of a health care provider. It is nice to have insurance again.
Friday, December 08, 2006
Memories
Someone on a message board today asked what I would be doing right now if I could be doing anything I wished. My answer was that I would be back in Hawaii with my brother's friends at his retirement party this past summer.
Let me say first that I hated Hawaii the first time I was there. There were no trade winds and it was hot, stickly, and utterly awful. This time I went only because my brother was retiring from the Navy and he asked that I be there. I love my brother totally and agreed to go.
He rented a beach house for his friends and as a party site. My brother is what is called an ACINT (I think that's right) Runner. It's a higly specialized and very classified job in the Navy that has had only a couple of hundred members total, and usually not more than 50 at any one time. They are an elite group. I didn't realize how elite until I began meeting them.
I was literally blown away by how nice, how bright, how friendly, and how intelligent they all were. I treasured every moment of my time there (with very little exception). I got to talk to people who were my intellectual equal in every way and who regarded me as theirs. We were interested in the same things and talked politics and other things literally for hours. We drank, talked, laughed, and got to know one another. I can feel the bond with these people to this day and it brings tears to my eyes to remember how happy I was during that time. For one magical week in paradise, I was not lonely or islolated.
The house Roy (my brother) rented was right on the beach. We sat outside for the most part. We drank too much, ate too much, talked too much, and were reticent to say goodnight and part company. I can see it in my mind, but even if I couldn't I have a CD of hundreds of pictures of those times from a dozen different cameras.
I'm going to make a New Year's resolution right now. And this one I'll keep. I am going to build a website for us to keep in touch. Life is too short and too precious to miss contact with such people. Damn. I need a drink. I think I'll go hoist one in memory of the best people and probably the best time I've ever had.
Let me say first that I hated Hawaii the first time I was there. There were no trade winds and it was hot, stickly, and utterly awful. This time I went only because my brother was retiring from the Navy and he asked that I be there. I love my brother totally and agreed to go.
He rented a beach house for his friends and as a party site. My brother is what is called an ACINT (I think that's right) Runner. It's a higly specialized and very classified job in the Navy that has had only a couple of hundred members total, and usually not more than 50 at any one time. They are an elite group. I didn't realize how elite until I began meeting them.
I was literally blown away by how nice, how bright, how friendly, and how intelligent they all were. I treasured every moment of my time there (with very little exception). I got to talk to people who were my intellectual equal in every way and who regarded me as theirs. We were interested in the same things and talked politics and other things literally for hours. We drank, talked, laughed, and got to know one another. I can feel the bond with these people to this day and it brings tears to my eyes to remember how happy I was during that time. For one magical week in paradise, I was not lonely or islolated.
The house Roy (my brother) rented was right on the beach. We sat outside for the most part. We drank too much, ate too much, talked too much, and were reticent to say goodnight and part company. I can see it in my mind, but even if I couldn't I have a CD of hundreds of pictures of those times from a dozen different cameras.
I'm going to make a New Year's resolution right now. And this one I'll keep. I am going to build a website for us to keep in touch. Life is too short and too precious to miss contact with such people. Damn. I need a drink. I think I'll go hoist one in memory of the best people and probably the best time I've ever had.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Sometimes It's Amazing I don't Kill Myself
It really amazes me that I don't break my fool neck sometimes. I started to put up the plastic on my bedroom window to do away with a cold draft when I'm using my computer. The first thing I noticed is that there is no way I can actually reach the far right corner. So I fuss around a bit with the dogs laying on the bed watching and trying to figure out what the hell I am doing. Finally I decide if I turn my wastebasket upside down I can stand on that and I will be able to reach the corner.
When it collapsed I was pretty lucky; I didn't hit anything on the way down, avoided falling on top of the dogs, and didn't throw my back out. Clara rewarded me with a quizzical look and a lick in my general direction. Ok. Bad idea. So I packed a crate of the fireplace logs (45 pound box) and used those to step up onto the bed. Worked fine. Of course the two sided tape fell off the bed and down behind so I couldn't get it. Eventually I got the tap up then pulled up the remaining tape, picked the fuzzy stuff off of it, and sat down to rewind it.
My vertical file was sitting on the bed. When I sat down, half the stuff in it spilled onto the floor. *sigh*. I'm waiting the requisite 15 minutes before I begin peeling the tape off. Then I will push the crate of logs back, try climbing up on the bed again, and put the plastic up. Once that's done and trimmed, I'll climb back onto the bed one final time and use the hair dryer to remove the wrinkles from the plastic, rehang the curtain, and then return the box to the game room. With any luck this will be completed easily and without any potential damage to life and limb.
When it collapsed I was pretty lucky; I didn't hit anything on the way down, avoided falling on top of the dogs, and didn't throw my back out. Clara rewarded me with a quizzical look and a lick in my general direction. Ok. Bad idea. So I packed a crate of the fireplace logs (45 pound box) and used those to step up onto the bed. Worked fine. Of course the two sided tape fell off the bed and down behind so I couldn't get it. Eventually I got the tap up then pulled up the remaining tape, picked the fuzzy stuff off of it, and sat down to rewind it.
My vertical file was sitting on the bed. When I sat down, half the stuff in it spilled onto the floor. *sigh*. I'm waiting the requisite 15 minutes before I begin peeling the tape off. Then I will push the crate of logs back, try climbing up on the bed again, and put the plastic up. Once that's done and trimmed, I'll climb back onto the bed one final time and use the hair dryer to remove the wrinkles from the plastic, rehang the curtain, and then return the box to the game room. With any luck this will be completed easily and without any potential damage to life and limb.
This really steams me
I got this electronic cleaner in the mail today. With it was a very small user manual. As I read it, I got more and more angry. Whoever wrote this has no really working knowledge of English. The stuff is laughably funny it is so badly written.
Why then am I steamed? Well, that's my profession, or it was until someone decided to outsource it to people like this who write utter comical trash and someone sends it in every single unit that is sold. I even developed a very cost-efficient way of back-sourcing such writing to real American writers while still saving a considerable amount of money for the customer. Of course it was utterly ignored.
Here is one such instruction: Fill the liquid into the tank up to 70-80% full (to such extent to allow the object pending cleaning to be fully submerged in the liquid.) First of all most of the language is redundant. It could more properly just read: Fill the tank sufficiently to ensure that what you wish to clean is fully submerged.
They refer to bubbles as "voids". They refer to "cavitations" being formed. What they mean is waves that clean what they contact.
The following is a single sentence: In the rinsing liquid, voids are repeatedly generated due to the conduction of vibration at the frequency of 45,000 cycles/sec to create the cavitations; and extremely high pressure (up to several hundreds of ATM) is produced when voids hit one another to remove contiminants attached to the object, either by attraction or stripping off, without damaging the material of the object to achieve the optimal cleaning results.
I can write better than that in my sleep on a bad night. But I can no longer find work in my field because of utter trash like this that is used to save a few dollars. This is not only disrespectful of the customer, but show almost a total contempt for anything but the almighty dollar. I wonder if anyone has tried to figure out exactly who is going to buy all these high end items (or low end ones for that matter) when the last of our living wage jobs are shipped overseas? Do we really want to turn the U.S. into a third world nation?
Why then am I steamed? Well, that's my profession, or it was until someone decided to outsource it to people like this who write utter comical trash and someone sends it in every single unit that is sold. I even developed a very cost-efficient way of back-sourcing such writing to real American writers while still saving a considerable amount of money for the customer. Of course it was utterly ignored.
Here is one such instruction: Fill the liquid into the tank up to 70-80% full (to such extent to allow the object pending cleaning to be fully submerged in the liquid.) First of all most of the language is redundant. It could more properly just read: Fill the tank sufficiently to ensure that what you wish to clean is fully submerged.
They refer to bubbles as "voids". They refer to "cavitations" being formed. What they mean is waves that clean what they contact.
The following is a single sentence: In the rinsing liquid, voids are repeatedly generated due to the conduction of vibration at the frequency of 45,000 cycles/sec to create the cavitations; and extremely high pressure (up to several hundreds of ATM) is produced when voids hit one another to remove contiminants attached to the object, either by attraction or stripping off, without damaging the material of the object to achieve the optimal cleaning results.
I can write better than that in my sleep on a bad night. But I can no longer find work in my field because of utter trash like this that is used to save a few dollars. This is not only disrespectful of the customer, but show almost a total contempt for anything but the almighty dollar. I wonder if anyone has tried to figure out exactly who is going to buy all these high end items (or low end ones for that matter) when the last of our living wage jobs are shipped overseas? Do we really want to turn the U.S. into a third world nation?
Congressional Business as Usual
Well, all the high-sounding talk about Republicans "getting" the message of the voters in the last election has proven to be nothing but a lot of hot air. It's apparently back to business as usual in D.C. There is an article in the news today saying that congress will not manage to even attempt to pass a single important bill before it adjourns for the last time. That includes the budget they have not bothered to settle on. The very best they might do is pass an interim spending authorization to keep government agencies open. That's it.
No budget. This might actually be a good thing as it would permit Democrats to strip out all the pork and garbage and perhaps send a much leaner budget to the President. That's assuming that Democrats will do that which is iffy at best.
This congress will not address the issue of border security. It will not address port security or illegal immigration as it promised. It won't pass ethics reform as it promised. It won't pass lobbying reform as it promised. The fact is, according to the story I read, it won't do much of anything it's not absolutely forced to and will adjourn early rather than stay in session right up until Christmas and actually work hard to get important legislation finished so they can prove to the voters that they really aren't just a do-nothing bunch of crooks. Then again, maybe there is a good reason for that.
No budget. This might actually be a good thing as it would permit Democrats to strip out all the pork and garbage and perhaps send a much leaner budget to the President. That's assuming that Democrats will do that which is iffy at best.
This congress will not address the issue of border security. It will not address port security or illegal immigration as it promised. It won't pass ethics reform as it promised. It won't pass lobbying reform as it promised. The fact is, according to the story I read, it won't do much of anything it's not absolutely forced to and will adjourn early rather than stay in session right up until Christmas and actually work hard to get important legislation finished so they can prove to the voters that they really aren't just a do-nothing bunch of crooks. Then again, maybe there is a good reason for that.
Monday, December 04, 2006
Interesting Juxtaposition
Josh Bolton, President Bush's Chief of Staff, has said that he can see the president making some changes in how he conducts business but that he will not "compromise his principles." Which principles are those, I wonder? His conservative principles of state's rights, fiscal responsibility, balanced budgets, lower debt, smaller, less intrusive government? His personal religious principles that dictate humbleness, compassion to those less fortunate, truthfulness, and honesty?
It seems to me that Mr. Bush has either compromised or totally tossed aside those principles from day one in the white house. Mr. Bush has also proven his willingness to work with the new congress by re-submitting the nominations of the UN Ambassador and five hotly disputed judges immediately after the election dust had settled, thus proving his unwillingness to even consider the ideas or feeling of either Democrats or members of his own party.
I shudder to think what these paper changes will be concerning the Iraq war. Another slogan change perhaps? Another presidential visit over Christmas to play santa under the tree? And what about the domestic agenda? Where is the reform of FEMA or Homeland Security so they are actually effective? What about the 9/11 Commission recommendations, Immigration reform, border security, etc. I understand that he's once again talking out of both sides of his mouth on that last issue in particular by proposing an economic union that will declare the borders nonexistent from North to South America.
I don't think that Mr. Bolton has anything to worry about with regard to Mr. Bush compromising his principles. I'm not sure that there is anything to compromise.
It seems to me that Mr. Bush has either compromised or totally tossed aside those principles from day one in the white house. Mr. Bush has also proven his willingness to work with the new congress by re-submitting the nominations of the UN Ambassador and five hotly disputed judges immediately after the election dust had settled, thus proving his unwillingness to even consider the ideas or feeling of either Democrats or members of his own party.
I shudder to think what these paper changes will be concerning the Iraq war. Another slogan change perhaps? Another presidential visit over Christmas to play santa under the tree? And what about the domestic agenda? Where is the reform of FEMA or Homeland Security so they are actually effective? What about the 9/11 Commission recommendations, Immigration reform, border security, etc. I understand that he's once again talking out of both sides of his mouth on that last issue in particular by proposing an economic union that will declare the borders nonexistent from North to South America.
I don't think that Mr. Bolton has anything to worry about with regard to Mr. Bush compromising his principles. I'm not sure that there is anything to compromise.
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Another Really Busy Day
Today is going to be very busy as far as I am concerned. We have company coming this afternoon. I have been working my butt off since yesterday cleaning and trying to make the house look good. My daughter told me on Thursday that we need to do some work to ensure that the place is clean for company. That's fine.
Thus far I have swept, mopped, cleaned the bathroom, vacuumed, dusted, cleaned the glass, cleaned the kitchen, hauled out trash and garbage, brought in extra wood for the fireplace, and done a lot of picking up and tidying up. She has.....uh....well.....gotten her nails done, bought some new jeans, and taken a couple of naps. As much as I hate to, I'm going to have to say something about the fact that we actually means both of us. I know it's just carelessness on her part, and she's got a pile on her mind right now with some pretty heavy stuff facing her come the first of January.
I really disappointed some friends today and I feel wretched about it. We have dungeon runs every Sunday in our online game. This one was particularly important to two of them, and I had to bail because of the company. Were these people just some of the drama queens my daughter generally hangs out with, I could have done the run anyway even with them here. However, this is her ex husband and his current girlfriend, both of which are friends of mine and both of whom I like and respect a very lot. I made the decision that real life had to come first in this instance, but my character is still sitting in a corner in the game out of remorse.
