For the Love of......Country

Why can't our elected officials stop calling each other names, stop posturing and just do the work they need to do to fix this financial mess.

Why can't reporters, one and almost all, stop trying to scare people with Big Headlines and help solve the problem. I'll settle for one, just one who is not trying to push his own agenda. When I was in school, we were taught that journalism was impartial. Factual. Who, what, when, and where in the first paragraph. HAH!
Now, i guess it is just sensationalism and innuendo.
Punchlines and soundbites.
And Yelling. So much yelling. At each other, at the audience. It never ends.

Until I close the TV.

Back to Washington... I say we lock them ALL in a room. Senators, Congressmen, every last one of them drawing a salary. Bread, water, coffee and chocolate - that's it. Until they do the work we need them to do. The work they are getting paid to do.

Kathleen Curry - Look Behind You

Are these people CRAZY? What's in the water out in Colorado?

Seriously - do they wake up in the morning, and go through their entire day without knowing where they are?

Representative Kathleen Curry, acting as chairwoman during a debate in the Colorado Legislature yesterday, said to State Representative Douglas Bruce "How dare you?". She then removed him from the microphone and ended his remarks.

How dare he?

I'll tell her how he dares.

The Constitution of the United States, specifically the Bill of Rights (that she swore to uphold, by the way). Every veteran that ever served this country since its inception to ensure our rights. And, if she just turns around and looks behind her she will see a red, white and blue "thing" hanging there. It's not just a decoration.

Yes, Mr. Bruce's remarks were inflammatory to some, probably most (he called Mexican immigrants "illiterate peasants" in a debate over whether to allow 5,000 immigrant workers to obtain federal visas to work as farm workers in Colorado). And yes he could have expressed his point of view in a more diplomatic way. But let's be truthful here - no matter how badly put(and some people might say just honestly spoken) he has a point worth making. I thought we had too many illegal immigrants already taxing our resources. But that is all beside the point.

BUT, and this is a biggie, he has a right to his opinion AND he has a right to express it. If he went over the line, then the voters step in. That's how our system works.

Minority Leader, Terrance Carroll is considering an ethics violation. These were words, Mr. Carroll. Good God, politicians can steal, lie, screw around(literally) and continually fail to work as they were elected to do, not to mention the deceitful ways they waste taxpayers' money - but that's not violating any ethics? Exercising Freedom of Speech is an ethics violation?

Ms. Curry, Mr. Carroll, Mr. May... YOU should all be ashamed of yourselves.

You live in the United States of America. You are damn lucky to do so.

You should be defending the right of any of our citizens to speak their minds - no matter how much you disagree with what they say, let alone how they say it.

Ms. Curry, you owe Mr. Bruce an apology. You owe your constituents an apology. And you owe it to your state to pick up a copy of the Bill of Rights and read it.

I Feel His Joy

Good for Billy Crystal !

A true-blue, lifetime Yankee fan gets to actually be a Yankee. For a day. Sign a contract, wear the uniform, sit in the dugout, take the field, get up to bat. The works.

WOW

What a dream come true. What a birthday present. (Billy turns 60 the next day)

Good for him ! Good for the Yankees !

Less than a Man

I'm disgusted. No, it's not the first time. What is it with these guys and their sense of entitlement? Their obtuse denial of their own wrong-doing, their lack of morals, their oblivion of the concept of right and wrong and the basic intelligence to know which is which. Not to mention the ego to think they are above the law. (I am not speaking about the entire gender. There are millions of good, decent and honest men in the world. Thank God I'm married to one of them.)

I'm a New Yorker. I voted for Eliot Spitzer. I knew he sounded too good to be true, but I was hopeful that he could indeed clean up New York. Take on crime. Prosecute the outrage of the average working men and women of New York State. As of yesterday I no longer consider him Governor of my state. I impeached him myself. In my mind.

Truth be told, I would have had more respect for the man if he got into office and said "you know what - it is ridiculous that prostitution is illegal. It is now legal in New York, among consenting adults." Then throw on some health standards and assurances , tax the income and call it a day. I'd agree with that. I agree with that now. But you can't have it both ways. It is called hypocrisy. And it is one of the worst crimes of all.

I have two daughters. I had to tackle the issue of oral sex with them while they were still in grammar school. Thanks to that EVIL, DEGENERATE Bill Clinton. There might be lower forms of scum - but not that many. Now my 17 year old wants a "Client #9 tee shirt. These shirts, in many varieties and colors were available almost immediately after the story broke. I do love the United States of America.

Bottom line - Spitzer is done. He is a hypocrite and a laughing stock. But he is far worse in my opinion. His Number One Job, his Most Important Responsibility was to honor and protect his family. His wife and three daughters. He is a failure as a man.

Shame on East Meadow

To the Trustees and Administration of the East Meadow School District:

I hope that neither you nor a member of your family ever need the aid of a service animal. I hope one of your children is never put in the position that you, in your insensitivity and rigidness, have put John Cave. I hope you are never forced to fight for the basic rights to an education for a child of yours.

