Taboos and Trophy Wives

Sometimes I think I am better off not talking to anyone in Northern Virginia. Nine times out of ten you will be drawn into a conversation that ends up being the same old thing; conservative bad, white equals racist, poor are kept down by the rich, and on it goes. So why I am surprised by this still is something of an amazement. I was out running some errands and got into a conversation with a woman who looked like a perfectly normal rational human being. That is until she started talking. Oh my.



Somehow we got onto the topic of inter-racial marriages (I want you to know this conversation started up because I made a comment on how rude people have become in the age of electronics) and was told in no uncertain terms that a black man who marries a white woman does so because once he becomes successful he has the opportunity to be more accepted in the white community and can go after what is taboo. When he is not successful it isn't an option to him. I was also told that in most cases the black man will eventually cheat on the white wife with a black woman. Really?


Now, has this woman been to places where many young people hang out of late? College campuses or even something as simple as a busy mall or movie theatre on the weekends? Younger people in this country don't see inter-racial relationships as taboo as someone in her age range (I would venture to say fifties or so). While intercultural marriages are still taboo in some communities; the asian cultures don't take to marrying someone other than an Asian all that well. This is still a generality and not a hard and fast rule. Many people of Asian decent are married to people who are not.


My nephew is married to a hispanic woman who he met on a bus. Why he was on a bus, was never made quite clear to me as he has a car, but nevertheless that is how they met. On a bus you don't have a great deal of time to worry about race relations when making a decision to get up the nerve to ask someone out on a date. Since they are now married, obviously he did ask her out. I am sure it never occurred to him that she has a different skin color than he does. My family learned the lesson of not being accepting in the past and welcomed her with open arms. She is a welcome addition to our family and he is madly in love and about to celebrate his first wedding anniversary in a few weeks. Her family had no issues either. No one in my family looks at her as some sort of taboo and he is not looked at some sort of trophy.


This is just something that gets under my skin to no end. We are living in the 21st century, can't we just love who we want to love without judgement? While racism exists in this country and that cannot be denied, it is time that we have the honest discussion about it. It doesn't just exist in the white community. The black community is just as capable of racism as any other. If this woman believes that white woman marrying a black man is well received in some parts of the black community she is sadly mistaken. She is looked down upon by both men and women. Some black woman don't take all that kindly to black man being with a white woman. In some cases the white woman just can't win.


I have worked retail on and off over the period of my life. Once during a big sale I was told that I was racist because I wouldn't give a woman a coupon discount. The problem was she didn't have the coupon. So no, I couldn't give it to her. I was told in no uncertain terms by the manager that morning, no coupon, no discount. When I told her that my boyfriend's skin was darker than hers she said to me that I was just some stuck up white woman who thought I was better than his black family and he was just some sort of race traitor who didn't accept his blackness. So not only was I still a racist, so apparently was he. Who knew?


I brought up this story to her and also mentioned that some black women have told me flat-out that there is a certain jealousy that happens when a successful black man marries a white woman simply because so many black men have issues such as criminal records, drug problems, and children out-of-wedlock with more than woman. She dismissed this as just media hype. I suppose the woman who told me this is not capable of having her own opinion.


She went on to explain to me how much of the problems really stem from conservatives. Sarah Palin in particular. I asked if her if she understood that Sarah Palin is married to man who is a minority. Eskimo's are much more of minority in this country than blacks are. She completely ignored that, and also wouldn't answer me when I wanted to know what exactly Palin has ever said that leads her to believe that she is a racist. I guess being conservative is good enough. Because after all, aren't we all?


I told her that the black community certainly wasn't being helped by the likes of Jesse Jackson Jr. standing up in congress and calling virtually everything a racist issue. If we such a racist country how the heck did Obama become president. Yet another question she didn't answer. She kept repeating over and over again that people didn't understand their history.


My question to her is how does it get better if you are referring to white woman who are married to black man as some sort of trophy wife? I asked her when would the black community learn that history shows that since the welfare state started in this country the black family has become more separated than ever before? There was a time that the black community stayed together and helped each other out. The black family was much more of unit than it is today. There was a time that a majority of black babies were born to a two parent family. The republican party is not responsible for the breakdown of the black family nucleus. That is something that they themselves have to take responsiblity for. I told her that the republicans are not responsible for making blacks feel that they are not allowed to think for themselves on political issues lest they be called a race traitor. The republican party is not responsible for the sad state of affairs of the public school systems in urban communities. It isn't the republican party that is trying to stop much-needed reform. That it is indeed the NAACP that is calling well-meaning parents race traitors who are only trying to improve the education that their children receive.


I also told her that any child born into the middle class in this country has a much chance as any other in this day and age. While I will concede that is not true when you are born living at or below the poverty level. But it is no easier for a poor white child to get out of poverty than it is for a poor minority child. But one of the reasons that getting out of poverty is so difficult is that government is not helping people to stand on their own, it is giving them what they need to survive and taking away incentive to help themselves. They are constantly listening to I am a victim rhetoric.


The sad reality is that people with her attitude is part of what is holding back some within the black community and makes people who marry someone from another race or culture that they have done something wrong or taboo. Or try to anyway. And one more thing, take Jesus out of politics.  He wasn't a politician. 


I can't say it any better than this:

A Nice Little Ditty

http://www.thebigdc.com/mediaplayer/?station=WBIG-FM&action=ondemand&item=21298758

I don't know how to copy it straight over, but it is pretty funny. 

Enjoy

Quote of the Day - ABC News Blog Commenter Edition

Because they are

Why is he so embarrassed of the truth? The Tea Party are racist white trash who hate the fact we have a black president and will do anything to get rid of him because they're own lives are so useless, impotent and unsuccessful.

They can't believe a black man is President while they live in a trailer park/meth camp collecting government checks and are furious that anyone else does.

They're hypocrites. Uneducated. Racist. And pure trash.

Everyone, including the spineless VP, knows that.

 Top Jack on White House Comment on denial of Joe Biden calling Tea Party members terrorists. 

Sir, you need to get your head out of your ass and take a look at what is going on in this country.   I realize it would make your life so much easier if your statement was true, but it doesn't even come close to describing the people in the tea party.  Not even close.

If Not Now, When Mr. Speaker?