I do have to get my butt in gear. I need to mop the kitchen and wax it, and mop the entry yet. I also need to toss some stuff in the fridge. I try to do that once a week so that nothing is in there too long. Somewhere along the line I'll get some lunch, get showered and dressed, and figure out the mess I have with my new afghan pattern.
Thus far I have swept, mopped, cleaned the bathroom, vacuumed, dusted, cleaned the glass, cleaned the kitchen, hauled out trash and garbage, brought in extra wood for the fireplace, and done a lot of picking up and tidying up. She has.....uh....well.....gotten her nails done, bought some new jeans, and taken a couple of naps. As much as I hate to, I'm going to have to say something about the fact that we actually means both of us. I know it's just carelessness on her part, and she's got a pile on her mind right now with some pretty heavy stuff facing her come the first of January.
I really disappointed some friends today and I feel wretched about it. We have dungeon runs every Sunday in our online game. This one was particularly important to two of them, and I had to bail because of the company. Were these people just some of the drama queens my daughter generally hangs out with, I could have done the run anyway even with them here. However, this is her ex husband and his current girlfriend, both of which are friends of mine and both of whom I like and respect a very lot. I made the decision that real life had to come first in this instance, but my character is still sitting in a corner in the game out of remorse.
I do have to get my butt in gear. I need to mop the kitchen and wax it, and mop the entry yet. I also need to toss some stuff in the fridge. I try to do that once a week so that nothing is in there too long. Somewhere along the line I'll get some lunch, get showered and dressed, and figure out the mess I have with my new afghan pattern.
Saturday, December 02, 2006
The Ironies Just Keep Coming
I just read an article that has been confirmed by the Pentagon that Donald Rumsfeld had concluded that Iraq policies were failing. He apparently sent a memo to the president suggesting a new direction that included scaling back our troops there. Two or three days later Bush fired him.
This is in keeping with the other things that I've seen in recent days. The President is clinging desperately to the idiotic notion that Iraq is still winnable in a military sense. He is repeating "stay the course" in other terminology. It's like a worn out mantra. It has no significance any more in terms of credibility. But he just cannot admit that he was wrong, screwed up royally, then sat on his hands and watched all his precious delusions of statemanship degenerate into civil war. To this day he is apparently sufficiently delusional that he cannot bring himself to believe he's lost in Iraq.
So now we know the real reason Rumsfeld is gone. It wasn't as a sacrifice or because of the elections, but rather because he drew the same conclusion as the rest of us and Mr. Bush was not prepared to hear that from anyone, including Rumsfeld.
This is in keeping with the other things that I've seen in recent days. The President is clinging desperately to the idiotic notion that Iraq is still winnable in a military sense. He is repeating "stay the course" in other terminology. It's like a worn out mantra. It has no significance any more in terms of credibility. But he just cannot admit that he was wrong, screwed up royally, then sat on his hands and watched all his precious delusions of statemanship degenerate into civil war. To this day he is apparently sufficiently delusional that he cannot bring himself to believe he's lost in Iraq.
So now we know the real reason Rumsfeld is gone. It wasn't as a sacrifice or because of the elections, but rather because he drew the same conclusion as the rest of us and Mr. Bush was not prepared to hear that from anyone, including Rumsfeld.
Friday, December 01, 2006
Something I read made me stop and think
A friend of a friend recently asked if I were the type of person who insisted on always being in absolute control in relationship. That got me to thinking since it's the furthest from how I actually am that a person can get. Then it struck me; I am not even looking for a "relationship" in the sense that word is used most often. I would appreciate more friends and people to do things with and talk to, but I am not really interested in a "relationship."
I've concluded after thinking about it for a long time, that it would be unfair of me to even consider such a thing. My BS meter is on full from my marriage. I absolutely will not fight with anyone ever again over anything. Spirited discussions about various topics, yeah. Love them. A screaming match where someone tears down and stomps everything about me into the dirt then later says it was OK because he was "angry" no way. No way in hell ever again.
Somewhere along the line, after spending more years than I care to think about changing myself more often than the sheets on a cheap motel room bed, I figured out that I was never going to be good enough for anyone other than me. As one kind soul put it once, I am not pretty, I am getting old (that was some time ago), I'm heavy, I am too smart, too articulate, too educated, I make too much money, and I am not sufficiently deferential to men. That's when I realized that there isn't all that much that is actually wrong with me. Sure I have my faults as everyone does, but they're really not all that bad. I like who and what I am. I'm generous, kind-hearted, even tempered, a helluva good cook, an excellent writer, and those things that were listed as faults. So I decided to stop trying to change to meet someone else's expectations and begin working a lot more on taking care of me and meeting my own needs since nobody else is ever going to.
It's worked out well over the years. I had one slip some years back and the results of that hurt to this day, but I learned my lesson once and for all. I am who I am. While I certainly can improve and am working on that, I will do it for myself. Just as with every other person on this earth, I'm a mixture of good and not so good. I learned that the vast majority of people will judge me more by the breadth of my ass than by the depth of my soul, and that too is ok as that means they spare me the trouble of having to weed them out of my life when I discover that.
The most valuable thing I learned over the years is that basically I am a good person. Not perfect, but more good than not. I make a long term, very loyal friend. I have an excellent sense of humor. I'm bright, articulate, and dependable. I keep my promises. Ok. I don't make many promises, but I keep those I make. The negatives? Well, I tend to be extremely literal; that means that hints don't work with me. I never even hear them. I'm a bit on the stubborn side. I live inside my own head sometimes to the extent that I am oblivious to what is going on around me. I am slow to anger, but if you push hard enough and long enough to anger me I am capable of turning my back and walking away from you and closing the door forever. I say what I mean. I don't play games, and I refuse to be around people who try to manipulate me.
What this means in terms of "relationships" is that I am going to die without ever having known what it feels like to love or be loved in the romantic sense. That nearly killed me once, but I'm well over it now. I made the choice to abandon that hope and pursue those things in life I can actually achieve, and I've done fairly well at that. I still have goals I'm working toward. Some I will reach. Some I will never see. But in the end it's the striving that is almost as important as the goal anyway.
I've concluded after thinking about it for a long time, that it would be unfair of me to even consider such a thing. My BS meter is on full from my marriage. I absolutely will not fight with anyone ever again over anything. Spirited discussions about various topics, yeah. Love them. A screaming match where someone tears down and stomps everything about me into the dirt then later says it was OK because he was "angry" no way. No way in hell ever again.
Somewhere along the line, after spending more years than I care to think about changing myself more often than the sheets on a cheap motel room bed, I figured out that I was never going to be good enough for anyone other than me. As one kind soul put it once, I am not pretty, I am getting old (that was some time ago), I'm heavy, I am too smart, too articulate, too educated, I make too much money, and I am not sufficiently deferential to men. That's when I realized that there isn't all that much that is actually wrong with me. Sure I have my faults as everyone does, but they're really not all that bad. I like who and what I am. I'm generous, kind-hearted, even tempered, a helluva good cook, an excellent writer, and those things that were listed as faults. So I decided to stop trying to change to meet someone else's expectations and begin working a lot more on taking care of me and meeting my own needs since nobody else is ever going to.
It's worked out well over the years. I had one slip some years back and the results of that hurt to this day, but I learned my lesson once and for all. I am who I am. While I certainly can improve and am working on that, I will do it for myself. Just as with every other person on this earth, I'm a mixture of good and not so good. I learned that the vast majority of people will judge me more by the breadth of my ass than by the depth of my soul, and that too is ok as that means they spare me the trouble of having to weed them out of my life when I discover that.
The most valuable thing I learned over the years is that basically I am a good person. Not perfect, but more good than not. I make a long term, very loyal friend. I have an excellent sense of humor. I'm bright, articulate, and dependable. I keep my promises. Ok. I don't make many promises, but I keep those I make. The negatives? Well, I tend to be extremely literal; that means that hints don't work with me. I never even hear them. I'm a bit on the stubborn side. I live inside my own head sometimes to the extent that I am oblivious to what is going on around me. I am slow to anger, but if you push hard enough and long enough to anger me I am capable of turning my back and walking away from you and closing the door forever. I say what I mean. I don't play games, and I refuse to be around people who try to manipulate me.
What this means in terms of "relationships" is that I am going to die without ever having known what it feels like to love or be loved in the romantic sense. That nearly killed me once, but I'm well over it now. I made the choice to abandon that hope and pursue those things in life I can actually achieve, and I've done fairly well at that. I still have goals I'm working toward. Some I will reach. Some I will never see. But in the end it's the striving that is almost as important as the goal anyway.
Politically a Bad Week
Things sure seem to be sliding into the political ditch this past week. The findings of the Iraq Study Commission have not even been released and Bush is already rejecting them in favor of "stay the course." Apparently this is because the commission has come to the same conclusion as the generals on the ground and the rest of the world in general--there can be no "victory" in Iraq. Some of the talking heads are saying that this is just a bit of presidential chest beating before he concedes (never officially of course) that we are going to have to begin pulling out our troops.
The Iraq government teeters on the edge of collapse as Al-Sadr pitches a temper tantrum over Maliki agreeing to meet with Bush. I'm not sure how anyone will tell the difference. Maliki has also tried flexing what little muscle he has by snubbing Bush and King Abdullah of Jordan. The most telling thing he said has left the president sputtering. He claimed that the U.S. will be out of Iraq by June. Bush always said the Iraq government was sovereign and made its own decisions, but apparently this one will not be allowed to stand.
Then Newt Gingrich, who really should know better, comes out with a proposal to censor free speech on the Internet. Gingrich isn't nearly as dumb as Bush yet in this single speech he brought himself down to the same abysmal level. What is it about the constitution that these men do not understand?
So all in all it's been a politically bad week. Nobody is paying any attention to Bush's chest beating and posturing. The pundits are saying he's lying to us again about what will ultimately happen. It's a real mess. I'm not sure if Bush is just delusional and actually believes all this crap he spouts or if he is just too stubborn and arrogant to admit he's made a mistake then take adequate steps to fix the mess he made.
The Iraq government teeters on the edge of collapse as Al-Sadr pitches a temper tantrum over Maliki agreeing to meet with Bush. I'm not sure how anyone will tell the difference. Maliki has also tried flexing what little muscle he has by snubbing Bush and King Abdullah of Jordan. The most telling thing he said has left the president sputtering. He claimed that the U.S. will be out of Iraq by June. Bush always said the Iraq government was sovereign and made its own decisions, but apparently this one will not be allowed to stand.
Then Newt Gingrich, who really should know better, comes out with a proposal to censor free speech on the Internet. Gingrich isn't nearly as dumb as Bush yet in this single speech he brought himself down to the same abysmal level. What is it about the constitution that these men do not understand?
So all in all it's been a politically bad week. Nobody is paying any attention to Bush's chest beating and posturing. The pundits are saying he's lying to us again about what will ultimately happen. It's a real mess. I'm not sure if Bush is just delusional and actually believes all this crap he spouts or if he is just too stubborn and arrogant to admit he's made a mistake then take adequate steps to fix the mess he made.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Another Failed Promise
Today I heard that our President is breaking yet another promise to the American people. Just a few weeks ago right after the midterms he promised to listen to and consider the recommendations of the Iraq Study Commission when they are released on Dec. 6. Today he said he will not consider any of them unless they echo his current failed policy there. So much for the value of a presidential promise.
Bush maintains that he will allow only total victory in a situation where his commanders have told him point-blank that such a victory is impossible. Why is it impossible? Mostly because of the incredible level of bungling on the part of both Mr. Bush and the members of his administration. He knew even before he picked this war, that he was committing insufficient troops. The first Mr. Bush used 500,000 troops merely to drive Saddam out of Kuwait with no intention of toppling him from power and attempting to pacify the country. Why then did the second Mr. Bush think he could do three times as much with about half the troops?
The problem is that the current Mr. Bush is totally out of touch with reality. He truly believed and still believes it possible to establish a stable democracy in the region. When things started going wrong almost immediately (the violence and looting) he ignored it. When the insurgency began he ignored it. When the sectarian violence started he ignored it. He ignored every time there was a chance to actually make a step toward his stated goal. He stuck his fingers in his ears and screamed "stay the course" to drown out the cries of the dying and the wailing of their survivors.
Now he's done it once again. He's closed the door to possibly the only solution left to us, yet he's equally unwilling to do anything that might make the situation in Iraq any better. By doing so I fear he's opened wide the door to the spectacle of another Saigon with out people leaving in disorder and leaving the country to fall into the hands of radicals and extremists.
Bush maintains that he will allow only total victory in a situation where his commanders have told him point-blank that such a victory is impossible. Why is it impossible? Mostly because of the incredible level of bungling on the part of both Mr. Bush and the members of his administration. He knew even before he picked this war, that he was committing insufficient troops. The first Mr. Bush used 500,000 troops merely to drive Saddam out of Kuwait with no intention of toppling him from power and attempting to pacify the country. Why then did the second Mr. Bush think he could do three times as much with about half the troops?
The problem is that the current Mr. Bush is totally out of touch with reality. He truly believed and still believes it possible to establish a stable democracy in the region. When things started going wrong almost immediately (the violence and looting) he ignored it. When the insurgency began he ignored it. When the sectarian violence started he ignored it. He ignored every time there was a chance to actually make a step toward his stated goal. He stuck his fingers in his ears and screamed "stay the course" to drown out the cries of the dying and the wailing of their survivors.
