Saturday, December 26, 2009

Wishlist for Christmas 2010

Howdy all! Been a long time, eh? Just wanted to wish everyone a lovely, beautiful, wonderful, happy Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Midwinter... whatever Holiday you celebrate. Or even if you don't, I wish you a pleasant wintertime anyway. :) Soooo, the big day has come and gone. It was a very nice day for us, actually. One of the best Christmas Days I've had in years. Very calm, pleasant, restful... it did rain on us early, but by afternoon it was clear.

Anywho... just thought I would get a head start on my wish list for next Christmas. Ya know, get ol Santa Claus thinking on it anyway, so... this is my list of wants for next year (in no particular order):

1. High Speed Rail. Like the rest of the world is developing. Why can't I hop a train and make an afternoon trip down to my sister's place in FL? It's only 400 miles. Why should it take me all day to drive there? We've been talking about this since I was a little girl and it still isn't happening. Wake up folks! Park the car and get on the train already. Sheesh.

2. A Space Program that once again sets the standard for the rest of the world. I mean really... Japan, Europe and China are outstripping us in every direction. Mapping the moon; developing living quarters for settlements on hostile planets; etc. When we [humans] finally get out there en masse, American companies will be shut out of the resources to be found there.

3. A Mass Transit System for my town that will actually get me from my home neighborhood to downtown Augusta without having to drive for miles to the closest bus stop. (I don't really foresee this one happening but... I can dream, can't I?)

4. A job that pays a living wage. Preferably one that doesn't require years of college to obtain. I hated college. I'm just not cut out for it. But I can learn. I don't think I would mind a sort of manufacturing job or something like. And besides... how can we survive as a country if we can't MAKE anything for ourselves? Doesn't make any sense to me. All these companies moving jobs to other countries where they can exploit the workforce and then counting on bringing the goods back here where they can sell them for 20 times the cost to us rich gringos. Except... if we have no jobs we have no money!!! DUH. Now what you gonna do smart ass company man? Sell your goods to the cheap laborers you've been exploiting for what you sell it to us for? I think not. Sowing the seeds of their own destruction. OUR destruction. Idiots. However, I digress...

5. A power grid that is secure, safe, and "green". Infrastructure. Infrastructure. Infrastructure. How many times do I have to say it? I'd work on an assembly line making solar panels, windmills, computer chips... whatever (see item number 4). I can do that. We used to build things here. Now we can't even maintain our phone lines and electric supply. And let's not get started on the general water supply...

6. A Pentagon staff that remembers it's history. How many times are we going to arm Middle Eastern countries and teach them to fight against us? They always end up turning on us. Do the idiots running our armed forces really think anything is going to change, there? Most of the folks over there are still living in the middle ages. No, that statement isn't politically correct but I think it's a fair assessment. If not physically then mentally and emotionally in the middle ages. I mean, what is that old saying about performing the same action over and over again and expecting a different outcome? We ought to just let those folks alone and let them live as they want. Oh but wait! We can't. We depend on their fossil fuel supplies too much. Right.... see items #1, 3, and 5. If we had renewable, sustainable, home-grown energy supply right here in the good old US of A we could just pack it up and let that part of the globe go about it's business without us. As a side note: I wonder if they would still hate us as much if we quit buying their oil? Or maybe they would hate us more if the money quit flowing to their kings, banks, businesses and jihadists?

7. Dope smokers to wake up and realise that their habit is killing innocent women, children and old folks in Mexico and other Central and South American countries. Choosing to do drugs is not "not hurting anyone else". There are ruthless, evil, inhuman beings running those Cartels that supply your weed, coke, etc. They kill people so that your money keeps flowing into their coffers. If you smoke their dope you might as well be pulling the trigger for them. Besides, dope makes you stupid. Don't do it. Or... I suppose, if you have to be stupid, grow your own and quit paying the killers.

8. People to quit trying to blow up planes. I myself do not believe the gates to Paradise are to be found in the flames of burning metal and human flesh.

9. A viable third political party in this nation. The two party system is NOT working. In fact... it has become an impediment to progress. Get rid of it. Change it. Fire them all and get some new blood in Washington DC. I don't know... something has got to give, tho.

10. People to do the right thing, because it IS the right thing, not for fear of a vengeful God. I don't know for sure if there is or is not a God. But if there is... I'm pretty sure he/she does not need a mere mortal to do their killing for them.

Anyway, that's my first 10. I may have more as the new year progresses. In fact, I'm sure I will. But this will do for now.

I sincerely hope everyone has a happy and prosperous New Year.

Monday, October 5, 2009

It's been a while...