Dear Mr. Speaker:

I am writing to you in regards to the debt ceiling vote taken in the house yesterday. As a concerned citizen and a member of The Tea Party I am more than a tad disappointed. I am not writing to call you a traitor or some of the other names I have heard bandied about in the conservative blogosphere. I understand the position that you are in. I understand that there is a difference between campaigning and governing. I also get that in the real world governing requires compromise. I also realize that this was probably the best you could get with the current make up of the senate and the white house. My question is if not now when? When we will get our spending under control?


I get that many in this country don't see the seriousness of the problem and how our spending is totally out of control. My disappointment, Mr. Speaker, in you comes from the lack of messaging on your part. The job you have done with this debate is poor. The masses in America must be made to understand that not raising the debt ceiling meant default. We would only default if we didn't pay the massive interest on our debt. Money comes into the treasury monthly we could have paid our debt. Not paying the debt would be a choice. A choice made treasury and to some degree the president. You did not get this message across.


Where has the GOP been in discussing this? Why have you not found a charismatic spokesperson to be out front of this problem and explain the truth of what is going on? Where was the GOP to explain that President Obama was flat-out lying when he said he wasn't sure that there would be enough to mail social security checks? Social Security is not bound by the debt ceiling. There is enough money coming into the treasury to pay it monthly without it affecting the debt at all. Also where was someone calling out the hypocrisy of the left always saying that Social Security is not broke? If it isn't broke and has money the issue of not making the monthly payments never should have come up.


Where you have been to explain to the American people that China has sold most of our debt? Where have you been to explain that Japan is not in a position to pick up the slack? Where have you been to explain that China is now having its own debt problems? Our options are becoming more and more limited everyday. Why don't most Americans understand this? It is up to you to explain it to them.


I get that media isn't going to help all that much to get this message out. That just makes all the more important that you do.


Mr. Speaker I am not naive enough to believe that one election was going to stop the out of control spending spree this country has been on for far too long. But I had hoped that you would have started the building blocks for the larger discussion this country must have. The U.S. is running out of viable financial options.


The only hope we have of turning this around is to make the masses understand that they can no longer elect people who are not 100% committed to getting our financial house in order.


This is where my disappointment lies Mr. Speaker. I get the bill, I just don't get your lack of messaging. I want you to succeed Mr. Speaker. I did my part in the last election cycle; I made the phone calls, I gave the money in donations, I knocked on doors. It is now your turn to get the truth out there. America is broke - we must deal with it now.


Regards,




Just a Conservative Girl

Tuesday Toons

Shame On Us - Kicking the Can Down the Road Again

The debt ceiling crisis is now over. We got no real cuts in spending. It is all smoke and mirrors as it always is. I have been saying for quite sometime that we, as Americans, are not ready to make the tough choices.


I understand why the GOP did what they did. The country doesn't understand that not raising the debt ceiling means that we immediately go into default. It just means we have to pay as we go. An interesting concept that only the government in this country doesn't understand. The vast majority of Americans already live that way. I rarely use credit to buy anything. If I can't afford it, I don't buy it. I have only one credit card that I pay off every month. I live this way, so I have a difficult time understanding why our government can't even make an honest attempt at it. Maybe I am unusual and that is part of the problem. Maybe many Americans live the same way the government does; on credit.

It seems everyone has something to hate in this deal. The far left doesn't get to soak the "rich", and the far right is angry that no real spending cuts have been made. In many cases I have found that when both sides are unhappy it is good for Americans. Not so in this case.

The Tea Party is upset. They feel betrayed by at least one member of congress, Allen West. He voted with Boehner for the increase. I have said before I understand his position. I may have done the same thing in his shoes. There are some realities to consider here. Obama would never have signed onto large cuts (unless of course they were to defense) even if it had passed the Senate. Which it wouldn't have.

The party is worried about keeping the house, regaining the senate and winning the White House next year. Politics always comes first. But when do we actually solve the problem?

I see the Tea Party's argument about not raising the ceiling. I in some ways even agree with it. The money coming into the treasury every month would more than cover Medicare and Social Security. Social Security wouldn't be affected anyway, as it is not bound by the debt ceiling, that was all shameful political posturing on the part of the president. A disgusting display really. I had to talk my mother off the ceiling one afternoon. She was terrified she wouldn't get her check. My parents didn't have 401(k)'s when they were younger. They actually had to save for themselves. Another interesting concept.

But I also see the other side of the coin as well. I live just outside of DC, the economy where I live is very dependent on the Federal Government. Even if you don't work for the government many work for government contractors. Virginia and Maryland were both told by Moody's they would get a downgrade if the debt ceiling was not raised. Both are planning on selling bonds in the next few weeks so it would have greatly reduced the amount they would have gotten and hurt the population of both states.

The real problem lies with the American people. We are still not ready to accept the reality of what we are facing. We cannot continue the spending. We just can't. We are cheating our children and our grandchildren. We are putting them in the position that they are in so much debt they may never get out from under it. We have these idiots in congress saying that the republicans are manufacturing the crisis. How exactly one manufactures trillions in debt is beyond my comprehension levels, but that is what she said. Sadly, many in this country believed her. Or at least want to believe her. We are still playing this finger-pointing game about who did what and whose fault it is. Both parties are to blame. But so are the American people for not paying enough attention and we keep electing these fools are who are mortgaging our children's futures.

Shame on us. I hope that we finally start to get it before it is too late. We need to make the tough choices. We need to elect people who are willing to make those choices even when it won't make them popular.

Welcome Back Gabby

Gabby Giffords made her return to Congress today to place her vote on the debt ceiling.  She received a much deserved standing O. 

I don't agree with her on much, but I am so glad to see she is healing everyday and looks great. 

Some Notes from the Peanut Gallery

I have not been able to pay as close attention to the debt limit crisis as I normally would.  Life has gotten in the way.  Today I was trying to do some reading to see what I missed.  Not all that much really, they seem to be in the same place they were a few weeks ago.  Just closer to date of "doom" according to the left.