Now he's done it once again. He's closed the door to possibly the only solution left to us, yet he's equally unwilling to do anything that might make the situation in Iraq any better. By doing so I fear he's opened wide the door to the spectacle of another Saigon with out people leaving in disorder and leaving the country to fall into the hands of radicals and extremists.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Christmas Shopping
There is little I hate more than Christmas shopping. Bah! Humbug! That being said, I am proud to announce that probably 75% of mine is done already. I have five more gifts to buy. One for my granddaughter, one for my sister, one for my daughter's ex and his girlfriend, and one for my daughter's ex's sister.
My sister and the ex's sister will receive gift cards of some sort. One because she is notoriously hard to buy for and the other because she has a severely handicapped child at home and it's easier for her. The gifts for the ex and girlfriend and my granddaughter will be shared gifts with my daughter since we're cutting corners and we can get a nicer gift that way.
I feel proud of myself as I just got that all done this morning. I deserve a piece of pumpkin pie for breakfast as a reward.
My sister and the ex's sister will receive gift cards of some sort. One because she is notoriously hard to buy for and the other because she has a severely handicapped child at home and it's easier for her. The gifts for the ex and girlfriend and my granddaughter will be shared gifts with my daughter since we're cutting corners and we can get a nicer gift that way.
I feel proud of myself as I just got that all done this morning. I deserve a piece of pumpkin pie for breakfast as a reward.
Commander in Chief
I've been watching the Republicans scramble since the midterms, especially over the issue of Iraq. The current administration got us into this mess and apparently have absolutely no plan to get us out other than changing slogans from time to time.
You notice I said they have no plan to get us out. It would seem to me that would bother a lot of people, including Republicans. Even the military commanders on the ground over there have admitted they are not winning and have proposed three alternatives, without too many details, none of which involve actually winning.
You would think in the face of all of this that the neocons out here in reality land would finally begin to question the President's wisdom and even intelligence in this war. But what do they do? They attack the Democrats and start screaming that the Democrats don't have a plan to win in Iraq. Well guess what folks? The Democrats don't even take power until January and when they do, guess who will still be the Commander in Chief and making all of the decisions regarding the handling of the war in Iraq? It ain't going to be a Democrat. At best Democrats can give advice.
So when your favorite neocon starts whining about the Democratic plan to win Iraq, remind him or her of two things: Only George W. Bush can develop a plan to get us out of Iraq and only George W. Bush can implement such a plan. Then remind them that they didn't lose the election just because of Bush's war. They also lost because of the corruption, the scandals, and because they accomplished absolutely nothing of significance legislatively for six years, and suggest that maybe they should notice that the finger they are pointing have three more directed back at them.
Do not let them get you defensive. The party hierarchy should start hammering this point home immediately. It was Bush's war before the election and it will remain Bush's war after.
You notice I said they have no plan to get us out. It would seem to me that would bother a lot of people, including Republicans. Even the military commanders on the ground over there have admitted they are not winning and have proposed three alternatives, without too many details, none of which involve actually winning.
You would think in the face of all of this that the neocons out here in reality land would finally begin to question the President's wisdom and even intelligence in this war. But what do they do? They attack the Democrats and start screaming that the Democrats don't have a plan to win in Iraq. Well guess what folks? The Democrats don't even take power until January and when they do, guess who will still be the Commander in Chief and making all of the decisions regarding the handling of the war in Iraq? It ain't going to be a Democrat. At best Democrats can give advice.
So when your favorite neocon starts whining about the Democratic plan to win Iraq, remind him or her of two things: Only George W. Bush can develop a plan to get us out of Iraq and only George W. Bush can implement such a plan. Then remind them that they didn't lose the election just because of Bush's war. They also lost because of the corruption, the scandals, and because they accomplished absolutely nothing of significance legislatively for six years, and suggest that maybe they should notice that the finger they are pointing have three more directed back at them.
Do not let them get you defensive. The party hierarchy should start hammering this point home immediately. It was Bush's war before the election and it will remain Bush's war after.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Thanksgiving Eve
Thanksgiving has always been a much larger holiday in my house than Christmas for a lot of reasons I won't go into here. Tonight is Thanksgiving eve. My daughter arrived home from work early. Together we had gathered the necessary piles of food for the holiday.
We have lots of little things we do on Thanksgiving eve. We bake pies and we share champagne in special etched glasses that are used for no other purpose than for she and I to drink a toast or two to the holidays. We cook the eggs for the stuffing and the deviled eggs. We chop veggies for the stuffing in the morning, cook the giblets, and make the jello salad.
Tonight we watched March of the Penguins together. At the end of the movie we shared a piece of freshly made pumpkin pie before going to bed.
Tomorrow we will make stuffing, cook two kinds of potatoes, stuff celery, make relish trays, and put together a big meal fit for an army. Some friends who have nowhere to go for the holiday will share the meal with us. Susan will send pies to her ex and his girlfriend, and his sister and her family (don't ask. My family is nothing if not complicated). And we'll enjoy our time together.
The next few weeks will be very stressful and we're facing some hard times, but we'll make it through. For now it is Thanksgiving eve, it's late, and I'm heading to bed. I wish everyone a great holiday. Tomorrow I'll deal with having as a guest a 6' tall male crossdresser and his whatever. That should be infinitely interesting. As I said, life is sometimes quite interesting and unusual around here.
We have lots of little things we do on Thanksgiving eve. We bake pies and we share champagne in special etched glasses that are used for no other purpose than for she and I to drink a toast or two to the holidays. We cook the eggs for the stuffing and the deviled eggs. We chop veggies for the stuffing in the morning, cook the giblets, and make the jello salad.
Tonight we watched March of the Penguins together. At the end of the movie we shared a piece of freshly made pumpkin pie before going to bed.
Tomorrow we will make stuffing, cook two kinds of potatoes, stuff celery, make relish trays, and put together a big meal fit for an army. Some friends who have nowhere to go for the holiday will share the meal with us. Susan will send pies to her ex and his girlfriend, and his sister and her family (don't ask. My family is nothing if not complicated). And we'll enjoy our time together.
The next few weeks will be very stressful and we're facing some hard times, but we'll make it through. For now it is Thanksgiving eve, it's late, and I'm heading to bed. I wish everyone a great holiday. Tomorrow I'll deal with having as a guest a 6' tall male crossdresser and his whatever. That should be infinitely interesting. As I said, life is sometimes quite interesting and unusual around here.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
We'll See
I have taken a step today I may live to regret. Then again, maybe not. Years ago I was very politically active, working on campaigns (both parties), and doing a lot of things to get candidates of my choice elected. I did press stuff for a recall campaign that recalled 5 members of a 9 member city council, meeting with other plotters in a sort of seedy waterfront bar to get the information for the initial press release, etc. Was great fun.
Then my ex got home from Vietnam all screwed up and one of the things I had to drop was any political involvement because of his behavior. He would make my life so miserable if I tried to do things that made me happy that eventually I quit. I tried going back many years later, and actually did work a successful campaign for a U.S. Senator. But I didn't follow up.
A couple of days ago I got a note from the Democratic National Committee about a new website for volunteers they have set up to keep their grassroots momentum going for the next two years. After thinking about it for a few days and visiting the site a couple of times, I decided to sign up. I told them what I do and do not like doing, so I won't be asked to work phone banks which I loathe passionately. It's Sunday so I'll see if I get a response. They claim I will.
They also have blogs, groups, etc. so that will give me yet another place to be opinionated. This is a good thing.
Then my ex got home from Vietnam all screwed up and one of the things I had to drop was any political involvement because of his behavior. He would make my life so miserable if I tried to do things that made me happy that eventually I quit. I tried going back many years later, and actually did work a successful campaign for a U.S. Senator. But I didn't follow up.
A couple of days ago I got a note from the Democratic National Committee about a new website for volunteers they have set up to keep their grassroots momentum going for the next two years. After thinking about it for a few days and visiting the site a couple of times, I decided to sign up. I told them what I do and do not like doing, so I won't be asked to work phone banks which I loathe passionately. It's Sunday so I'll see if I get a response. They claim I will.
They also have blogs, groups, etc. so that will give me yet another place to be opinionated. This is a good thing.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Dreary Day
It has been an absolutely do-nothing day today. I awoke around 3:00 and was up an hour or so before I got tired enough to go back to sleep. I was up again before 7:00. No dog this morning; this is a good thing.
The weather is dreary and nasty. It's been storming all day. High winds and copious amounts of rain. I don't even have the ambition to play my games or write or do anything. I didn't even do my laundry which desperately needs to be done. I will definitely do it tomorrow.
This afternoon it was cold and my feet were freezing. I couldn't build a fire. There was little wood in the house and no starter logs. So it was cold on top of being damp and drippy. Finally the lack of sleep caught up and I pulled on an extra sweater and my gloves, then put my afghan over my legs and chest. I was asleep in minutes. I only slept maybe 45 minutes, but it helped a lot. I woke up very warm and cozy. I really hated to move.
I guess I'll dig in my drawers and see if I can find some socks. I'll never get to sleep tonight if my feet are this cold.
The weather is dreary and nasty. It's been storming all day. High winds and copious amounts of rain. I don't even have the ambition to play my games or write or do anything. I didn't even do my laundry which desperately needs to be done. I will definitely do it tomorrow.
This afternoon it was cold and my feet were freezing. I couldn't build a fire. There was little wood in the house and no starter logs. So it was cold on top of being damp and drippy. Finally the lack of sleep caught up and I pulled on an extra sweater and my gloves, then put my afghan over my legs and chest. I was asleep in minutes. I only slept maybe 45 minutes, but it helped a lot. I woke up very warm and cozy. I really hated to move.
I guess I'll dig in my drawers and see if I can find some socks. I'll never get to sleep tonight if my feet are this cold.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
I have Insurance
Well ok. I don't yet but I will soon. The first of December to be precise. I got the card in the mail today indicating I have been accepted for the supplemental Medicare plan I chose.
As soon as I am eligible I will locate the nearest clinic and make an appointment to have my two most annoying problems taken care of, if possible. The first will remain between me and my doctor as it's embarassing to admit to, but I understand there is a prescription drug that can stop the problem.
The second is my sleeplessness. I haven't slept through an entire night for close to 20 years. There is a new sleeping pill that doesn't carry a caveat of a risk of dependency. That's all I would need, to find something that worked then discover I could never get off if it. I understand that rebound insomnia is a really difficult thing to deal with. I'm sure I would have less depression and more energy if I were ever truly rested. On the very rare occasions I do sleep and only wake up three or four times in a night I know I feel a lot better. I can just imagine how sleeping 6-8 straight hours would feel.
So I'm psyched. I also got dental insurance which will permit me to get my teeth relined. If I do it in December, then I immediately have the entire years funding when Jan 1 arrives. My teeth definitely need to be relined.
I've been nervous thinking that after all the research and everything that I would be turned down for this coverage. I'm glad I have it. I suppose I'll be getting some sort of membership package in the next couple of weeks. And this coverage also includes prescription drugs, glasses, and a membership in the local YMCA as part of the package. That's more health coverage than I have had in literally 10 years.
As soon as I am eligible I will locate the nearest clinic and make an appointment to have my two most annoying problems taken care of, if possible. The first will remain between me and my doctor as it's embarassing to admit to, but I understand there is a prescription drug that can stop the problem.
The second is my sleeplessness. I haven't slept through an entire night for close to 20 years. There is a new sleeping pill that doesn't carry a caveat of a risk of dependency. That's all I would need, to find something that worked then discover I could never get off if it. I understand that rebound insomnia is a really difficult thing to deal with. I'm sure I would have less depression and more energy if I were ever truly rested. On the very rare occasions I do sleep and only wake up three or four times in a night I know I feel a lot better. I can just imagine how sleeping 6-8 straight hours would feel.
So I'm psyched. I also got dental insurance which will permit me to get my teeth relined. If I do it in December, then I immediately have the entire years funding when Jan 1 arrives. My teeth definitely need to be relined.
I've been nervous thinking that after all the research and everything that I would be turned down for this coverage. I'm glad I have it. I suppose I'll be getting some sort of membership package in the next couple of weeks. And this coverage also includes prescription drugs, glasses, and a membership in the local YMCA as part of the package. That's more health coverage than I have had in literally 10 years.
Monday, November 13, 2006
Random Ramblings
These are just random thoughts on a cold, wet, windy day. I'm really bored, yet I actually have more things to do than I can possibly get done at any given time.
I have finished my planning for Christmas. I know who I am giving what. The quilt I am making for my son and his wife won't be done by Christmas, of course. I'll send them each a small present with a picture of the quilt attached to it so they can see what they are getting. Works for me.
It's probably not going to be a very merry Christmas this year. My daughter's divorce will be final and she's got some personal problems that may mean she won't be home for the holiday. Unfortunately nobody but me and one or two very close friends know of this and I cannot talk about it at her request.
My feet are cold, but that will change soon as I get ready for bed and crawl between my nice warm flannel sheets. I do need to wash my down comforter though. The dogs have left footprints all over it. The weather has been miserable for a couple of weeks, though it barely rained today.
I just learned that my favorite conveniently located grocery store is going out of business in a couple of weeks. *sigh* I will miss the quality. Albertsons just doesn't cut it.