In case you forgot - your positions require you to provide an education to all the children of your district and to uphold the laws of New York State. You say you have made concessions... well, if the New York Division of Human Rights is telling you you are wrong - there is a problem. Maybe your Social Studies department can explain human rights and the law to you. Go find a dictionary and look up the word "dignity". Look up "compassion" while you are at it.

I guess it is safe to say that you can hear your children laugh. And, I guess, your children can hear music and the sound of your voice, their teachers and their friends. As you count your blessings, you should ask for forgiveness too. From John Cave, from his family and from the rest of your school district.

Safe Haven for Drug Dealers in Westchester - Thank you Mr. Freeston

Mr. Kenneth Freeston is a hypocrite and should be ashamed of himself. (He is also an idiot, but I think that is obvious to anyone who hears of this story.) He is the superintendent for the North Salem schools in Westchester County, New York. He claims he wants to take a "strong stance against drugs". Really? Then why are you punishing a family for trying to help you do your job to protect kids and keep your schools free from drugs?

Mrs. Rodriguez finds part of a joint in her high school age son's shirt pocket. In dealing with their son, his problem and the aftermath of this discovery, Mr. Rodriguez calls the school and says "Hey, there are drugs being sold in your school. They are available in the gym and in the library.
We are dealing with this as a family, you must deal with this problem in your school."

So, of course, the school(which knew nothing of the matter before being notified by Mr. Rodriguez) suspends the son. For 9 weeks !!!
Brilliant.
Way to send a message not to get involved. Tell parents and students that if you try to make a stand against drugs (as this kid did when confronted by his parents, as this father did trying to watch out for, not only his son, but, all the sons and daughters of that community) you get punished.

Mr. Rodriguez - you were 100% right. Thank you for trying to watch out for all the high school kids out there who face peer pressure and the allure of drugs EVERY day and in places that should be safe. Good luck to your family and your son as you try to get him strong and healthy.

And good luck to the New Salem school district. I hope you are successful in ditching this Freeston moron and finding a superintendent who will protect your kids.

Dream Ticket

For days, now, all I've heard on the news is Hillary Clinton's new idea for a Clinton/Obama ticket. With the Clinton on top, of course. Most Democrats, overlooking her arrogance, audacity and poor math skills (Since Obama is the front runner) see this as a "dream ticket".

Dream Ticket.

Well, that's not my dream. (Any ticket with a Clinton on it is, in my opinion, a nightmare!)

But the second or third time I heard the phrase "Dream Ticket" , it popped into my head clearly and brightly. The true dream ticket.... McCain / Obama.

Talk about bringing this country together. Republican and Democrat. Old and young. Black and white. Talk about a perfect blend of hard earned experience and inspiring optimism. Neither is a perfect choice, but together - it's a little closer.

Wrong Answer

I just heard this on the ABC Evening News and it made me yell at the television.

It seems that today at the Readington Middle School in Whitehouse Township, which is in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, a group of students paid for their lunch with pennies.

The principal then gave the students 2 days of detention.

Are you kidding me?

He/she said that it was demeaning to the cafeteria staff to have to count the pennies.

Well... first of all, someone buy that principal a sense of humor(preferably with pennies). Second of all, anyone who works with children ( I mean anyone who is good at it) knows one should never overreact. And thirdly, (and here's the biggie)who is going to alert the Federal Reserve and give them the news that pennies are "demeaning"?

Pennies are legal tender of The United States of America. Legal. So no, sorry bub, not demeaning. I guess that was the beauty of the prank (if that is what it was). Legal. United States of America. Children. Are you getting my point?

The only question you should be asking is "Did they count correctly?"

Is Anybody Listening?

Any one remember this phrase "Taxation without representation"?

Last time people living on these shores got serious about this issue there were history changing events. No, I am not advocating Revolution. I just want the people I vote for to get serious.


And seriously get to work.


In case you didn't know - I elected you to work for me and for my family. I elected you to make my life better. To use my tax dollars wisely. On necessities for me, my neighbor and our children. If you won't do that - give me my money back because I have bills to pay. Like heating oil, college tuition, repairing the roof...you know, necessities.


What have you done for my children? And my children's children? Have you invested in keeping them safe? Have you invested in their future? Have you made sure that the bridges they travel on won't fall down? Have you invested the money needed to upgrade the safety of air travel? By last account $30 Billion was too much to spend for keeping us all safe in the air and upon landing at our country's airports. But we borrowed 360 Billion dollars so a few of us could buy video games and toxic toys from China.

Seriously?

Maybe there just aren't any dictionaries in Washington DC. A tax rebate is when there is an excess of monies collected so you give some back to the people that paid the taxes. That is not what happened here.



If our representatives worked in private industry, they would be summarily FIRED. For failure to accomplish the work they were hired to do. For gross mismanagement of funds. For insubordination and refusal to work with their coworkers.



Remember our kids' Kindergarten report cards? I always laughed at the thought of grading 4 and 5 year olds. But we did. On what? Playing well with others. Good listening and not biting each other.