I did across an article about the Tea Party influence in this debate.  The article is about what one would expect on CNN.  But I always find the comments to be the best part.  I came across this one:

I have a few questions. 1. Since when did this country need a "Super Congress" to know the difference between spending within your means and spending out of control! ? 2. Since when did the "Tea Potty" think they were "The peoples Potty"? 3. And last but not least, just what makes the wealthiest so high and mighty that they, can't or won't, support the country that made them wealthy? Can the 2 seperate Republican enities explain these?

Just exactly what country are they serving? I know it can not be America! They are traitors, liers, and they call themselves faith based. These biggots are self serving with NO intentions to serve this country but only those outside of the lawmakers rhelm to make themselves more rich off the working peoples back. What a disgusting group of trash to represent this Country!

OK, 1. Apparently Congress does need someone or something to explain living within your means.  They have not been doing it for decades.  2. The Tea Party is mainly a group of everyday citizens saying they have had enough.  I have never been paid to go to any protest.  I have never been given money to get there, everything that I have done has been taking time off from work (I only work part time so it is easier for me) and getting myself to DC on my own.  Granted I don't live far so there is not much money involved here.  Really just parking and gas for me.  3. The wealthiest of Americans do pay the vast majority of the bills in this country.  I don't know what it will take to get the people on the left to accept that.  Almost half of the people in this country pay no income tax at all.  They pay payroll taxes and end up with a refund at the end of the year.  Who do you think is putting money into the treasury?  Do you think the money comes from the tooth fairy?  It is not unreasonable to demand that congress be responsible with our money.  Presently they are not.  We don't live within our means and that is the reason for the tea party. 

The vast majority of people I know that are involved in the tea party are middle class people who struggle with money issues.  Just like the majority of Americans.  I know of one who has told me on several occasions she really struggles with money every month.  Things are tight for her and her husband.  I know people in the tea party who are single and renters.  I know people who are just starting out in their lives.  Only out of college a few years.  I know several people who are in the medical field and what drove them to the tea party was Obamacare.  They know what is going to happen to our medical care in this country when this fully takes hold.  (If is more like it).  I know some military people who have defended this country for a small amount of money who are really worried about the direction we are going in.  One of which has spent time in a war zone.  His voice has the right to be heard. 

Yeah I agree that far too many people in congress make themselves rich off the tax payer.  You should be in the tea party not calling them racists.  We believe that too. 

Open your eyes to what is happening in this country and then maybe you can get your head out of your ass long enough to realize that Tea Party is trying to stop this country from spending more on interest than it does on education every year.  You are against fighting for that?  But, I am the stupid one?  Yeah, you jerk, we spend more on interest every year than we do to educate our young. 

Congrats to New Daddy Smitty

Smitty has had a busy few weeks.  He is freshly back from his last tour of duty serving this great country of ours in Afghanistan and yesterday, he became a first time daddy.

His beautiful and healthy little boy is named Niklas. 

Pop on over and say congrats to the newest and smallest conservative blogger. 

If you hit the tip jar, make sure that Stacy knows it is for Master Niklas. 

Congrats to Smitty and the Other Mrs. Smitty.  Here is to your adventure of a lifetime.  The hardest and most rewarding thing you will ever do in your life.  But the love you feel for that little boy will make it all worth while. 

The Left's View of the World

Damaging some bird fetus' is punishable by fines and jail time (while unlikely, still legally possible) yet to kill a human fetus is perfectly acceptable.




A 25-year-old is not responsible or mature enough to carry their own health insurance, yet middle school students in Washington state can get a tax payer funded abortion without parental notification or consent.



Innocent Israeli's who are killed in suicide bombings are really victims of their government's policies. Yet the bomber is just reacting to his oppression.



The people living in squalor in the Jordanian "refugee" camps that were set up more than 60 years ago are victims of Israel. Jordan is completely blameless for not giving them citizenship or helping them to build a life beyond the poverty they live in.



The fact that no Middle Eastern country has offered to help the Palestinians in any meaningful way is Israel's fault.



While history has proven that when Israel signs a peace agreement with a country they stand by it, they are still the aggressors.



Sarah Palin is a bad mother because her daughter got pregnant and had a child out-of-wedlock. Had Bristol had an abortion, she would be a good mother.



Sarah Palin is some sort of nut for daring to raise and love a developmentally challenged child, yet the woman who aborted her child because of a cleft palette is a hero.



Although Van Jones described himself as a communist and has made the statement that America is not broke because Halliburton has money he really isn't a communist.



When the head of the New York Chapter of the NAACP says that black families that are trying to enroll their children in a better schools are doing the business of slave masters she is just protecting the rights of people of color.



“I’d simply say that as a parent, the most important job you have is to provide the best opportunities possible for your children’s education and success,” The words uttered by Karen Boykin-Towns about the choice to send her daughter to boarding school in New Hampshire while she and her husband have worked to limit choice to the other parents in New York City. Mr. Towns voted to cap charter schools and Mrs. Towns works for the NAACP who has filed suit against the city to stop the opening of new charter schools.



Had the left just left Gov. Palin alone after the election of 08 she would have written one book on her experience, it would have sold well to the conservative leaning people in the country and she would have faded into oblivion like most other failed vice presidential candidates. They have made Palin what she is today.



Believing that homosexuality can be cured makes you some bigoted religious nut. Believing that pedophilia can be cured makes you compassionate.



The left believes that republicans are not really trying to decrease the debt. If Pelosi were still Speaker of the House, the debt ceiling increased would have passed months ago with no real discussion or debate.



In San Francisco wanting convicted sex offenders away from neighborhoods where there are schools is a violation of the sex offenders civil rights.



Being against President Obama's policies makes you a racist, but if you voted for him because of the historic nature of the first black president that is perfectly acceptable.



Wasting almost a trillion dollars of mostly borrowed money on a stimulus package that didn't stimulate much of anything is Bush's fault.



The Democrats have not had a budget in more than 800 days but it is the republicans that are irresponsible.



People like President Obama and Michael Moore say that the taxes on the rich are too low. But when they do their own taxes, they hire high-priced accountants to find every possible tax deduction instead of paying the flat 35% rate.



President Obama insults the "fat cats" on wall street publically but has no problem with taking their money for his re-election campaign privately. No one on the left seems to see the hypocrisy in this.



To the left allowing people to keep more of the money that they earned is considered a tax cut.