Tomorrow I plan to get the rest of my housework done, do my laundry, wash the comforter, then dig out a jigsaw puzzle and start working it on the dining room table. I will also finish a book I've been reading and get more writing done. I always have more books to read, a quilt to work on, and an afghan that I am knitting. It's always something. I may toss some Posole together in the crock pot first thing in the morning and let it simmer all day for supper tomorrow night.
I am craving something sweet. And it's really time for bed.
I have finished my planning for Christmas. I know who I am giving what. The quilt I am making for my son and his wife won't be done by Christmas, of course. I'll send them each a small present with a picture of the quilt attached to it so they can see what they are getting. Works for me.
It's probably not going to be a very merry Christmas this year. My daughter's divorce will be final and she's got some personal problems that may mean she won't be home for the holiday. Unfortunately nobody but me and one or two very close friends know of this and I cannot talk about it at her request.
My feet are cold, but that will change soon as I get ready for bed and crawl between my nice warm flannel sheets. I do need to wash my down comforter though. The dogs have left footprints all over it. The weather has been miserable for a couple of weeks, though it barely rained today.
I just learned that my favorite conveniently located grocery store is going out of business in a couple of weeks. *sigh* I will miss the quality. Albertsons just doesn't cut it.
Tomorrow I plan to get the rest of my housework done, do my laundry, wash the comforter, then dig out a jigsaw puzzle and start working it on the dining room table. I will also finish a book I've been reading and get more writing done. I always have more books to read, a quilt to work on, and an afghan that I am knitting. It's always something. I may toss some Posole together in the crock pot first thing in the morning and let it simmer all day for supper tomorrow night.
I am craving something sweet. And it's really time for bed.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
I m probably imagining things
I know it is probably all coincidence, but a few months ago I sent the DNC a letter containing the piece I posted here of advice on what to do if they won the election. Naturally they did not even acknowlege getting it, but it's amazing that they have apparently implemented every single I suggested.
I fully realize that most of what I said was purely common sense. Still, today Nancy Pelosi announced a list of things Republicans had excluded Democrats from in the House and vowed to include them as much as possible now that Democrats have power. That was one of my suggestions. I suggested they muzzle Howard Dean until he could be a bit more temperate in how he spoke. He was hardly seen during the election. Others spoke for the Democrats. I suggested they make a list of a few essential things they intended to accomplish, then work across the aisle to make them happen. They've done that. I suggested that they absolutely not get tied up in an impeachment effort; Pelosi has said they will not. I suggested several other things, a total of ten in all, and every one of them has been implemented.
The reason I know it just has to be common sense rather than them paying attention to me is that if they truly were using my ideas, they would have contacted me by now to at least thank me for the advice. I offered it freely but I would have been so totally excited had someone acknowledged it and said thank you. Everyone likes to believe their ideas have merit. I guess I'm no different in that.
I fully realize that most of what I said was purely common sense. Still, today Nancy Pelosi announced a list of things Republicans had excluded Democrats from in the House and vowed to include them as much as possible now that Democrats have power. That was one of my suggestions. I suggested they muzzle Howard Dean until he could be a bit more temperate in how he spoke. He was hardly seen during the election. Others spoke for the Democrats. I suggested they make a list of a few essential things they intended to accomplish, then work across the aisle to make them happen. They've done that. I suggested that they absolutely not get tied up in an impeachment effort; Pelosi has said they will not. I suggested several other things, a total of ten in all, and every one of them has been implemented.
The reason I know it just has to be common sense rather than them paying attention to me is that if they truly were using my ideas, they would have contacted me by now to at least thank me for the advice. I offered it freely but I would have been so totally excited had someone acknowledged it and said thank you. Everyone likes to believe their ideas have merit. I guess I'm no different in that.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Interesting Events
Last night's election was a real eye opener to those on Capitol Hill who arrogantly assumed that the average voter could be scared out of their outrage at the way things are going and scared into voting Republican.
They were wrong. As it now stands the House is firmly in the hands of Democrats even with nine races still outstanding. Of those, one will probably go Republican, three Democrat, and four are just too close to call. One, Louisiana, had so many candidates that it will require a runoff. That one will probably go Democratic as well.
Senate control hovers on a knifeblade. One seat in Virginia which is now undergoing a recount and which is leaning Democratic. If that one tips Democratic, Democrats will control all the chairmanships in the Senate.
What I found more interesting is the reactions from all concerned. Bush is clearly furious and confused. His press conference was all but painful to watch. He accepted Rumsfeld's resignation, which is a good thing, but proved he lied last week when he said he would keep the man until the end of his term. He is now talking concilliation and cooperation, but it's clear that neither appeal to him very much. I believe he has gotten the message but that he got it from his own party.
John McCain just held a news conference, and he's clearly speaking for the majority of Republicans at the moment when he says the war must take a new direction, and that if that means more troops to quell the insurgency and the militias then that is what it will mean. He also pointed out that 19 of the seats that changed hands in the House yesterday did so because of corruption and other scandals. He says he believes Republicans have got to get their act together and return to the basics of Republican philosophy which includes reduced spending, less government, and other core principles. He's clearly chastened and scared for the Senate as well.
Perhaps more surprising though is the tone of the Democrats. It's as if they realize that if they get cocky and stupid then they are in major trouble. They have only two years to pull this all together and make it work. That's not a long time.
It may be enough, however, if they realize that Republicans can only be just so obstructionist without further infuriating voters who are sick of the lot of them at the moment. This is the message I hoped voters would send in this election. Shape up, get back to the people's business, or else. Let's hope it sticks well enough to produce results. Politicians have notoriously short memories.
They were wrong. As it now stands the House is firmly in the hands of Democrats even with nine races still outstanding. Of those, one will probably go Republican, three Democrat, and four are just too close to call. One, Louisiana, had so many candidates that it will require a runoff. That one will probably go Democratic as well.
Senate control hovers on a knifeblade. One seat in Virginia which is now undergoing a recount and which is leaning Democratic. If that one tips Democratic, Democrats will control all the chairmanships in the Senate.
What I found more interesting is the reactions from all concerned. Bush is clearly furious and confused. His press conference was all but painful to watch. He accepted Rumsfeld's resignation, which is a good thing, but proved he lied last week when he said he would keep the man until the end of his term. He is now talking concilliation and cooperation, but it's clear that neither appeal to him very much. I believe he has gotten the message but that he got it from his own party.
John McCain just held a news conference, and he's clearly speaking for the majority of Republicans at the moment when he says the war must take a new direction, and that if that means more troops to quell the insurgency and the militias then that is what it will mean. He also pointed out that 19 of the seats that changed hands in the House yesterday did so because of corruption and other scandals. He says he believes Republicans have got to get their act together and return to the basics of Republican philosophy which includes reduced spending, less government, and other core principles. He's clearly chastened and scared for the Senate as well.
Perhaps more surprising though is the tone of the Democrats. It's as if they realize that if they get cocky and stupid then they are in major trouble. They have only two years to pull this all together and make it work. That's not a long time.
It may be enough, however, if they realize that Republicans can only be just so obstructionist without further infuriating voters who are sick of the lot of them at the moment. This is the message I hoped voters would send in this election. Shape up, get back to the people's business, or else. Let's hope it sticks well enough to produce results. Politicians have notoriously short memories.
Monday, November 06, 2006
Bush Caught Lying Yet Again
Honestly, the man has such a problem with telling the truth. This time it has to do with his avowal that if elected Democrats will raise taxes. He is the President. He is the only one who can sign a tax bill into law. Exactly how will the Democrats raise taxes? At best they will take the House tomorrow and by far less than a 60% majority. They probably won't take the Senate.
What this means is that in order to raise taxes, Democrats will have to pass a tax bill through both houses, one of which they do not control, and then persuade the president to sign the bill or override his veto, neither of which they will have the votes to do.
Bottom line? The threat of increased taxes is a political lie, pure and simple unless Bush is planning to raise taxes himself. There's no other way a tax bill can get passed and signed into law.
What this means is that in order to raise taxes, Democrats will have to pass a tax bill through both houses, one of which they do not control, and then persuade the president to sign the bill or override his veto, neither of which they will have the votes to do.
Bottom line? The threat of increased taxes is a political lie, pure and simple unless Bush is planning to raise taxes himself. There's no other way a tax bill can get passed and signed into law.
I have been tagged
I'm not sure what it means entirely, but I will at least try to keep it going to the best of my ability. Here are the rules:
1) Name the person who tagged you
2) 8 things about you
3) Tag 6 people.
Sewmouse tagged me.
1. I've never been in love. Don't expect ever to be at this point and would run like hell if I thought it might happen.
2. I am a good writer, but don't seem to have the impetus to get things finished. I get hung up then don't write.
3. I have not slept through an entire night in about 20 years. Not one night. Not even after surgery. I've even been drugged in the hospital and still was awake a few hours later.
4. I've been fighting chronic depression for most of my life.
5. I always have at least two craft projects going at any one time. Generally it's a quilt, and one other thing. Right now it's a knitted afghan that fascinates me because it's entirely double sided yet is knitted on the same set of needles and each side comes out right.
6. I'm retired now, but not from choice. After my last job I was unable to ever find another one and chose to retire so I would have an income. I'll be 65 in another month and a half.
7. I live with my daughter. It has worked out ok most of the time, though I could certainly do without a lot of the high drama that goes on around here.
8. I was born in Alaska, and have visited all of the states but New England. I have also visited Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, England, and Germany. I love to travel and were I rich I would be on the go constantly. Well, that's not entirely true. I love visiting new places. I actually hate to travel. I need a teleporter.
I'm adding a fact #9. I don't know six other people to tag.
1) Name the person who tagged you
2) 8 things about you
3) Tag 6 people.
Sewmouse tagged me.
1. I've never been in love. Don't expect ever to be at this point and would run like hell if I thought it might happen.
2. I am a good writer, but don't seem to have the impetus to get things finished. I get hung up then don't write.
3. I have not slept through an entire night in about 20 years. Not one night. Not even after surgery. I've even been drugged in the hospital and still was awake a few hours later.
4. I've been fighting chronic depression for most of my life.
5. I always have at least two craft projects going at any one time. Generally it's a quilt, and one other thing. Right now it's a knitted afghan that fascinates me because it's entirely double sided yet is knitted on the same set of needles and each side comes out right.
6. I'm retired now, but not from choice. After my last job I was unable to ever find another one and chose to retire so I would have an income. I'll be 65 in another month and a half.
7. I live with my daughter. It has worked out ok most of the time, though I could certainly do without a lot of the high drama that goes on around here.
8. I was born in Alaska, and have visited all of the states but New England. I have also visited Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, England, and Germany. I love to travel and were I rich I would be on the go constantly. Well, that's not entirely true. I love visiting new places. I actually hate to travel. I need a teleporter.
I'm adding a fact #9. I don't know six other people to tag.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
A Closer Look at the Bush Tax Cuts
This election year about all Republicans have to boast about seems to be Bush’s tax cuts. They pin all of the economic growth and job creation on these cuts. Democrats, on the other hand, point out that the cuts are unfairly weighted to benefit the top 1% or so of taxpayers, who are receiving 300% of the tax savings as are average middle class taxpayer. This is a percentage not a dollar amount. It means that rich people are getting three times the percentage of tax cut as is the middle class, not just that they pay more taxes. A fair tax cut is the same percentage across the board regardless of how much you earn. This intrigued me, so I went looking for facts. This is what I found. My sources are listed at the bottom of this essay.
Citizens for Tax Justice and the Children’s Defense Fund point out that over the ten-year life of the Bush tax cut (remember congress always intended the cuts to be a temporary boost to the economy) the top 1% of taxpayers will realize nearly half a trillion dollars ($477 billion) in tax savings. This cut is designed so that the very top tax payers receive progressively larger cuts each year until 2011 when the law expires. The first year of the cuts the amount averaged about $12,000 per taxpayer.
By contrast, 75% of families and individuals making less than $73,000 a year (and that’s most of us) received ¾ of all the cuts they will receive in the first year, and those averaged about 350 per taxpayer.
The writers conclude that making the current cuts permanent will reduce Federal revenues by $1.7 trillion through 2014, a figure that includes the added interest on the national debt. They also project added budget deficits of $20 trillion across that time with no clear material benefit to the average middle class taxpayer. The Brookings institution estimates that this would amount to about 1.8% of the GDP.
A second negative is that because of these factors, an additional 44 million people would see their tax bill grow appreciably when they became subject to the Alterative Minimum Tax (AMT) by 2014.
More telling, the Congressional Budget Office estimates the cost of making the costs permanent at $1.6 trillion over ten years. However, people at the Office of Management and Budget point out a buried clause in the budget that hides more than another trillion dollars in lost revenue.
The explanation of why this is so is complicated. At the time these tax cuts went into effect (Bush wanted them to be permanent), Bush also attempted to make a change in bookkeeping methods that would effectively remove the true costs of the cuts from the main budget. In the words of a Washington Post writer this means that “If you tell Congress the cost of making those tax cuts permanent lawmakers might have second thoughts about doing it.” In 2004, 2005, and again this year, Republicans have submitted legislation to make this bookkeeping change. It has been voted down each time.
Another thing the administration lauds publicly is that its tax cuts have resulted in significant job growth. According to a watchdog group called Jobwatch, however, it is increased Federal spending and not tax cuts that have created the bulk of jobs created over the past five years. They point out that if the tax cuts were responsible for job growth, then the bulk of the new jobs would have been created in the private sector with its own funding.