... but I thought I'd stop by and jot down a few thoughts:

I was watching a wonderful edition of "Globe Trekker" the other night. It was a journey through Mozambique. I watched these people, living in what I would consider abject poverty. No lights, no clean water, dirt everywhere... and they were beautiful. BEAUTIFUL. And it made me think... that old saying about beauty being in the eye of the beholder is crap. It isn't. Because we are trained in what to see as beauty. We are raised to see it in certain ways. We are not brought up to think for ourselves. In beauty or anything else.

I don't want us to loose in Afghanistan. Iraq? I could care less. We shouldn't have been there in the first place. The sooner we get out the better. But the government (as was) in Afghanistan allowed Al Qaida to attack us from within their borders. We were right to go in there. Should have never taken our eye off the ball in that country. Just another example of Bush/Cheney incompetence, but that's neither here nor there. They are gone and now all that's left is to clean up their mess. But if we loose the real, legitimate war... what does that make us look like on the global stage?

I don't want to live in a nation that is irrelevant to the global community. I was raised in the greatest, richest, most desirable nation to live in that has ever existed on this planet. And I like it that way. I don't want to live in a second or third world country. I don't know how. Maybe that makes me a sissy, but there it is.

I don't like the thought that Europe and Asia are surpassing us in all areas, education, technology, health, jobs, standard of living... but they are. Our infrastructure is crumbling, our kids aren't learning. Look at us! We are America. We should have the best schools, the best roads, the best access to the best health care, the cleanest water, the safest and most affordable food... on and on and on... but do we? No. We do not. And the saddest thing of all is that there are so many people in this country who are so stupidly racist and ideologically biased that they would rather we fall into the abyss than that we succeed under the guidance of a black Democratic President. Instead of trying to help him govern, certain elements of our society are working hard to insure that he fails. That we ALL fail.

And I hate alcohol. I really REALLY do. It's stupid. And I'm constantly amazed at how many people equate having a good time with having an alcoholic beverage.

I am very blessed in my friends. They keep me sane and give me a reason to keep going. Thank you all so much.

And thanks for the Wasabi Peas, Bunny! After I gobbled up all the ones you sent I went out and found some at the Kroger. And then the other day I was able to visit my Oriental market and they carry the very kind you sent me... I bought 5 packs and I'm nearly all finished with them, too! New addiction. Thank you very much. :)

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

It's Been a While...

... and I'm sorry I've been away. As I'm sure you all know, I've been moving. I hurt my knee, now I'm having sinus trouble. It's messing with my equilibrium something fierce. I'll be seeing the doc this Friday. Or is that Thursday? Well... one of those days. Not tomorrow. Tomorrow is Mr. Cutie-Patootie John the Handyman. He's coming over to see if he can figure out why my refrigerator is dripping water onto the top shelf. It makes quite a mess. But I want to have it checked out before I spend money on a new one. I mean, I want a new one, but I want a new kitchen faucet and disposal first. Then a new fridge. Soon, but not this week.
Anyway, I love my new house. It's so comfortable and nice. I love being here.

Then there's this:
Photos show Pakistan 'expanding nuclear sites'
Knowing that certainly helps me sleep better at night. NOT.

An observation:
When I see Michael Steele I think of The Talking Heads "Stop Making Sense" where David Byrne comes on stage wearing that huge suit. Sorry. But it's true. Especially that one brown suit that Mr. Steele wears. It just doesn't fit him well.

A shout out to Mr. Mike: I was driving to the grocery store the other day and I caught Honeymoon Suite's "New Girl Now". I felt obligated (happily so) to crank it up and sing along in your honor. BTW, I know I have missed a lot of your and Mrs. Mr. Mike's posts in the last couple of months. I will have plenty of reading to do as soon as I get the time. :-)

Okay, need to hit the hay. Gotta get up early tomorrow and make beautiful for the Handyman's visit. (picture me with a great big cheesy grin on my face and a slight blush on my cheeks) :-)

Monday, April 13, 2009

Okay, quick post...

...
Capt. Richard Phillips was rescued and is in good health. Thank goodness. (not that it matters, but he's quite a handsome fellow, I think)
They say there isn't much that can be done about those pirates. Every country that has a navy of any size has ships over there, so why don't they just agree starting and stopping points on the troubled route and let merchant and tourist ships/boats meet up and then protect an entire flotilla of ships at one time? They could then keep the pirates from even getting close to the ships and thus prevent hostages being taken. Or maybe that's just too simplistic a solution. I mean... I'm not a foreign policy expert or anything like that. :-)

Faux News, Newt Gingrich, and others of that ilk are promoting a "Tax Day Tea Party". Just what we need, more idiots that don't know their history dumping tea bags into our nations waterways. They ought to all be arrested and then set to cleaning up the waterways they have polluted. These idiots are sooo stupid. The taxes they are protesting were put in place by their beloved Bush/Cheney admin. The tax rates are the lowest they have been in nearly two decades. What the frick are they protesting? Even they don't know.