People on the far left say that taxes on the rich are too low, but when asked why they don't give money directly to the treasury they say it will be wasted, they would rather give it charity. Yet, they still want taxes to be increased.

That Was Quite A Speech There Mr. Speaker

I am really liking this speech.  The American people need to be fully aware, THE ONLY reason we are having this discussion is because the republicans are listening to the Tea Party.  We MUST cut our debt. 

While We Were Sleeping

“Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers’ associations. Put the party line in textbooks.”

Albert Herlong Jr., Florida Congressman, 1963


The next time you are at the ballot box and see names for the school boards - don't think that your vote doesn't matter.

Just once I would like to hear a moderate dem (they do exist) come out and admit that their party has been taken over by an element that doesn't have America's best interest at heart. 

Amy Winehouse Dead at 27

Amy Winehouse dead today at 27.  The details of her death are unknown at this point, but chances are they are drug or alcohol releated.  It seems singing and destroying her life were two things she excelled at. 

 Winehouse was a rare talent, one that comes once in a generation.  Her vocal capabilities left one breathless. 







Her unique sound and sense of style will be missed.  May she finally find  the peace that escaped her during her short time on earth. 


Rest in Peace Amy.  Maybe she should have said yes to Rehab. 

Quote of the Day - Renee Ellmers Edition

“appeal to [Obama’s] ego because its 'bigger than the deficit."”

Congresswoman Renee Ellmers

Reportedly from closed door meeting of Congressional Republicans with Speaker Boehner. 

Gotta love her. 

1st Annual Virginia Tea Party Summit on Education - Richmond, VA

Education is a topic I care about deeply.  There is no point in working to change this country if the next generation doesn't understand why.  My personal mision falls more within improving the educational system within country with school choice and badly needed public education reform.  But teaching about the consititution is of equal importance.  If you are in the Richmond area, plan on attending.  I have heard NRIE speak previously and they have some great stories and some wonderful ideas. 

1st Annual Virginia Tea Party Summit on Education

Where:


The Commonwealth Club


401 W. Franklin Street


Richmond, VA 23220






When:


Saturday July 30, 2011 from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM EDT


Dear Fellow Patriots,


(FYI: YOU MUST REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT TO BE ADMITTED, THANK YOU)


We are pleased to present the first annual tea party summit on education! We are holding this event because it has become clear that the heritage and foundational principles that made us the greatest country in the world are not being taught or are being distorted in K-12 education. Our public schools are not teaching kids the importance of the rule of law, economic freedom and individual achievement.


This is perilous and if we don't act, our hard work will be undone by an entire generation that doesn't understand or is actively opposed to individual freedom!


This seminar will provide you with an action plan that you can implement. Our goal is to build a coalition of tea party leaders, activists and educators that can work together to be more effective.


You will leave with a step by step action plan, resources, tools, and a support system to truly make a difference. We have invited national organizations that are 100% focused on getting young people not only the right information but also inspiring and engaging them on American exceptionalism. This seminar will tell you how to do it!


ORGANIZATIONS/PRESENTERS:


HILLSDALE COLLEGE


NEW RENAISSANCE IN EDUCATION


AMERICAN HERITAGE EDUCATION FOUNDATION


LIBERTY AND LAW INSTITUTE


CATO INSTITUTE


CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR FOUNDATION PROGRAM


DR. ILEANA JOHNSON, AUTHOR OF "ECHOES IN COMMUNISM" (LUNCH TIME SPEAKER)


BREAK OUT SESSIONS WITH FACILITATORS TO DEVELOP YOUR ACTION PLAN


You will receive a full action plan and resources in writing from every organization. A comprehensive, literal "how to" guide for each and every program and idea, no matter how small a step you take! There will be follow up and support planned for everyone. Future meetings and networking will be shaped by group need and consensus.


IMPORTANT INFO:


THERE IS A 30.00 DOLLAR FEE FOR LUNCH PREPAID (CREDIT CARD OR YOU CAN MAIL A CHECK) WHEN YOU REGISTER


YOU MAY REGISTER AND PAY FOR GUESTS WHEN YOU SIGN UP!


THERE IS A DRESS CODE AT THE COMMONWEALTH CLUB (COAT AND TIE FOR MEN, BUSINESS CASUAL FOR WOMEN). THOSE WITHOUT PROPER ATTIRE WILL NOT BE ADMITTED PER THE CLUB'S RULES. WE APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE.




Get more information


Register Now!



Thank you so much for your inspiration and hard work in the tea party movement. Together, we can build a state wide network of activists and educators to stop the propaganda and truly educate and engage our children, the future leaders of the last great hope for mankind- America! Please feel free to contact us. See you on July 30th!


Sincerely,


Ms. Kerry Scott


Alexandria Tea Party


mail@alexandriateaparty.com


434-825-0609


Mrs. Rita Grace


Constitutional Tea Party


ccteaparty@gmail.com


540-937-3757



Mr. Ed Ametteti


NRIE.org

The Promise and The Reality

President Obama was swept into office with such great hope. He was “The One” to bring about the change this country was looking for. The country was tired of the Bush administration. The left was crying foul each and every day and the media was a willing helper in spreading the word of how terrible President Bush was.



To the far left in this country Obama was the hope of all the dreams of getting a nanny state implemented in this country. The far left is very vocal in its desire to get “the rich”, after all they are evil. They are going to do what God himself cant and make the world fair. Obama is the most pro abortion president this country has ever had. While the public rhetoric is “rare and safe” the goal is allow women (and girls for that matter) to have abortion on demand at anytime up to birth. And hey, let’s make it free while we are at it. Obama is arguably the most liberal president this country has every elected. He was the promise for the socialists that have taken over the democratic party.


Two and half years in and reality has set in. Not just for the left who are seeing the promises unkept, but the rest of the country who were too blinded to see what President Obama really is. Obama is not the democratic party of old. He represents the new socialist wing that many thought the right was being hyperbolic to point out.


The democratic party of old (while I still disagree with much of) believes in The American Dream. They believe that if they work hard and catch a good break, they too can live a comfortable life, give their children things that their parents were unable to provide for them. The democratic party of old wanted people to succeed. The idea of being a financial success wasn’t evil. John Kennedy was the democratic party of old. He didn’t try to hide his family’s fortune, nor did he apologize for it. People looked at how the Kennedy family succeeded and hoped that one day that could be their children too. He wasn’t evil, forgetting for the moment how Joe Kennedy obtained much of that money.