The Department of Defense estimates that since 2001 it has added 1.495 million jobs to the private sector through its own spending. Another 1.325 million jobs were added through increases in non-defense discretionary spending, for a total of 2.2 million new jobs directly attributable to increased government spending, not private enterprise. This does not include jobs created by increases in mandatory government spending and I could find no figures to account for these.
Monthly job growth since 2003 has been approximately 50% of that during the previous administration and real wages are lower by 22 cents an hour since June of 2003. Since March 2001, the
Since November of 2001 the economy has added 1,93,000 jobs in education and health services, and another 1,087,000 in the hospitality industry. These jobs in general pay appreciably less than the jobs we’ve lost. These figures would be appreciably different if the Bush administration had succeeded in a change it proposed to job reporting rules that would have allowed them to mask the enormous decrease in manufacturing jobs by re-classifying burger flipping and other restaurant jobs as manufacturing jobs.
The bottom line is that the Bush tax cut are nowhere as clearly beneficial as Republicans would have us believe, nor are they producing the number of new jobs we have been told once you factor out those jobs created by profligate government spending. The facts certainly open the door to discussion. I would urge people to read the information and to search out more information on their own.
Sources:
http://www.ctj.org/html/gwb0602.htm
http://www.brook.edu/views/op-ed/gale/20040121taxcuts.htm
http://www.brook.edu/comm/policybriefs/pb101.htm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/17/AR2006021701848.html
Monday, October 30, 2006
Bush on the Campaign Trail
With the midterm elections only a week away, I've seen daily reports of the President on the campaign trail for this candidate or that candidate. He gives campaign speeches, etc. all over the country, at taxpayer expense of course.
The thought struck me today that when he was elected President, he became the President of the United States, not the President of the Republican Party. Regardless of his party affiliation, George Bush is the president of all Americans. As such he represents us all and has absolutely no business campaigning for anyone for any reason.
Why is the President allowed to campaign against the wishes of at least half of his electorate....the people he purports to represent? He should remain in D.C. and keep out of the races. They are none of his business but are rather the will of the people in action. By making partisan appearances and taking partisan positions, he undermines the very notion of a President for all the people of the country.
The thought struck me today that when he was elected President, he became the President of the United States, not the President of the Republican Party. Regardless of his party affiliation, George Bush is the president of all Americans. As such he represents us all and has absolutely no business campaigning for anyone for any reason.
Why is the President allowed to campaign against the wishes of at least half of his electorate....the people he purports to represent? He should remain in D.C. and keep out of the races. They are none of his business but are rather the will of the people in action. By making partisan appearances and taking partisan positions, he undermines the very notion of a President for all the people of the country.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Negative Campaign Ads
I am so sick and tired of negative campaign ads. You would think that people running for office would want the voters to know their record, what they would try to do if elected, etc. Instead we get an almost endless supply of extremely negative attack ads which often have little more than the merest shred of truth in them. I truly question the intelligence of anyone who would let their opinion of a candidate be swayed by an advertisement by someone with a vested interest in making the other person look bad.
I see ads calling an opponent "the biggest spender in Congress" as if one person decides and spends money there. I see ads infering that a black politician is consorting with white prostitutes to play the race card in a southern state. I see ads in which the scenes in one candidate's novel are portrayed as his opinion of women in real life. I see national ads that portray one party's position as being nothing that is related to what that party actually is saying.
These ads have been getting worse and worse over the years. I would love to see the voters entirely reject any candidate who dares to run one. Tell me what your positions are. Tell me how they differ from those of your opponent (and be honest about your opponent's position). Tell me what you will try to do in congress, what committees you'd like to serve on, what your special interests are. Don't do dirty attacks on your opponent because you're not winning. Reach me through intelligent discourse, not though mud-slinging.
I see ads calling an opponent "the biggest spender in Congress" as if one person decides and spends money there. I see ads infering that a black politician is consorting with white prostitutes to play the race card in a southern state. I see ads in which the scenes in one candidate's novel are portrayed as his opinion of women in real life. I see national ads that portray one party's position as being nothing that is related to what that party actually is saying.
These ads have been getting worse and worse over the years. I would love to see the voters entirely reject any candidate who dares to run one. Tell me what your positions are. Tell me how they differ from those of your opponent (and be honest about your opponent's position). Tell me what you will try to do in congress, what committees you'd like to serve on, what your special interests are. Don't do dirty attacks on your opponent because you're not winning. Reach me through intelligent discourse, not though mud-slinging.
Saturday, October 28, 2006
The Busy Season
My busy season has already started. I am frantically trying to finish an afghan for my daughter's birthday in about two weeks. I'm making good progress by keeping myself to a strict production schedule that eats up to two hours a day. I should be able to finish it in plenty of time. The problem is that I can only work on it when she is not in the house so I keep a second project going at the same time.
The second project is a quilt for my son and his wife for Christmas. Of course it's not going to be finished by Christmas, but it should be far enough along for me to be able to send them a nice picture and a promise. It will be done in early Spring at latest. I have two of the thirty squares already finished. I love quilting and keep one going at all times. When this is done, I have two more, and four wall hangings to do.
Sometime this upcoming week I will get a kit for a beautiful blue knitted afghan. It has a snowflake design. It's reversible, so that will be pretty. It's going to be for my daughter's girlfriend. I will have to push hard to get it done in the five or six weeks I'll have to do it. I'll figure out what I have to finish in what time frame to make it happen so we'll see.
Because of all of this, my time for games and other things is restricted. I have not been writing much, though I have to get that to change. I am going to start (again) trying to write for an hour every morning as soon as I am up. That seems to work better than some other things.
For now, however, I'll chug along happily with my various projects and see where it gets me. I have one afghan square finished already this morning, and if Susan comes home soon (not very likely) I will still have this evening while she is out to do the other one. I only have to get two a day finished to hit my deadline. I have five done now and will have one more today. That leaves 11 more of this color. The other 18 are already finished.
The second project is a quilt for my son and his wife for Christmas. Of course it's not going to be finished by Christmas, but it should be far enough along for me to be able to send them a nice picture and a promise. It will be done in early Spring at latest. I have two of the thirty squares already finished. I love quilting and keep one going at all times. When this is done, I have two more, and four wall hangings to do.
Sometime this upcoming week I will get a kit for a beautiful blue knitted afghan. It has a snowflake design. It's reversible, so that will be pretty. It's going to be for my daughter's girlfriend. I will have to push hard to get it done in the five or six weeks I'll have to do it. I'll figure out what I have to finish in what time frame to make it happen so we'll see.
Because of all of this, my time for games and other things is restricted. I have not been writing much, though I have to get that to change. I am going to start (again) trying to write for an hour every morning as soon as I am up. That seems to work better than some other things.
For now, however, I'll chug along happily with my various projects and see where it gets me. I have one afghan square finished already this morning, and if Susan comes home soon (not very likely) I will still have this evening while she is out to do the other one. I only have to get two a day finished to hit my deadline. I have five done now and will have one more today. That leaves 11 more of this color. The other 18 are already finished.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Democratic Agenda
I have heard a lot of talk coming from the Republicans about how Democrats "have no plan" etc. However, after doing a bit of reading, I discover that they have put forth a rather definitive plan of what they would want to accomplish should they take control of the House and/or Senate in two weeks.
At the top of the agenda is legislation to increase the minimum wage, force drug companies to negotiate price on prescription drugs sold to Medicare recipients, implement all of the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, end tax breaks for big oil, and increase spending for embrionic stem cell research. While it's not "stay the course" it's certainly a very ambitious agenda and if they can actually do even part of it, it will be remarkable and will be 100% more than the current congress has managed to accomplish.
Republicans say that the Democrats will increase taxes, but tht's just a scare tactic as is the call to impeach Bush. While a few Democrats might like to do that, most realize it's a waste of time that they will need to solidify their base and set themselves up with accomplishments going into the next presidential election. On taxation, the only thing I found they were going to propose is an overhaul of the alternative minimum tax, which is increasingly gouging into income of the middle class. Republicans have also called for doing this, but they have never actually proposed legislation to accomplish it.
Another thing that Republicans say is that Democrats will bog congress down with investigations. I cannot see how congress could possibly be less effective than it is now, but I agree with the areas where the Democrats want to conduct investigations. They want to focus on waste, fraud, and abuse in government contracts awarded for Iraq, Katrina, Homeland Security and other such huge handout programs. I would hope this homes in heavily on no-bid contacts to Bush and Cheney buddies. They are also saying they will investigate the reconstruction contracts in Iraq for war profiteering. These are good things, and the money that could be recovered in such investigations would more than pay for any new programs.
In effect, Democrats are saying they will actually try to accomplish something even if Republicans block it and Bush vetoes it. Since most of their agenda is important domestic things, it will sell well to the voters either way. Democrats will have to walk a very fine line this upcoming two years as their aim is not just regaining the House and possibly the Senate, but also defeating Republicans for the Presidency in two years. Personally, I honestly believe they will blow that one. Then again I am not convinced they will actually take the House or the Senate in two weeks. I do, however, hope that if they do they follow through to end much of the acrimony and fighting and actually try to accomplish something.
At the top of the agenda is legislation to increase the minimum wage, force drug companies to negotiate price on prescription drugs sold to Medicare recipients, implement all of the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, end tax breaks for big oil, and increase spending for embrionic stem cell research. While it's not "stay the course" it's certainly a very ambitious agenda and if they can actually do even part of it, it will be remarkable and will be 100% more than the current congress has managed to accomplish.
Republicans say that the Democrats will increase taxes, but tht's just a scare tactic as is the call to impeach Bush. While a few Democrats might like to do that, most realize it's a waste of time that they will need to solidify their base and set themselves up with accomplishments going into the next presidential election. On taxation, the only thing I found they were going to propose is an overhaul of the alternative minimum tax, which is increasingly gouging into income of the middle class. Republicans have also called for doing this, but they have never actually proposed legislation to accomplish it.
Another thing that Republicans say is that Democrats will bog congress down with investigations. I cannot see how congress could possibly be less effective than it is now, but I agree with the areas where the Democrats want to conduct investigations. They want to focus on waste, fraud, and abuse in government contracts awarded for Iraq, Katrina, Homeland Security and other such huge handout programs. I would hope this homes in heavily on no-bid contacts to Bush and Cheney buddies. They are also saying they will investigate the reconstruction contracts in Iraq for war profiteering. These are good things, and the money that could be recovered in such investigations would more than pay for any new programs.
In effect, Democrats are saying they will actually try to accomplish something even if Republicans block it and Bush vetoes it. Since most of their agenda is important domestic things, it will sell well to the voters either way. Democrats will have to walk a very fine line this upcoming two years as their aim is not just regaining the House and possibly the Senate, but also defeating Republicans for the Presidency in two years. Personally, I honestly believe they will blow that one. Then again I am not convinced they will actually take the House or the Senate in two weeks. I do, however, hope that if they do they follow through to end much of the acrimony and fighting and actually try to accomplish something.
The Midterms
The political climate is heating up again as the midterm elections are only two weeks away. As usual there is political rhetoric and attack ads. What there isn't, as usual is any substantive action or call to action on the part of either party. We have the usual: "We can do better," talk, but given the total inaction on the part of this congress, I am not sure why anyone should believe them now just because there is an election.
I admit I'm disappointed. I had hoped maybe this could have been an election on issues and plans. What legislation will the Republicans or Democrats introduce in the new session to address even one of the major domestic issues in this country? Thus far the biggest news on that front is that Bush will stop using "stay the course," as a slogan for Iraq. No plan or anything for ending the conflict, but by god we are getting a new slogan. That's so reassuring. I hope he's not simly switching to "Well stand down as they stand up." Maybe something with more zip like: "Mission Accomplished!"
The Republicans are having heart failure over the thought of Nancy Pellosi as Speaker of the House if the Democrats win. There is even talk of a grassroots rebellion among Democrats against her candidacy. On the other hand, she has put forth an actual plan for her first few weeks in office that is impressive, even if it's impossible. Even if the Democrats win and step up to the plate in terms of advancing domestic legislation aimed at solving problems at home, the Republicans and the President will shoot it down in the interest of partisan politics.
I guess in the end that is what bothers me most about our current government. It's all about political power and acrimony and not anything about actually stepping up to the responsibilities of the job we elected them to do. I would sooner have one party or the other pushing a major agenda with which I basically disagreed than to do nothing. At least they would be trying to accomplish something aside from raising money, getting reelected, and kissing ass on big business and big donors.
The midterms are coming. Will it really make any difference at all which party wins?
I admit I'm disappointed. I had hoped maybe this could have been an election on issues and plans. What legislation will the Republicans or Democrats introduce in the new session to address even one of the major domestic issues in this country? Thus far the biggest news on that front is that Bush will stop using "stay the course," as a slogan for Iraq. No plan or anything for ending the conflict, but by god we are getting a new slogan. That's so reassuring. I hope he's not simly switching to "Well stand down as they stand up." Maybe something with more zip like: "Mission Accomplished!"
The Republicans are having heart failure over the thought of Nancy Pellosi as Speaker of the House if the Democrats win. There is even talk of a grassroots rebellion among Democrats against her candidacy. On the other hand, she has put forth an actual plan for her first few weeks in office that is impressive, even if it's impossible. Even if the Democrats win and step up to the plate in terms of advancing domestic legislation aimed at solving problems at home, the Republicans and the President will shoot it down in the interest of partisan politics.