Easter was pleasant. Then I hurt my knee while moving some stuff over to the new house. That was not especially pleasant. I took it easy today. (meaning I was down right lazy)

Today the President held the ages old traditional "egg role" on the White House lawn. From what I've seen of it on TV he was a right gracious, jovial, welcoming host. Great Job, Mr. President! I just want to say one thing about it. They made tickets available on-line, which was a good thing, since families from 45 states participated this year. But... BUT... According to several news sources they made a certain number of tickets available to gay and lesbian families. And those families wore special rainbow colored leis. I have a problem with that. And the problem is this: if you are trying for equality, why would you accept being singled out like that? It just doesn't seem very forward thinking to me. Then again... why should the President of the supposedly most "free" country in the world feel the need to make certain that any family, of any creed, religion, ethnicity, orientation, etc., felt welcome there? Shouldn't that, in this day and age, just be a given? Why in the world, in 2009, should one group of people still feel comfortable publicly calling for the denial of basic rights to another group of people in THIS United States of America? Why aren't more citizens of this nation outraged by this? And further more, why are so called Christian folks comfortable with the notion that God wants them to deny those rights to any other human being? I mean, once upon a time, not so long ago, "official" Church (any church) doctrine was that persons of African descent were not completely human and therefore it was perfectly okay to enslave them, rape them, kill them out of hand. Some hundreds of years ago, the official church doctrine was that the Earth was flat. ??? They changed their minds later on. Once it was considered a sin to eat red meat on Fridays. It was thought that being able to read the bible in one's own native language would lead one into sin. That it didn't matter if you could understand what the priest was saying, you could still get something from the Latin mass just because it was THE MASS. Not so now. They changed their minds. I'm not saying that I have a problem with them changing their mind. I'm just saying that I don't think anyone should be so sure and certain that leaders of the Catholic or Protestant churches are correct when they say that homosexuality is a sin. They could someday change there minds. Perhaps after they see which way the wind is blowing and determine that view is not popular anymore and that they are in danger of loosing followers who enrich their coffers? It's just a thought... I mean really... doesn't anyone else ever think about this stuff?

Okay, that's my say for today. Sorry I have been so hit or miss lately. Hopefully soon things will get back to some semblance of normalcy.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Our First Lady...

...is so beautiful! So obviously strong, smart, caring... a no nonsense woman. And she also looks like someone I can relate to. She looks like a friend you can have a cup of coffee with and talk about the price of groceries with. She looks like she'd know what the price of a dozen eggs is and how much it takes to feed a family of four. She looks like the kind of person who actually gets down in the floor to play with her kids. Come to think of it, she looks like she knows how to clean a floor properly, too. I like that. (and I'm not saying she looks like a maid, she looks like a real woman who knows how to sweep and mop like I do)
I mean, I admire Hillary Clinton. I voted for her in the Democratic Primary. I look up to her and I would love the opportunity to talk with her. But I don't think I could really relate to her. Or her to me. She lives in a totally different world than I do. I don't think Michelle Obama would be intimidating at all to meet or talk to. I think she'd be fun and comfortable to be around.
I'm proud of our new First Lady (and her husband) and now... a link to a nice selection of pictures of her in London. She's amazing...

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Buy American...

...pot. I'm just sayin'. I'm sure everyone has by now heard all the talk about the insecurity on our nation's southern border. Drugs. Pot, weed, smoke, mary jane, mary do ja wanna. Marijuana. Whatever you want to call it. The problem in Mexico with the drug cartels is the next, new, now, news story. Suddenly it's the "in" story to report on. The free ticket to some place else for well connected news anchors. I've always been aware of the problem. Since I was a pre-teen pot has been part of my life. Most of my family and friends partook, or still partake, of this noxious leaf.

Do I? No.
Have I ever? A few times in my youth.
Did I like it? No.
Why not? Cause it stinks, and it makes you stupid.

And now I have an even better reason to not like it: the stupid, callous, cruel, foreign, mainly Central and South American, drug cartels are making a shitpot of money off of America's desire for the drug. It's stupid. If there was ever a good reason to not do drugs that's it. In this economy, in this day and time when so many Americans are out of work, making less money than ever, it's just stupid to send that much money out of the country.

Besides just the act of doing drugs being flatout, brain-dead, stupid... giving money hand over fist to idiots who kill innocent children just because their parent is a police officer, or a lawyer, or just some poor passer by who happened to be in the wrong place at the right time, is just wrong. Wrong.