The far left is frustrated that Obama hasn’t fulfilled the promise. They are actually thinking to themselves that Obama is a centrist that is spending too much time giving into the evil republican demands. Only someone completely delusional would be of that mindset. But what the far left refuses to see let alone accept is that America doesn’t want to go down this road.


Americans don’t want to work three-part time jobs because they can’t find a full-time one that pays them a livable wage. Americans don’t want to see our debt grow and grow on a daily basis. Americans don’t want to be Greece.


The reality is hitting Americans in the face. Keynesian economic models are unsustainable. Spreading the wealth is not making their lives easier, it is making them harder. Spending billions of dollars in “stimulus” that was in reality a pay off for getting Obama elected has hurt our economy even further. People are seeing for themselves that public union pensions are hurting everyday taxpayers who are not lucky enough to find themselves receiving one. People are seeing for themselves that the unions are standing in the way of much-needed reform of our public school system. People are seeing for themselves that under the model of the far left their American Dream is slipping away.


People are seeing for themselves that Obama is not the democrat of old. He is the part of the socialist wing that has infiltrated their party. The question is what do they do about it? Do they stay home next November? Do they pull the lever for the president because they can’t vote for a republican? Only time will tell.


But I think America has realized that the promise that swept Obama into office will go unfulfilled.

Quote of the Day - Margery Eagan Edition

Michelle and the girls would be crushed, no doubt, to pass up two weeks in Chilmark. But there are millions of other kids who are feeling pretty miserable this summer, too, and their daddies had nothing to do with this mess.

Boston Herald Columist on President Obama's Planned Vacation to the Vineyard next month. 

Hmm, did she just suggest that her beloved President Obama is making the ecomony worse?  Sounds like it to me. 

Read the whole OP-ED Here

Just Another Day in Progressive La La Land

As most of you are aware, I live in very progressive area of Virginia. Sometimes it is all I can do to keep myself from screaming. This is one of those times. As you may have read, I have befriended a young woman who finds herself in the horrible situation of being homeless. I have been trying to do my best to help her. Well, her blog has become somewhat of a sensation with my progressive neighbors. Mind you, they have done next to nothing to help her, but they like reading about her plight.


Today, I was outside in my yard. For some reason I thought I would get fresh air out there. But I quickly realized that no fresh air was to be had. One of my neighbors decided to stop over and talk to me about my new friend. She really didn't want to talk so much as to lecture me. I was told what a great disservice I am doing this "poor little waif" by not encouraging her to get help from the people who can really help her; the government.


So the air just become more dense as this conversation continued. Now, I have some health issues that I am dealing with so there is no room at the inn. I wish that there were, but I cannot have her move in with me at this moment in time. Issues that I might add that the progressive next door is well aware of. So she was telling me that I needed to get on her the list for housing by the government. Ok, that list dates back to 2006 (must be Bush's fault) and they are no longer adding names. Then we moved onto food stamps. Ok, you cannot get food stamps if you dont' have an address. Her using a false address is a felony. Since she is not an illegal alien she would actually be punished if she got caught. OK, Next? There was no next really, except for an additional lecture on my lack of real compassion. After all, I am conservative. What could I possibly know about compassion or really helping someone? I need to leave it to the progressive experts.


Now, let's see I helped her get a job, albeit a temporary one, but a job nonetheless, that not only gives her some money to keep gas in her car and the ability to buy food it also gives her a sense of accomplishment everyday. She also has learned something about herself watching after these kids. She realizes how much she really loves being around children. This is a new experience for her. One that will make the transition into motherhood a little easier.


Now, what exactly has my neighbor done? Oh, that would be nothing. She has a good-sized home and her children are older. After all the girl is out tramping around nightly(she has done things in my pool, that I have not even done), so they have room in their house. (Ok, maybe the tramp remark was a little much, but if the shoe fits..........). She has not offered to help find her job, she has not offered to give her a place to stay on a temporary basis, she has not (as far as I know) hit the tip jar on her blog. Yet, I am doing the girl a disservice. I am trying to provide a safety net for her until she can get back onto her feet. A safety net that her precious government was unable to provide. She applied for help and was rejected at every turn. I guess the rich have not paid enough in taxes to cover the "little waif". Hey, you high income earners (which by the way she is one), get out your wallets.......the safety net isn't quite as safe as she thought. You need to pay more. Taxes, we need more taxes. Like I said, no fresh air to be found.


Oh, it was really hazy, hot and humid today too.

Shame on you Mr. Cain - Shame on You.

Today, Herman Cain made a return visit to Fox News Sunday. During his interview with Chris Wallace Mr. Cain invoked a liberal talking point. Mr. Cain wrongly believes that Murfreesboro has the right to deny permits to build a Mosque.

Our Constitution guarantees separation of church and state

Oh, really Mr. Cain? Where in the Constitution does it say that? Mr. Cain am I safe to presume that you feel it is OK for the ACLU to continue its assault on Christmas celebrations? Because this is the exact same talking point that is used to stop Christmas trees being put up in town squares across the country. This is the same talking point that allows someone other than the student to decide what they say in their valedictorian speech. This is the same talking point that liberals have been using for close to century to deny the fact that the founding fathers wanted to create a country where ALL were allowed to worship openly, publicly, and how they so choose.

If I want the right to stand up and defend this right against the assaults to faith I see coming from the left, then I must, in good conscience, stand up against the very same assault that I see coming from the right. One of the great things about this country is that you are free to or free not to worship.

This statement is nothing more than fear; fear of radical Islam. Radical Islam is something to fear. Radical Islam does exist in this world. There is such a thing as creeping Sharia. But, for a potential presidential nominee to stand up and display this type of broadbrushing of an entire population of people in this country boggles the mind. This statement is basically saying that every Muslim in this country has been radicalized. This statement is wrong, ignorant, and just downright stupid. I know Muslims that came to this country to escape the extremism that they witnessed in their home countries. They came to this country to be free to worship as they chose to, not the way groups like the Taliban, Hamas and Hezbollah were trying to tell them they had to worship. They are no more likely to strap a bomb on themselves in the name of Allah than I am.