I guess in the end that is what bothers me most about our current government. It's all about political power and acrimony and not anything about actually stepping up to the responsibilities of the job we elected them to do. I would sooner have one party or the other pushing a major agenda with which I basically disagreed than to do nothing. At least they would be trying to accomplish something aside from raising money, getting reelected, and kissing ass on big business and big donors.
The midterms are coming. Will it really make any difference at all which party wins?
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Addictions
Everyone has addictions of one sort or another, some are simply more universally acceptable than are others. Drugs, alcohol, excessive sex, and the like are examples of bad addictions. Books, learning, writing, and the like are examples of things that can be viewed as good addictions.
I was thinking about this this past week because I again indulged in my biggest addiction of all..buying books. I love books. I read them vociferously and I learn or am entertained. I also have a weakness for pens and blank books in which to record ideas. Tablets. I always have a lot of these things at hand scattered across the house and even in my purse or in the car. I am having to be more careful about the book addiction of late because I am now retired. I go to half price books more often and buy paperback as opposed to hardback for all but the more urgent offerings. I mean I won't wait a year for the newest Harry Potter book to be published in paperback, for instance.
That being said, however, I do buy more books than I should. It often takes me a while to read them all and I generally have a pile of 10 or more in my queue. I freely admit that I start getting really antsy, even anxious, if I am down to my last one or two books. I suppose as addictions go, this one, while expensive, is better than many other types of addictions. I guess this is a good thing because I cannot even imagine not having a pile of cool new books waiting to be cracked open and enjoyed.
Hmmmm.....I suppose hints to my relatives that gift cards to book stores make excellent birthday and Christmas presents might be in order.
I was thinking about this this past week because I again indulged in my biggest addiction of all..buying books. I love books. I read them vociferously and I learn or am entertained. I also have a weakness for pens and blank books in which to record ideas. Tablets. I always have a lot of these things at hand scattered across the house and even in my purse or in the car. I am having to be more careful about the book addiction of late because I am now retired. I go to half price books more often and buy paperback as opposed to hardback for all but the more urgent offerings. I mean I won't wait a year for the newest Harry Potter book to be published in paperback, for instance.
That being said, however, I do buy more books than I should. It often takes me a while to read them all and I generally have a pile of 10 or more in my queue. I freely admit that I start getting really antsy, even anxious, if I am down to my last one or two books. I suppose as addictions go, this one, while expensive, is better than many other types of addictions. I guess this is a good thing because I cannot even imagine not having a pile of cool new books waiting to be cracked open and enjoyed.
Hmmmm.....I suppose hints to my relatives that gift cards to book stores make excellent birthday and Christmas presents might be in order.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Getting Things Done
I seem to be off and on when it comes to getting things done. I never seem to get everything I want done no matter how hard I try.
This week I did manage to complete an afghan for myself for this winter, and also a quilt that my friend Arla and I made for a friend. She cuts and pieces and I quilt and bind. Neither likes the other's job much so it works out perfectly for me and things get done.
Today I went out and bought backing for my son's quilt, and will put the batting, backing, and top together today sometime and begin quilting that. I already know what I plan to do in terms of quilting it, so that helps.
I started an afghan for my daughter for her birthday. Will have a push a bit to get that one done by the 9th, but the saving grace is that it is done with really chunky yarn so a huge square is only 7 rows.
I've fallen down badly on my writing. I think I have a work-around for that and will see tomorrow morning. I decided to pull up whatever I was working on first thing before I even head to the kitchen to make coffee. Then I'll come back and write while the coffee is brewing and while I am sipping a couple of cups. It would be just another way to get my morning going on an up note.
On the up side of the writing, I did manage to rewrite and then edit my white paper on outsourcing and also to write the marketing letter. Today or tomorrow I'll select up to ten possible recipients and personalize each letter a bit for them, then send it out. I know it's a really good idea, but I need to be realistic in terms of anyone else seeing the possibilities. Then I shall move on to completing the outline and proposal for the book on teaching techies to write. I want to include a special chapter or two at the back concerning the problems of teaching non-native speakers to write at a professional level. I doubt it can be done to be honest, but I do know what it would take to do it if it were possible.
I need to do more to keep the house up. Just one or two things a day will make all the difference in the world when it comes to keeping on top of things. My daughter is doing better about picking up after herself and doing things too. At some point we will make a list of everything that needs to be done every week, divide it up, and then each person will do their share as they find the time.
I find it particularly ironic that now that I don't work any more I seem to be more busy than I ever was when I did.
This week I did manage to complete an afghan for myself for this winter, and also a quilt that my friend Arla and I made for a friend. She cuts and pieces and I quilt and bind. Neither likes the other's job much so it works out perfectly for me and things get done.
Today I went out and bought backing for my son's quilt, and will put the batting, backing, and top together today sometime and begin quilting that. I already know what I plan to do in terms of quilting it, so that helps.
I started an afghan for my daughter for her birthday. Will have a push a bit to get that one done by the 9th, but the saving grace is that it is done with really chunky yarn so a huge square is only 7 rows.
I've fallen down badly on my writing. I think I have a work-around for that and will see tomorrow morning. I decided to pull up whatever I was working on first thing before I even head to the kitchen to make coffee. Then I'll come back and write while the coffee is brewing and while I am sipping a couple of cups. It would be just another way to get my morning going on an up note.
On the up side of the writing, I did manage to rewrite and then edit my white paper on outsourcing and also to write the marketing letter. Today or tomorrow I'll select up to ten possible recipients and personalize each letter a bit for them, then send it out. I know it's a really good idea, but I need to be realistic in terms of anyone else seeing the possibilities. Then I shall move on to completing the outline and proposal for the book on teaching techies to write. I want to include a special chapter or two at the back concerning the problems of teaching non-native speakers to write at a professional level. I doubt it can be done to be honest, but I do know what it would take to do it if it were possible.
I need to do more to keep the house up. Just one or two things a day will make all the difference in the world when it comes to keeping on top of things. My daughter is doing better about picking up after herself and doing things too. At some point we will make a list of everything that needs to be done every week, divide it up, and then each person will do their share as they find the time.
I find it particularly ironic that now that I don't work any more I seem to be more busy than I ever was when I did.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
A changing world
I haven't posted for a few days; not because I don't have things to comment on, but rather because the world is getting a bit overwhelming. So much is happening, and none of it seems to be good. Here and there I see a glimmering of goodness, but for the most part the news is grim, both personally and in the world.
It's a bit less tense around my house on a personal level because my daughter's girlfriend is gone. I hope for good, but I doubt it. As a result my daughter is home more and is drinking less. These are both good things. She has even started cleaning house again and invited me to go with her for a pedicure on Saturday.
Politically the U.S. is a mess as we plunge toward the midterm elections. Scandal follows scandal with no letup and crisis follows crisis. The Foley scandal continues to roar on unabated. New things arise every day.
On the world stage the U.S. is proving itself to be ineffectual and no longer a power with whom to be reckoned. A paper tiger. Bush draws lines in the sand and other countries step across them with impunity, knowing we have neither the will or the resources to enforce our saber rattling and bluster. Iraq is getting to be a bigger mess by the day and now, rather than beginning to draw down troops by early next year as we were told, we're not told that it will be 2010 or later. Afghanistan is sliding away because there are insufficient troops there to stop the reinsurgency of the Taliban across the Pakistani border, and the Pakistanis have given them a free pass.
Yesterday it hit me how much the world has really changed. A small plane flew into a high rise in NY city. The first thing the news was broadcasting is that it probably wasn't a terrorist attack. I can remember when such a thought wouldn't have occurred to any of us.
I guess I am just feeling overwhelmed by all of the possibilities and all of the news. The one bright spot in all of this chaos is the reaction of the Amish community to the terrible massacre of its children by a nutjob with a gun. Members of that community actually attended the killer's funeral and have set up a fund for his children's schooling. That is such a fine example of living your faith and your beliefs rather than just talking about them. Members of the American religious right could do well to emulate these fine, caring people of faith.
It's a bit less tense around my house on a personal level because my daughter's girlfriend is gone. I hope for good, but I doubt it. As a result my daughter is home more and is drinking less. These are both good things. She has even started cleaning house again and invited me to go with her for a pedicure on Saturday.
Politically the U.S. is a mess as we plunge toward the midterm elections. Scandal follows scandal with no letup and crisis follows crisis. The Foley scandal continues to roar on unabated. New things arise every day.
On the world stage the U.S. is proving itself to be ineffectual and no longer a power with whom to be reckoned. A paper tiger. Bush draws lines in the sand and other countries step across them with impunity, knowing we have neither the will or the resources to enforce our saber rattling and bluster. Iraq is getting to be a bigger mess by the day and now, rather than beginning to draw down troops by early next year as we were told, we're not told that it will be 2010 or later. Afghanistan is sliding away because there are insufficient troops there to stop the reinsurgency of the Taliban across the Pakistani border, and the Pakistanis have given them a free pass.
Yesterday it hit me how much the world has really changed. A small plane flew into a high rise in NY city. The first thing the news was broadcasting is that it probably wasn't a terrorist attack. I can remember when such a thought wouldn't have occurred to any of us.
I guess I am just feeling overwhelmed by all of the possibilities and all of the news. The one bright spot in all of this chaos is the reaction of the Amish community to the terrible massacre of its children by a nutjob with a gun. Members of that community actually attended the killer's funeral and have set up a fund for his children's schooling. That is such a fine example of living your faith and your beliefs rather than just talking about them. Members of the American religious right could do well to emulate these fine, caring people of faith.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
What an awful week
This has truly been an awful week. The school shootings have left me feeling really shaken and wondering how murdering children somehow is seen as a solution to anything for any reason. It feels as if there is some sort of sickness growing among us that is disconnecting us all from our basic humanity.
Then we have the Washington scandals. The Foley thing is, in my opinion, just a symptom of the generalized corruption in D.C. now on both sides of the aisle. Those up there have long ago lost sight of what they are elected to do and why they are really there. I fear the only solution that they'll actually hear is to vote out all incumbents and continue to do so every two years until they get the message to start doing what they are there to do such as secure our borders, fix our tax code, fix the broken immigration system, balance the budget, reduce the debt, and start acting with fiscal responsiblity. The general public is sick and tired of this do-nothing congress where the biggest thing they think of as an accomplishment is voting in a huge tax cut to the top two-tenths of one percent of the taxpayers.
I'm eagerly awaiting my copy of Bob Woodward's new book State of Denial. Already the repercussions of what he says in there are shaking the country. First Ms. Rice flatly denies a critical briefing every happened, only to be forced to turn around two days later and admit it did happen then try to explain it away. The Administration, who touted Woodward's first two books on the Bush Presidency, is now trying to make it appear as if for some reason Woodward chose in this instance to abandon the journalistic care and integrity for which he's been known for over 30 years and has produced a pack of lies. Even the denials are couched in such a way as to make them laughable. The collective amnesia is amazing.
On the personal front things are very traumatic at home at present so I am exhausted and feeling out of sorts despite having a ton of important things to get done today. It's nearly 8:30 in the morning and I am not even ready to begin work.
In all it's been an awful week, and it's only Thursday.
Then we have the Washington scandals. The Foley thing is, in my opinion, just a symptom of the generalized corruption in D.C. now on both sides of the aisle. Those up there have long ago lost sight of what they are elected to do and why they are really there. I fear the only solution that they'll actually hear is to vote out all incumbents and continue to do so every two years until they get the message to start doing what they are there to do such as secure our borders, fix our tax code, fix the broken immigration system, balance the budget, reduce the debt, and start acting with fiscal responsiblity. The general public is sick and tired of this do-nothing congress where the biggest thing they think of as an accomplishment is voting in a huge tax cut to the top two-tenths of one percent of the taxpayers.
I'm eagerly awaiting my copy of Bob Woodward's new book State of Denial. Already the repercussions of what he says in there are shaking the country. First Ms. Rice flatly denies a critical briefing every happened, only to be forced to turn around two days later and admit it did happen then try to explain it away. The Administration, who touted Woodward's first two books on the Bush Presidency, is now trying to make it appear as if for some reason Woodward chose in this instance to abandon the journalistic care and integrity for which he's been known for over 30 years and has produced a pack of lies. Even the denials are couched in such a way as to make them laughable. The collective amnesia is amazing.
On the personal front things are very traumatic at home at present so I am exhausted and feeling out of sorts despite having a ton of important things to get done today. It's nearly 8:30 in the morning and I am not even ready to begin work.
In all it's been an awful week, and it's only Thursday.
Friday, September 29, 2006
Torture
The past few days I've been seriously disturbed at the discussions I am seeing regarding torture. This country is now so polarized that there are people arguing that if Bush wants to torture prisoners he should be allowed to, and arguing which tortures are ok and which are not.
It hasn't been that long ago when we (meaning the United States) were regarded as and also regarded ourselves as the good guys. We did things the right way because it was the right way. I guess in today's terminology you could say we had a moral compass. That seems to be entirely gone now, at least at a governmental level. In the past we would never have discussed what torture was acceptable because the answer would have been a resounding "none."
The current administration not only defends torture as something good, but our Attorney General wants acceptable torture methods defined as anything that doesn't cause organ failure or death. Using this definition, beatings, rapes, removing fingernails, shoving objects under fingernails, removing fingers and toes, castration (as long as blood loss is minimized) and any number of other horrors of the medieval torture chamber would be perfectly acceptable methods for U.S. interrogators to use.