Now, I know that not all people who do drugs are bad people. Most of them consider their habit an innocent, personal choice. But it's not. When you buy that bag of weed, that little pack of white powder... you are making it easier for some fatcat somewhere in Mexico or Columbia or Guatemala to kill some one's mother, brother, father, sister, son...

How do we stop this? What can we do? What should we urge our politicians to do to curtail this violent, lucrative trade? I say: legalize it. All of it. Pot. Heroine. Cocaine. All of it. Make it right here in the good ol' US of A. Let the downtrodden American farmers grow it all as a cash crop. Hemp, coca plants, poppies, what have you. Grow it here, sell it here, tax it here. And let all the idiots who partake use as much of it as they want. American farmers will grow it in a safe, clean environment; they will hire people to work their fields; people will get hired to process the stuff; farmers and workers will pay taxes on the money they earn; other people will purchase the stuff, and they will pay taxes on it. The farmers will make money, the farm workers will make money, the government will make money... everybody will be happy except those cartel leaders who will no longer have the strength and power to hold entire communities or countries hostage at their whim. We put them out of business for good and for all.

And what, you might ask, about the idiots who purchase all these now legal drugs? Well... it gets them out of the gene pool that much sooner if they are allowed to indulge to their heart's content. Not so?

What do you think? I'd love to hear opinions on this.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Thoughts

Think with your dip stick, Jimmy! A catch phrase used by a fellow with a fake Scottish accent in a commercial for an automotive product. I call it an "automotive product", I think it must be an engine oil, but the commercial is so annoying. I remember the phrase, I remember the dude whacking other dudes with a dip stick, but I don't remember the name of the product. So... they annoy me with this stupid commercial with a phrase that sticks in my head, but the name of the brand they want me to buy does not. I would say that advertising campaign is a failure. So why don't they just go ahead and take it off the airwaves so I don't have to see it or hear it again? EVER.
Update
For those of you who want to see it: its a Castrol commercial. I looked it up... so you don't have to.


John McCain: is apparently showing his true colors now that he's too old to ever run for President again. Mr. Bi-partisan has turned into Dr. NO! Did any of you catch his production on the Senate floor today? It was rather stilted. Sort of an act. A very badly played act. I didn't believe for a minute that he was really as outraged as the words he spoke would have me believe. He even slapped his hand down on the table, but that theatrical display was totally miss-timed. It seemed like he was performing an SNL skit that he hadn't even bothered to read first and couldn't care less if he pulled off. I really think he needs to step down and get his health attended to. His appearance and his actions are very reminiscent of someone who has suffered a stroke. I wonder....
You can find his performance here, on cspan dot org. Sen. McCain appears about 20 minutes into the video. Enjoy.

This whole Rush Limbaugh brouhaha would be hilarious if it wasn't so serious, so dangerous, and so sad. It is hilarious to watch these so-called Republican leaders and big wigs stretch their wings and soar out above all the hateful, racist, sexist, holier-than-thou rhetoric of that disgusting pig. And then count the minutes until they come crawling back on their hands and knees to kiss his ring, to beg and plead for his forgiveness. Which, of course, he deigns to grant them after they've grovelled at his putrid, stinking feet sufficiently. What idiots! These people who worship Rush, who call themselves "dittoheads". WTF!!! They are proud that they don't think for themselves. They think its cool to just nod their stupid heads and agree with anything and everything that foul, slimy, oozing pustule of corruption says. And they DARE to call themselves Americans? Dare to call themselves Patriots? They dare to call themselves Christians? What kind of Christian would sow dissension and hate or support it? They can call that Christianity if they want to, but it isn't anything like the Christians I was raised with or respect. And it's serious business. These folks don't seem to understand that this bloated, disgusting, spittle spewing piece of filth is just using them. The more sheep he can get to follow him the more money he makes. And he understand their limited intelligence; their need; their desire to belong to a herd. And he plays on their fears and their twisted reasoning to lead them around by the nose. That reeking mound of maggot crawling filth has them all fooled. He's poisoned his followers and turned them into evil minded robotic, brain dead, little trolls. That is a sad thing. That is not American. It is not not NOT American at all to say you hope the President of the United States of America fails. FAILS! That corpulent, morally diseased bastard hopes our President FAILS!!! And the repugnicant party "dittoheads" are still scared to stand up to this creep and tell him where to get off! Why is his little "speech" not "incitement to treason"? Why is he not on the no fly list or in some left-over Bushian gulag in Rhodesia being water-boarded? I mean... that is his picture of a perfect America, isn't it? He thought Bush was the perfect President and that President Obama is going to ruin this country. Anyway... enough. I'll get off my soapbox now. Glad to get that off my chest. Thank you.