The last thing we need is yet another president that doesn't understand what is in the Constitution or is willing to pervert it in order to justify a unconsitutional stance. We have had plenty of those and that is one of the reasons that we are in the mess that we are in.

Go here and read some accounts of a conservative who lives in that community. If we allow fear to change who we are as a country and as a people, the terrorists have won. I stand with the Constitution. I hope you will join me.

The Nanny State Never Ends - The Healthy Media for Youth Act

Senator Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) and Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis) are pushing a bill to be passed in order to have a healthier image for girls set in the media; The Healthy Media for Youth Act. While I will agree that young girls are bombarded with unhealthy images all the time. We have models that are airbrushed to the point that they don't even look like the image that is portrayed in the magazine or billboard, they also are sometimes deadly thin. These images alone can push some tweens and teens into the grips of anorexia.


We have sexualized our children in ways that we tell them pretty much anything goes. We lie to them about abortion being nothing more than getting rid of a problem and the unborn child they are carrying is nothing more than a "bunch of cells". None of this is a healthy way to raise our girls so that they become happy and well-adjusted adults.

The Healthy Media for Youth Act takes a three-pronged approach to promote healthy media messages about girls and women. First, the bill creates a competitive grant program to encourage and support media literacy programs and youth empowerment groups. The bill also facilitates research on how depictions of women and girls in the media affect youth. Finally, it establishes a National Taskforce on Women and Girls in the Media, which will develop voluntary standards that promote healthy, balanced, and positive images of girls and women in the media for the benefit of all youth.

This bill was announced yesterday at press conference with both Hagan and Baldwin. They were joined by CEO of Girl Scouts of America Kathy Cloninger and Actress Geena Davis.

A survey by Girl Scouts of the USA's (GSUSA) Research Institute, Girls and Body Image, found that 89% of girls say the fashion industry places a lot of pressure on teenage girls to be thin. The American Psychological Association's (APA) Report on the Sexualization of Girls (2007) found that three of the most common mental health problems among girls—eating disorders, depression or depressed mood, and low self-esteem—are linked to the sexualization of girls and women in media. And according to the Geena Davis Institute of Gender in Media, despite being 50 percent of the U.S. population, in family films and television, male characters outweigh female characters nearly three to one and five to one in background or group scenes, a statistic that has remained the same since 1946. Only 27 percent of the speaking characters are female. (GDIGM)

Geena Davis' role in this press conference I found particularly insulting:

"I am in the industry and I want to keep working. We are kind of like Switzerland -- we don't put down specific movies, we don't single out anybody."

It would be unfair to say that Ms. Davis has not worked on this issue in the past. She has founded The Geena Davis Institute of Gender in Media. A non-profit that works to try to disspell some of the stereotypes of woman that are shown to our young girls. Not only do I stand up cheer her for this effort, I would donate money to the cause. I don't think that the images we show young women are healthy. I firmly believe that we do a great disservice to our children with some of the things that they see on T.V. and in movies.

Where I have a big problem with what she did yesterday is the fact that she feels that government has a role to play in this. This is a woman who is in the very industry that creates many of these stereotypes and refuses to call them out for it. Instead, she would rather that government get involved in creating non-profits to be used as a counter measure to the very content she puts out there as an acting professional. At least the Girl Scouts statement is looking to address some of the real issues; sexualization of children, depression, and eating disorders.

Ms. Davis' involvement seems to end after "gender equality". More progressive PC nonsense that says we as woman are victims and being held back from doing and being all the we can be because of an unfair male dominated world. Her view of world will actually increase the problems that Girl Scouts report has listed. Ms. Davis is of the mind that women should be out having sex because if it is a man can do it, so can a woman. This is one of the very things that it causing the higher rates of depression, low self-image, and eating disorders to begin with. We should be teaching them that how they look isn't important. We should be teaching them our actions have consequences. We should be teaching them that boys who try to pressure you into having sex when you are not ready don't care about you. If they cared about you they would respect your choice. We should teaching them the way to get ahead is through education and an unexpected pregnancy could end that dream for them. We should be teaching them that abortion can be a soul killer.

We have very serious problems in this country. Having the government get involved in our lives in this type of way is not the way to solve them. The things discussed in this bill is the job of the parents. It is up to the parents to monitor how much T.V. a child is viewing. It is up to the parents to pay attention to the reading material that is brought into the home. It is up to the parents to understand the content of the movies that you are allowing your child to watch. This is not the job of the federal government.

If Geena Davis really cared about this issue as much as she claims, she would call out the people in Hollywood. She would do it loudly and by name. This is not the job of our government. This is the job of parents and society as a whole to start demanding that Hollywood be accountable for the trash they are putting out on the screens that affect how our children--and society for that matter--view ourselves. If we didn't watch this crap, they would stop making it. After all, Hollywood is one of those evil capitalistic industries.

Quote of the Day - Keith Ellison Edition

“This is an era of extremism. These same people that want to shrink government so that you can drown it in a bathtub also want Mom to get back in the kitchen and take her shoes off and get pregnant. You understand? They are offended by strong, powerful women. And here’s the sad part: some of them are women themselves. Michele Bachmann would be an example.”

Michele Bachmann thinks so strongly that women only belong in the kitchen barefoot and pregnant, she is going to run for president to prove it. 
Only a liberal could use that logic and get away with it. 

Oh, by the way Mr. Ellison - How many women were beaten in the name of Islam today?  Just wondering.

The New Faces of Homelessness - Updates Part 2

I helped the young woman find a temporary job for a few weeks at my church's day camp. It won't solve her problems but it will keep her busy and give her some money to make sure she has food for a bit. She is still interviewing for a full-time job and is not having much luck as of yet.


She really is a very sweet girl. A sweet girl who is having a political awakening of sorts. She is seeing for herself what government intervention into the private market is doing to her job prospects. She really took exception to Plouffe's remarks on how people will not be voting on the unemployment numbers. She had something she had to get off her chest. I think you find it interesting.

Please pop over and give her some words of encouragement. The 18K new job numbers has really upset her. She has a message for Mr. Plouffe and President Obama.