Holy crap! The majority of our elected officials would fail Kindergarten.

Here is one suggestion. Stop yelling at each other.

Don't worry so much about getting on TV.
Stop keeping track of whose side is winning.
I'm losing. The taxpayers are loosing. The country is losing.

Use the money you are entrusted with like I would. Pay the bills. Pay attention to necessities. Fix the roof. Put something away for the future.


We are in a crazy, costly war. Our infrastructure needs work. New Orleans is still a mess. Investments need to be made in our schools, in alternate sources of energy, in making our borders safe. If we have an extra 360 billion dollars(we don't, but if we did) here's an idea - Let's cure cancer.


We need our government representatives, on both the local and national levels, to get serious. To get busy. And they need to get the message that they were elected to work. To work for us. Not just to raise money, or get on TV, or pander to special-interests, or even to get re-elected.

And so, it is especially frustrating to watch all this primary coverage and see how many people just don't get it. I have not heard any reporters or pundits ask Hillary Clinton a very important question.

If you cannot manage your own money, why should I entrust you with mine?

Their campaign ran out of money. They misjudged and mismanaged millions of dollars. Their people are fighting over whose fault it is.

Well guess what guys. That doesn't make you too responsible in my book. And there is just TOO MUCH at stake.

If Hillary is getting by with well-timed tears, blaming her husband (now she blames her husband?), phony accusations and the "stop picking on me because I am a girl" tactics I've got news for her. That won't cut it with other foreign leaders.



She's putting her opponent down for being optimistic and inspiring. You know what? That's not a bad place to start. I'm tired of negativity. I'm tired of arrogance and cynicism. I'm tired of incompetence and not recognizing the truth even if you fall over it. She doesn't even know the difference between right and wrong unless someone points it out to her. Someone please tell the Clintons that basic goodness and honesty are not character flaws. That tolerance is good and not just a means to win an election.

I'm tired of nothing getting done. I'm tired of my money being wasted.

There are great things to be done. And Americans can do them.

Give me an American with vision and hope, with responsibility and conscience, with compassion and good sense, with courage and strength, with conviction and intelligence, who is both practical and idealistic. Let that person represent me and I'll smile when I sign my tax check.

Why do I have to Suffer?

There are many days when I work all day, do errands on my lunch hour, come home to throw in some laundry, get dinner going, tidy up some of the piles, eat, check up on the homework progress (or lack of it), clean up the dinner dishes, wash the pots and I'm done. I mean I'm done. My brain is tired and my body wants to stop moving. No, it's really not a physically strenuous schedule, and yes, I do get help with some of the household chores. No, I'm not curing cancer or giving lectures or writing inspirational passages all day. Just an average , any body's work day.

Some nights (not many) I'll do some paperwork, a creative project around the house, or just sit and enjoy a good book. But honestly? Most nights I just relax on my couch and look for a couple of hours of television to entertain me until my eyes get heavy. I don't want anything depressing, just something to make me laugh or enjoy the evening's quiet time.

So is it too much to ask Hollywood to get it's act together?

Is it really so freakin' hard? Seriously?

I know I'm a fairly simple person. Naive on many fronts. But why do we have to make everything so difficult?

We have writers. We have producers. We have many shows, movies, etc., etc., and have had for a long time now. It's a pretty big industry. It's a very lucrative industry. VERY VERY lucrative.
They know how to do it and make money at it. Everyone who contributes should share in the profits. Proportionally. Fine. You want to argue and make adjustments along the way...that's fine too.

But here's the thing. Hollywood is arguing because there are more and more mediums being developed upon which they can expand their product distribution. Again, I'm a simple person. But that means MORE money, right? There is even more money going into that BIG pot that Hollywood gets to split up. And some of it is mine. Eventually, by a circuitous route, but still mine.

Now, there is already a formula in place to split all that money up. They've been doing it for years. I know this because I've been watching for years. So have millions and millions of people. Hence, all the money. So can someone please tell me why production has to stop. Can't we say, "okay, as of November 5, 2007 anything we produce is going to fall under the new agreement guidelines". And, then figure out what that is. Was it really necessary to put so many people out of work? And no I'm not talking about the million-dollar actors and directors who have some bucks to fall back on. How about the camera guy, and the props guy, and the make-up people. How do they make their mortgage payments? And then there are the commissary workers, and the people that supply fabric for the costumes, and all the vendors that supply everything from the wood to build the sets to the specialty fields that supply trained animals. I can't imagine that's a big market. Did these vendors survive? Did they "just" have to lay a lot of people off? The trickle down effect is, I'm sure, staggering. And was it all necessary?

How about....you cannot air the "new" shows on the Internet until this is all straightened out. Still a big monetary incentive. Thousands of people are not thrown out of work. And I still get to watch House and Two and a Half Men.


Because.... seriously.... at the end of a day... why do I have to suffer?


Forgive the time relevance of this post. It has been on my mind many weeks now, but I have had computer issues. As in, some bastard stole mine.