Maybe it's just me, but this more than anything I can imagine, defines what is wrong with the current President and his cronies. What kind of people can even think torture justified? What is worse, according to statistics, upward of 80% of those we pick up and detain are innocent. They are people who happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. That means that when we torture them for the critical information we think they have, they cannot stop the torture by giving in and telling us what we want to know. They don't know anything in the first place.
Finally, what about the long term psychological and physical effects of prolonged torture? Just because the person didn't suffer organ failure or die doesn't mean they didn't suffer and may continue to suffer for a lifetime. What sort of a nation are we turning into that this sort of atrocity could ever be considered OK and acceptable? How much deeper do we have to sink before the voters say "enough is enough" and attempt to bring back this country's honor?
It hasn't been that long ago when we (meaning the United States) were regarded as and also regarded ourselves as the good guys. We did things the right way because it was the right way. I guess in today's terminology you could say we had a moral compass. That seems to be entirely gone now, at least at a governmental level. In the past we would never have discussed what torture was acceptable because the answer would have been a resounding "none."
The current administration not only defends torture as something good, but our Attorney General wants acceptable torture methods defined as anything that doesn't cause organ failure or death. Using this definition, beatings, rapes, removing fingernails, shoving objects under fingernails, removing fingers and toes, castration (as long as blood loss is minimized) and any number of other horrors of the medieval torture chamber would be perfectly acceptable methods for U.S. interrogators to use.
Maybe it's just me, but this more than anything I can imagine, defines what is wrong with the current President and his cronies. What kind of people can even think torture justified? What is worse, according to statistics, upward of 80% of those we pick up and detain are innocent. They are people who happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. That means that when we torture them for the critical information we think they have, they cannot stop the torture by giving in and telling us what we want to know. They don't know anything in the first place.
Finally, what about the long term psychological and physical effects of prolonged torture? Just because the person didn't suffer organ failure or die doesn't mean they didn't suffer and may continue to suffer for a lifetime. What sort of a nation are we turning into that this sort of atrocity could ever be considered OK and acceptable? How much deeper do we have to sink before the voters say "enough is enough" and attempt to bring back this country's honor?
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Update on NIC Report
The part they declassified on the report was sort of an Executive Summary and fully supports what people have been saying about the leaked portions of the report plus a bit. It's very well-balanced and acknowledges progress as well as failure.
The sections on Iraq are, however, chilling. Essentially they concluded that for the time we are dithering around and not winning in Iraq we are allowing the radical Islamists a breeding ground and recruiting tool they never had before. The conclusion was that inasmuch as we do not decisively win in Iraq so that the terrorists leave feeling they failed, we have fueled world terrorism.
The report concludes that Al-Quaida has been weakened, which is something we knew, but that it has also splintered and decentralized and that other groups have also been created with only philosophical rather than political ties to Al-Quaida. The report stresses that this makes them harder to find and harder to stop.
The positive conclusions were that the spread of democracy and the creation of governments where people have some say and don't view their government as corrupt and oppressive would go a long way toward defusing the root cause of terrorism. It points out that most Muslims do not want a Sharia state that the radicals envision. The downside to this is that many moderate Muslims are radicalized by our presence in the Middle East and our inability to stop or even curb the violence that started when we came into Iraq.
The overall tone of the report's conclusions are chilling. They are not generally positive nor do they seem to be suggesting a solution. I can see why Bush didn't want this report out. It's not that there is anything whatever in it that should have been classified. Classification should not be used solely because the conclusions reached in a report makes a current or past administration look bad, weak, and ineffective. That is apparently why this particular report was classified.
Republicans have been quick to point out the conclusion that says it is critical to controlling terrorism that we win in Iraq. This is true. What they neglect to mention is that had we never gone into Iraq and then decided not to win there, there would be no current focus and breeding ground for terrorists as there is today. To be fair, they might have found somewhere else, but to be honest that's not what happened. So yes, it's critical we win now that we're there, but the report leaves no doubt whatever that it would have been much better for the world had we never gone in there in the first place.
Personally I am not encouraged by the conclusions of the report. I am even more discouraged that the present government found it necessary to hide these conclusions from us pretending they somehow compromised national security, which they do not in any way do. The report itself is apparently 32 pages long. I am not sure if it is being declassified. I hope so.
The sections on Iraq are, however, chilling. Essentially they concluded that for the time we are dithering around and not winning in Iraq we are allowing the radical Islamists a breeding ground and recruiting tool they never had before. The conclusion was that inasmuch as we do not decisively win in Iraq so that the terrorists leave feeling they failed, we have fueled world terrorism.
The report concludes that Al-Quaida has been weakened, which is something we knew, but that it has also splintered and decentralized and that other groups have also been created with only philosophical rather than political ties to Al-Quaida. The report stresses that this makes them harder to find and harder to stop.
The positive conclusions were that the spread of democracy and the creation of governments where people have some say and don't view their government as corrupt and oppressive would go a long way toward defusing the root cause of terrorism. It points out that most Muslims do not want a Sharia state that the radicals envision. The downside to this is that many moderate Muslims are radicalized by our presence in the Middle East and our inability to stop or even curb the violence that started when we came into Iraq.
The overall tone of the report's conclusions are chilling. They are not generally positive nor do they seem to be suggesting a solution. I can see why Bush didn't want this report out. It's not that there is anything whatever in it that should have been classified. Classification should not be used solely because the conclusions reached in a report makes a current or past administration look bad, weak, and ineffective. That is apparently why this particular report was classified.
Republicans have been quick to point out the conclusion that says it is critical to controlling terrorism that we win in Iraq. This is true. What they neglect to mention is that had we never gone into Iraq and then decided not to win there, there would be no current focus and breeding ground for terrorists as there is today. To be fair, they might have found somewhere else, but to be honest that's not what happened. So yes, it's critical we win now that we're there, but the report leaves no doubt whatever that it would have been much better for the world had we never gone in there in the first place.
Personally I am not encouraged by the conclusions of the report. I am even more discouraged that the present government found it necessary to hide these conclusions from us pretending they somehow compromised national security, which they do not in any way do. The report itself is apparently 32 pages long. I am not sure if it is being declassified. I hope so.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
The Latest Security Leak
I am looking forward to the imminent release of the full text of the latest leaked security assessment. I've already seen Bush putting enormous spin on what the leaked portions actually say, though having read them, I don't see what he sees to be honest.
The President states that people are saying that the report claims that his handling of the Iraq war has increased the threat of terrorist attacks to Americans. Unless he's reading a different report than appeared in the NY Times, that's not what I am seeing at all. What the released portion of the report are saying is that the administrations invasion of Iraq and then total mishandling of the war have increased the world-wide threat of terrorism. By extension that could be read to include the U.S. but it was not specifically saying just the U.S.
John Negroponte is quoted as saying that the report is a comprehensive assessment that highlights the importance of Iraq on the future of global jihadism. This sounds like a very accurate assessment from my point of view. The eventual outcome of the war in Iraq undoubtedly will have an enormous impact on the future of global terrorism.
What Mr. Negroponte and the President fail to acknowledge, however, is that this is true only because we invaded in the first place and then totally mishandled the war itself from that point onward, while stubbornly sticking to a plan that has proven itself to be an utter and abysmal failure. The Iraq war and the resulting insurgency are now the main focus and the main recruiting tools for the new generation of Islamic extremists. Virtually everyone acknowledges that this is true.
What is also true is that this focus would not exist had we not invaded Iraq or if we had invaded with a clear and workable plan to actually win the war once we were there. It was critical that the administration be sufficiently nimble to change directions once we were there and it became apparent that the flowers on the streets beneath our feet and the eternal fawning gratitude were not going to materialize. On this the administration has failed miserably. Stay the Course and We'll Stand Down When the Iraqis Stand Up are not war plans. They're political slogans.
So unless the full report contains something of significance beyond what we have already been shown, the press assessments are correct. Thanks to Bush's missteps and inability and will to actually win the war in Iraq, we have provided the world's terrorists with a focus for recruiting more jihadists because they have a perfect training ground in Iraq, complete with Americans to murder. It is a moot point as to whether that will eventually prove out to mean that there is an increased terror threat in the U.S. Europe and the rest of the world also count when it comes to assessing the international threat level.
Personally, my assessment is that if you give International terrorism a focus for recruitment, eventually you have also ensured that no matter how much you work to avoid it, there will one day be more major attacks here. I will read the report when it's released and comment on it here.
The President states that people are saying that the report claims that his handling of the Iraq war has increased the threat of terrorist attacks to Americans. Unless he's reading a different report than appeared in the NY Times, that's not what I am seeing at all. What the released portion of the report are saying is that the administrations invasion of Iraq and then total mishandling of the war have increased the world-wide threat of terrorism. By extension that could be read to include the U.S. but it was not specifically saying just the U.S.
John Negroponte is quoted as saying that the report is a comprehensive assessment that highlights the importance of Iraq on the future of global jihadism. This sounds like a very accurate assessment from my point of view. The eventual outcome of the war in Iraq undoubtedly will have an enormous impact on the future of global terrorism.
What Mr. Negroponte and the President fail to acknowledge, however, is that this is true only because we invaded in the first place and then totally mishandled the war itself from that point onward, while stubbornly sticking to a plan that has proven itself to be an utter and abysmal failure. The Iraq war and the resulting insurgency are now the main focus and the main recruiting tools for the new generation of Islamic extremists. Virtually everyone acknowledges that this is true.
What is also true is that this focus would not exist had we not invaded Iraq or if we had invaded with a clear and workable plan to actually win the war once we were there. It was critical that the administration be sufficiently nimble to change directions once we were there and it became apparent that the flowers on the streets beneath our feet and the eternal fawning gratitude were not going to materialize. On this the administration has failed miserably. Stay the Course and We'll Stand Down When the Iraqis Stand Up are not war plans. They're political slogans.
So unless the full report contains something of significance beyond what we have already been shown, the press assessments are correct. Thanks to Bush's missteps and inability and will to actually win the war in Iraq, we have provided the world's terrorists with a focus for recruiting more jihadists because they have a perfect training ground in Iraq, complete with Americans to murder. It is a moot point as to whether that will eventually prove out to mean that there is an increased terror threat in the U.S. Europe and the rest of the world also count when it comes to assessing the international threat level.
Personally, my assessment is that if you give International terrorism a focus for recruitment, eventually you have also ensured that no matter how much you work to avoid it, there will one day be more major attacks here. I will read the report when it's released and comment on it here.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Interesting Last 24 Hours
The past 24 hours has been very interesting as in "May you live in interesting times." It started last night when my daughter decided to take her two dogs with her when she went with a friend to run a few errands. She came home about an hour later in hysterics, stopping just long enough to drop off one of the dogs.
Seems the other one. The male, was on his way to the vet after having jumped out of a moving car that was going about 30 mph and into traffic. Fortunately he didn't get hit by any of the cars behind them. He's a mess, but is extremely fortunate. He has no broken bones, no pulled tendons, and doesn't have a concussion. What he does have is some really nasty road rash and (though we cannot see any) bruises everywhere according to the vet. He's on antibiotics and pain pills for a few days.
Today I took care of him. He's barely able to walk he's limping so badly. He's sleeping a lot. Fortunately we have a wheelchair ramp at the front of the house so he can get down to do his business without using the stairs, which are clearly beyond him at the moment.
The second interesting thing was that last week I was listening to a talk radio show where I live. The host was talking politics and it reminded me of a piece I wrote here giving advice to the Democrats. So I sent a copy of it off to his show and promptly forgot about it.
Today I got a call from his producer, praising the piece not only for its contents but also for the quality of the writing. They wanted me to come on the show for a segment. This was quite cool. First he read what I had written, then he asked me quite a few questions. After that they opened up the phone lines. The entire segment lasted about an hour. I was nervous at first, but quickly relaxed and did ok. It was nice. I guess that's my 15 minutes of fame.
I told him that the DNC had ignored my message other than to begin innundating me with requests for money. He asked if they ever did respond that I share it with him, which I said I would do. He noted, however, that both of us will probably be chipping icicles in hell before that happens.
Seems the other one. The male, was on his way to the vet after having jumped out of a moving car that was going about 30 mph and into traffic. Fortunately he didn't get hit by any of the cars behind them. He's a mess, but is extremely fortunate. He has no broken bones, no pulled tendons, and doesn't have a concussion. What he does have is some really nasty road rash and (though we cannot see any) bruises everywhere according to the vet. He's on antibiotics and pain pills for a few days.
Today I took care of him. He's barely able to walk he's limping so badly. He's sleeping a lot. Fortunately we have a wheelchair ramp at the front of the house so he can get down to do his business without using the stairs, which are clearly beyond him at the moment.
The second interesting thing was that last week I was listening to a talk radio show where I live. The host was talking politics and it reminded me of a piece I wrote here giving advice to the Democrats. So I sent a copy of it off to his show and promptly forgot about it.
Today I got a call from his producer, praising the piece not only for its contents but also for the quality of the writing. They wanted me to come on the show for a segment. This was quite cool. First he read what I had written, then he asked me quite a few questions. After that they opened up the phone lines. The entire segment lasted about an hour. I was nervous at first, but quickly relaxed and did ok. It was nice. I guess that's my 15 minutes of fame.
I told him that the DNC had ignored my message other than to begin innundating me with requests for money. He asked if they ever did respond that I share it with him, which I said I would do. He noted, however, that both of us will probably be chipping icicles in hell before that happens.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
The Drums of War
In the back of my mind these days I hear the drums of war beginning to take up the beat once again. The administration is already building a case for going into Iran, either with what they call "surgical strikes" or with a full scale invasion.