Have Love Toys, Will Travel

Well, thank heavens. The TSA has finally given us instructions on how to bring our “love toys” on the plane without embarrassment.


Ready ladies?

1. Nothing over 7 inches in length

2. Remove batteries before packing

3. And last, but not least keep your lube to under 3 ounces.

Now that we have this straightened out, maybe they can figure out how to stop harassing toddlers and terminally ill elderly women.

The Face of Evil

This picture borders on demonic. 

Casey in court today hearing when she will be getting out of jail.  Pure Evil. 

If This is Feminism, I Say No Thanks - Reporter Stages Her Own Rape to Cure PTSD

Mac McClelland had a "friend" of hers violently "rape" her. Why you may ask? She is a civil rights reporter from Mother Jones who was in Haiti covering the continuing aftermath of the earthquake ravaged country. While there she went to the hospital with a woman who was raped and beaten by gunpoint. The culture in Haiti does not look upon women who are raped as victims. As such, she was given very harsh treatment by the doctor she saw. She was no victim, just some slut that got what she deserved. Sadly, this is a mentality across much of the third world. On the taxi ride back to her camp, the woman came across one of the men who raped her. Her emotion overwhelmed the reporter:

Last September, the first time I went to Haiti, I spent my first day out accompanying a rape victim we'll call Sybille to the hospital. The way her five attackers had maimed her in addition to sexually violating her was unspeakable. The way the surgeon who was going to try to reconstruct the damage yelled at her, telling her she'd got what was coming to her because she was a slut, was unconscionable. And the way Sybille went into a full paroxysm when we were on the way back to the post-quake tarp city she lived in was the worst thing I ever saw in my life. We were sitting in traffic and saw one of her rapists, and she started just SCREEEAMING a few inches away from my face, her eyes wide and rolling in abject terror.

After this experience the reporter returned to her life in San Francisco. Or at least tried to. She started exhibiting symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder to the point that she decided to seek help from a therapist. She had her therapy while she was trying to deal with her symptoms. At one point she told her therapist:

"All I want is to have incredibly violent sex," I told Meredith. Since I'd left Port-au-Prince, I could not process the thought of sex without violence. And it was easier to picture violence I controlled than the abominable nonconsensual things that had happened to Sybille.


Eventually her therapist agreed that staging a rape that was violent would be a good idea. The therapist asked her if she knew someone she trusted enough. Apparently, she did:

We'd done this sort of thing before. But at dinner I'd told him, voice shaking, about my PTSD. This time, the fight would be rougher and the stakes higher. And so he paused. "Okay," he said. "I love you, okay?" I said, I know, okay. And with that he was on me, forcing my arms to my sides, then pinning them over my head, sliding a hand up under my shirt when I couldn't stop him. The control I'd lost made my torso scream with anxiety; I cried out desperately as I kicked myself free. But it didn't matter how many times I managed to knock him over to the other side of the bed. He's got 60 pounds on me, plus the luxuries of patience and fearlessness. When I got out from under him and started to scramble away, he simply caught me by a leg or an upper arm or my hair and dragged me back. By the time he pinned me by my neck with one forearm so I was forced to use both hands to free up space between his elbow and my windpipe, I'd largely exhausted myself.


And just like that, I'd lost. It's what I was looking for, of course. But my body—my hard-fighting, adrenaline-drenched body—reacted by exploding into terrible panic. The comforting but debilitating blanket of tension that'd for weeks been wrapped around my chest solidified into a brick. Then the weight of his body, and of the inevitability of my defeat, descended on my ribcage. My worn-out muscles went so taut that they ached. I stopped breathing.


I did not enjoy it in the way a person getting screwed normally would. But as it became clear that I could endure it, I started to take deeper breaths. And my mind stayed there, stayed present even when it became painful, even when he suddenly smothered me with a pillow, not to asphyxiate me but so that he didn't break my jaw when he drew his elbow back and slammed his fist into my face. Two, three, four times. My body felt devastated but relieved; I'd lost, but survived. After he climbed off me, he gathered me up in his arms. I broke into a thousand pieces on his chest, sobbing so hard that my ribs felt like they were coming loose

This women did women who are victims of this unspeakable act of violence a huge disservice. Rape victims don't get to decide who rapes them. Victims don't get a pillow put over their face to lessen the blows. Victims don't get held while they are crying afterwards. Victims have no choices. They are simply a person in the wrong place at the wrong time and become victimized. A trauma that stays with them for the rest of their lives in many cases.


What is most disturbing is the comments at the end of the article. Apparently to the left she is a hero. She went into the "belly of the beast" says one, another thanks her for her courage, and can feel the love and the pain in her story. There is love in this story?


If this is what it takes to be a liberal feminist, I say no thank you. I will pass. Another thing, I am not sure I want a friend like Issac. Call me crazy, but a man who is willing to beat me is not someone I want to hang out with.



 

My Thoughts Exactly

Happy Birthday America

Today we celebrate the birth of America.  The great experiment started 235 years ago. 

Here are some fireworks from New York City a few years back.  I will tell you, New York's maybe larger.  But Washington, DC's are better.  Sorry New York, just the truth. 

I don't go into DC anymore.  I can actually sit on my back porch and watch fireworks.  No traffic and I can have my jammies on if I want.  The show is smaller, but you can't beat the commute. 

Enjoy!!!

The New Faces of Homelessness - Updates

I spoke with my new friend yesterday as I wanted to hear about her job interview.  She was quite pleased with how it went.  They did a first round interview and testing and then will be making appointments for a second interview.  She was told that she would be getting a second round interview, but they wanted to do it once all three of the people are there at once.  Which won't be until August.  Wow, that is long time to wait.  Why bother doing the first round now?  Makes no sense to me.  But, I am not a hiring manager, so what do I know? 

One of my neighbors read about her on my blog (who knew she read it, she is one of those dreaded democrats).  She had yard work that needed to be done that she just hadn't gotten around to doing since the kids have been out of school.  She hired her to get it accomplished.  She showed up on time and did the work, and did a fine job I may add.  I believe my instincts about this young woman are correct.  She is down and out, not some lazy person looking for someone else to pick up the tab.   She passed the criminal check that my church did before allowing her to work with the kids and all of her references checked out.  So she will be starting that job on Tuesday.  I just wish it paid more than $8.50 per hour.  But it is what it is and it will be a little something that she can put in the bank.  She told me that if she able to raise $5,000 even before she can get a full time job that will give her enough cushion that she can find a roommate situation and be OK.  I didn't ask her how much she has. 