I think somehow our illustrious leader imagines that we can go in and bomb one or two sites as the Israelis did in Libya and that will eliminate the Iranian nuclear program. From what I have read, we know of about two dozen nuclear sites of one sort or another in Iran. That undoubtedly means there are at least another dozen or so we don't have a clue about. The bottom line there is that we cannot actually get it all in one fell swoop.
In addition, the administration seems to believe that if they were to do this, that Iran would just roll over and play dead. That's not likely to happen with convenient targets (namely U.S. military) just over the open border in Iraq. The Iranian leader is a nutcase who believes we are coming up on the end of the world and that he wants to speed that up. This is the guy who considers it perfectly logical and sane to write dialogue on post it notes and toss them down a well and imagine that he is conversing with a long dead holy man. This is the guy we're depending on to act logically and sanely if we attack him.
There is every indication that much of what we're being fed by the administration currently is a crock, much along the lines of the WMD stockpiles and nuclear programs in Iraq before the war. The nuclear regulatory agency says that the Iranian program is years further behind than the US is claiming. So far on such matters, they haven't been wrong and we haven't been right even a single time. Much of what is being written these days also dwells on the fact that the Iranian people are not nearly as disaffected as the expatriate community would have us believe. That is the same as we discovered to our chagrin in Iraq as well.
With the midterms coming up and a presidential election only two years away, it wouldn't surprise me a bit if Bush picks another war just to see Republicans remain in power. I mean, they cannot point to anything they've done in the form of legislation that would make people want to keep them. So maybe embroiling us in yet another war would somehow do the trick. *sigh*
I think somehow our illustrious leader imagines that we can go in and bomb one or two sites as the Israelis did in Libya and that will eliminate the Iranian nuclear program. From what I have read, we know of about two dozen nuclear sites of one sort or another in Iran. That undoubtedly means there are at least another dozen or so we don't have a clue about. The bottom line there is that we cannot actually get it all in one fell swoop.
In addition, the administration seems to believe that if they were to do this, that Iran would just roll over and play dead. That's not likely to happen with convenient targets (namely U.S. military) just over the open border in Iraq. The Iranian leader is a nutcase who believes we are coming up on the end of the world and that he wants to speed that up. This is the guy who considers it perfectly logical and sane to write dialogue on post it notes and toss them down a well and imagine that he is conversing with a long dead holy man. This is the guy we're depending on to act logically and sanely if we attack him.
There is every indication that much of what we're being fed by the administration currently is a crock, much along the lines of the WMD stockpiles and nuclear programs in Iraq before the war. The nuclear regulatory agency says that the Iranian program is years further behind than the US is claiming. So far on such matters, they haven't been wrong and we haven't been right even a single time. Much of what is being written these days also dwells on the fact that the Iranian people are not nearly as disaffected as the expatriate community would have us believe. That is the same as we discovered to our chagrin in Iraq as well.
With the midterms coming up and a presidential election only two years away, it wouldn't surprise me a bit if Bush picks another war just to see Republicans remain in power. I mean, they cannot point to anything they've done in the form of legislation that would make people want to keep them. So maybe embroiling us in yet another war would somehow do the trick. *sigh*
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Family Wedding
I attended my youngest sister's wedding yesterday. Well, she's also my niece, but that's another story for another day. It was a nice wedding and was a day I am positive she felt would never actually come. She is 41 years old and has never been married. She's been in two extremely long-term relationships and has a 14 year old daughter from one of them. But she's never been married.
Yesterday two of her brothers marched her down the aisle, and my sister (her birth mother) gave her away. The ceremony itself was short and simple. Her new husband interrupted the ceremony several times to proclaim at the top of his voice that she was his best friend and how much he loved her. It was very touching. He also got down on his knees to put the ring on her finger. They were both horribly nervous and shaking by the time it was over and they were finally married.
Lisa looked pretty in her wedding dress. Her daughter was one of the bridesmaids. She looked happier than I ever remember seeing her. I made her promise me she's wait until I was at least ten miles away from the area before she threw the bouquet. One cannot be too careful.
The reception was nice, but I left fairly early. Large crowds and lots of noise get on my nerves. It was great to see my nephews and their wives and children there. However, the dogs were here alone outside, and with my catarracts I don't see as well at night as I used to, so I wanted to avoid driving after dark as much as I could. It was a long drive.
Susan stayed down there, but she and Tammy (as usual when they drink) got into a fight, so Tammy came back up here about 2:30 in the morning. I'm tired, having been awakened in the middle of the night. Given that I was here with the dogs alone, I didn't really get much sleep before then either, with them barking every time someone farted in this half of the county. Obviously, once awake I didn't get much sleep afterward either. Two nights of bad sleep now. Tonight will be three as Susan and Tammy are sure to get drunk and get into another screaming match.
Yesterday two of her brothers marched her down the aisle, and my sister (her birth mother) gave her away. The ceremony itself was short and simple. Her new husband interrupted the ceremony several times to proclaim at the top of his voice that she was his best friend and how much he loved her. It was very touching. He also got down on his knees to put the ring on her finger. They were both horribly nervous and shaking by the time it was over and they were finally married.
Lisa looked pretty in her wedding dress. Her daughter was one of the bridesmaids. She looked happier than I ever remember seeing her. I made her promise me she's wait until I was at least ten miles away from the area before she threw the bouquet. One cannot be too careful.
The reception was nice, but I left fairly early. Large crowds and lots of noise get on my nerves. It was great to see my nephews and their wives and children there. However, the dogs were here alone outside, and with my catarracts I don't see as well at night as I used to, so I wanted to avoid driving after dark as much as I could. It was a long drive.
Susan stayed down there, but she and Tammy (as usual when they drink) got into a fight, so Tammy came back up here about 2:30 in the morning. I'm tired, having been awakened in the middle of the night. Given that I was here with the dogs alone, I didn't really get much sleep before then either, with them barking every time someone farted in this half of the county. Obviously, once awake I didn't get much sleep afterward either. Two nights of bad sleep now. Tonight will be three as Susan and Tammy are sure to get drunk and get into another screaming match.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Hurt Feelings
My feelings are a bit hurt today. It has to do with my computer. About a month or so ago I mentioned I wanted to upgrade my memory. My daughter said she would check the memory to see what kind I did the upcoming weekend. She never did. I've mentioned her promise to her several times over the past month. She always says she'll do it, she never did, so I just stopped asking. Please understand it's not that I was unable to do it myself, but rather that I hate messing around inside computers, and she does it for a living.
What hurts is that she's always ready and available to help anyone else with their computer at a moment's notice. She will spend hours, and sometimes even a whole day working on her Dad's computer, her ex-husband's new girlfriend's computer, or those of total strangers she runs into in bars. She does it almost immediately and without hesitation. I have to ask and ask then she doesn't do it anyway. It makes me feel as if everyone else counts and I don't, I guess.
Of course there is an easy way around this, and it is the path I will take. I'll either do the work myself or I will pay to have it done in the future.
Yesterday I took the case off the computer and removed the memory stick. I decided that since I had no way of telling what I needed to know to get another one, I put the stick in a static sleeve and took it to the computer store with me. I got the new memory and came home. Then the fun began. I absolutely couldn't get the new memory into the computer. I struggled, scratched my hands up, broke nails, but no joy. Friends online gave me advice. I told Susan about it and she said she'd get it in when she got home.
She came home. No help. She ate dinner. No help afterward. Then she decided she had to go somewhere with her friend who needed help, while she saw me here struggling again to get the memory upgrade into the computer. I felt a bit like crying. She has time for everyone in the world but not five minutes for me. Yeah, I know, I'm feeling sorry for myself. But it does hurt.
Finally, when I was on the verge of simply giving up and returning the memory to the store the following morning, it clicked into place. I had done it by myself.
What leaves a bad taste in my mouth still is that I learned this morning that not only had I asked her, but her girlfriend has said something as had her ex-husband. They told her she should take a couple of minutes to help me out since I had wasted the better part of a day trying to do a job she could do in five minutes. There has to be a reason why she absolutely refuses to help me with anything. I just don't know what it is. It's not as if we have a bad relationship or anything. I just don't understand why. And yeah, being neglected and ignored doesn't feel good.
What hurts is that she's always ready and available to help anyone else with their computer at a moment's notice. She will spend hours, and sometimes even a whole day working on her Dad's computer, her ex-husband's new girlfriend's computer, or those of total strangers she runs into in bars. She does it almost immediately and without hesitation. I have to ask and ask then she doesn't do it anyway. It makes me feel as if everyone else counts and I don't, I guess.
Of course there is an easy way around this, and it is the path I will take. I'll either do the work myself or I will pay to have it done in the future.
Yesterday I took the case off the computer and removed the memory stick. I decided that since I had no way of telling what I needed to know to get another one, I put the stick in a static sleeve and took it to the computer store with me. I got the new memory and came home. Then the fun began. I absolutely couldn't get the new memory into the computer. I struggled, scratched my hands up, broke nails, but no joy. Friends online gave me advice. I told Susan about it and she said she'd get it in when she got home.
She came home. No help. She ate dinner. No help afterward. Then she decided she had to go somewhere with her friend who needed help, while she saw me here struggling again to get the memory upgrade into the computer. I felt a bit like crying. She has time for everyone in the world but not five minutes for me. Yeah, I know, I'm feeling sorry for myself. But it does hurt.
Finally, when I was on the verge of simply giving up and returning the memory to the store the following morning, it clicked into place. I had done it by myself.
What leaves a bad taste in my mouth still is that I learned this morning that not only had I asked her, but her girlfriend has said something as had her ex-husband. They told her she should take a couple of minutes to help me out since I had wasted the better part of a day trying to do a job she could do in five minutes. There has to be a reason why she absolutely refuses to help me with anything. I just don't know what it is. It's not as if we have a bad relationship or anything. I just don't understand why. And yeah, being neglected and ignored doesn't feel good.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
The Upcoming Midterms
I'm becoming much more interested in the upcoming midterms as the days pass. There appears to be a growing anti-incumbent sentiment based on the fact that the incumbents seem to be doing nothing but arguing, backbiting, etc. The American public wants to see work being done on critical domestic issues, and it's not being done.
This isn't a slam on either party individually, but on the entire political climate in this country collectively. Politicians in general have utterly lost sight of the fact they were elected to represent their constituents and to work on solving the nation's problems. They are not there to pander to special interests and big business, load budgets with pork, and take potshots at the opposing party.
My hope (and that's all it is at this point) is that the voters will go to the polls so utterly ticked off that they will toss out incumbents of both parties in record numbers. This would send a loud and clear message to those remaining to get off their dead butts and start doing the country's business or face the same fate themselves. I am totally sick and tired of do-nothing senators and representatives. I'm tired of the name calling and finger pointing.
Bush is the very worst of this bunch in that regard, but he's also gone in two years no matter what, so it doesn't matter. He talks a good game but actually does nothing but talk about it. He never provides the strong, decisive leadership necessary to make real significant changes.
Both sides need to pick issues important to them and then work with their opposite numbers to pass legislation and set the path toward solution of the issues. The issue itself is relatively unimportant as long as it's not just a lip-service issue such as flag burning, gay marriage, or one of the other non-issues that makes it appear to some people that congress is trying to "do something." I am talking real issues: Medicare, Social Security, Immigration, border security, reforming the tax code....something of this magnitude. And they must commit to not only talking about it but doing it. It might also be nice to fund the effort properly and put in safeguards so they're not just throwing money at the issue. Might also be nice to identify where cuts will be made to find the money.
In the end, I am really hoping the voters get off their hands and vote in record numbers and that a huge number of incumbents on both sides of the aisle are tossed out on their collective butts, thus sending a loud and clear message in the most forceful way possible that we expect this bunch of self-indulgent, pandering, self-important bunch of wastrels to start actually earning their pay.
This isn't a slam on either party individually, but on the entire political climate in this country collectively. Politicians in general have utterly lost sight of the fact they were elected to represent their constituents and to work on solving the nation's problems. They are not there to pander to special interests and big business, load budgets with pork, and take potshots at the opposing party.
My hope (and that's all it is at this point) is that the voters will go to the polls so utterly ticked off that they will toss out incumbents of both parties in record numbers. This would send a loud and clear message to those remaining to get off their dead butts and start doing the country's business or face the same fate themselves. I am totally sick and tired of do-nothing senators and representatives. I'm tired of the name calling and finger pointing.
Bush is the very worst of this bunch in that regard, but he's also gone in two years no matter what, so it doesn't matter. He talks a good game but actually does nothing but talk about it. He never provides the strong, decisive leadership necessary to make real significant changes.
Both sides need to pick issues important to them and then work with their opposite numbers to pass legislation and set the path toward solution of the issues. The issue itself is relatively unimportant as long as it's not just a lip-service issue such as flag burning, gay marriage, or one of the other non-issues that makes it appear to some people that congress is trying to "do something." I am talking real issues: Medicare, Social Security, Immigration, border security, reforming the tax code....something of this magnitude. And they must commit to not only talking about it but doing it. It might also be nice to fund the effort properly and put in safeguards so they're not just throwing money at the issue. Might also be nice to identify where cuts will be made to find the money.
In the end, I am really hoping the voters get off their hands and vote in record numbers and that a huge number of incumbents on both sides of the aisle are tossed out on their collective butts, thus sending a loud and clear message in the most forceful way possible that we expect this bunch of self-indulgent, pandering, self-important bunch of wastrels to start actually earning their pay.
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