I also encouraged her to put some of work experience on her profile so maybe she can network that way.  She doesn't want her name in anyway attached to the blog (who can blame her) so that if a employer googles her that won't pop up.  But, I said no personal info or company names is needed, just her skill sets. 

She has not posted about her job interview yet.  My neighbor used some of her husband's points to get her a hotel room for a few days.  I have this feeling that she is taking a good long sleep in since she has not been in a bed for quite some time.  Come to find out even when she had a place to live she was sleeping on the floor as her mattress was something that she sold as it was very expensive when she bought it originally.  People buy used mattresses?  Too much of an ick factor for me, but whatever. 

Stop over at her blog and send some encouraging words.  She really is working to get herself out of this situation and some kindness will go a long way. 

So it Begins - The Palinazation of Bachmann

Everyone on the right knew that Bachmann would get the PDS (Palin Derangement Syndrome) treatment once her polls numbers started to climb.  Everyone on the right knew that her poll numbers would climb.  Not because she is some sort of lock for the nomination, but because Bachmann isn't afraid to say what the base wants to hear.  She stands up and says that Obama must be a one term president, she stands up and says that we, as a nation, are in real trouble if we don't get our spending under control.  She stands up; and the Tea Party and the religious right love her for it.  It was just a matter of time for her poll numbers to reflect that.

Well, she is now polling second in Iowa behind Romney.  She is only 1 point behind him and they have quite a lead over the third place Herman Cain.  Congresswoman Bachmann made her "official" announcement yesterday in her birthplace in Waterloo, Iowa.  A place that John Wayne's family did live in briefly by the way.  She personalized that town with stories of her time in the elementary school and the street she grew up on.  Stories of her mom and her dad, and wove that into a narrative about middle America and the dreams that we still hold dear.  Dreams that she hopes to get government out of the way so we can pursue again. 

I was reading some of the coverage as I missed most of the speech yesterday.  I came across this article on a CNN blog.  The post was more about Bachmann's dedication to her faith than the announcement.  The question they are asking is she the Evangelical Feminist.  Bachmann, like myself, is a Evangelical Lutheran.  She prays daily and believes that God is instrumental in how she lives her life and gives her guiding force for the direction her life takes.  A concept that the far left and at least some in media find abhorrent.  The article itself isn't overly anti-Bachmann nor is it overly anti-Christian. 

But take a look at the photo they decided to use:

This photo is so unflattering.  Regardless of where you may fall on the political spectrum and if you agree with her political stances, Bachmann is a very attractive 50-something woman.  I have more wrinkles than she does and I am a decade younger.  She obviously takes very good care of herself and this is the photo that they choose? 

This photo is designed to make her look bad.  Even though the coverage in the article seems fair minded, they have to get that dig in any way they can.  I know because that is what I have done from time to time.  I find the most unflattering photo I can find of say Nanny Pelosi to demonstrate my point.  So you can't convince me that she isn't the intention of CNN. 

Bachmann will made to look almost demonic because of her religious and political views.  Women in general get treated this way by the media and it just gets that much worse when that woman is pro-life, religious, and a member of the GOP. 

If you really want to see how we now have BDS (Bachmann Derangement Syndrome) go take a look at the comments under this article.  People are sick, especially when it comes to a person being open about their faith in God. 

As a side note, I love it when liberals tell the truth:  One commenter said:

A feminist believes women have the right to choose... therefore, Bachmann is not a feminist. Story done.

So, it is true that feminism is now only about one issue; abortion.  Thanks for the confirmation.

The New Faces of Homelessness

Living outside of Washington, DC you see awful examples of homelessness. Within mere blocks from the White House you see people sleeping on grates. Virtually every metro station has people standing with signs asking for food and/or money. It is really quite shameful. Many homeless are mentally ill or substance abusers. You can't help anyone that is unwilling to help themselves, no matter how hard you may try.


Outside of the grocery store I used to shop at there was always a young man who was obviously homeless. I would pick him up a sandwich while I was in the store. He never appeared to be high or drunk to me nor did he ever ask me for money. A couple of times I needed help moving furniture or something else heavy and I paid him to move the things. He never stole anything and did a very good at any task that I requested. Then I noticed I had not seen him in a while and read in the paper that the homeless man who had been hit by a bus had died after a time in a coma, he is his late twenties if I remember correctly. I assumed it was him. It made me very sad. He seemed like a good guy who was just down and out, and I has always wished I had tried to do more to help him.

I have spending some time recently at the Lincoln Memorial. It is one of my very favorite views of D.C. I have been taking one of my all time favorite people with me. We talk about our day, get some ice cream, and just share some time together. I want him to have a special memory of that place that every time he goes there he remembers the time we spent together. A trigger memory as it were.

Yesterday I noticed someone who looked familiar to me with homeless please help sign written on a beat up piece of cardboard. I almost never carry cash. I am debit card girl. So, I just kept walking to my destination. I had to use the bathroom and needed to walk past her again. I noticed she was reading Atlas Shrugged. Which of course I found amusing and ironic. I looked again, and yes indeed I did recognize her. She recently started showing up at some tea party and election events that I have been to in the past few months. I went over to ask what she needed.

When she saw someone coming with children with them she moved her sign. I went and asked her why she did that and she told me that she realized that children don't always understand the very real reasons why adults are hesitant to give money to strangers. These people didn't know her story and many assume she is addict or something. I asked if drugs were the reason she was here. She explained it was simply a recession issue for her. She lost her job three years ago and could only find a job in retail sales that paid her commission. She did ok for the first two years and but then she ran out of her savings. Her job then cut her commission level in half and then cut her hours in half as well. She even said Target turned her down for a job. She simply got an email saying that they were not interested at this time and reapply in six months. Something that left her very depressed and feeling desperate.

I asked her what her most immediate need was (besides a job that pays a livable wage) and she told me she needed to do laundry. She was almost completely out of clean clothes. I didn't notice anything with her and she explained she has a car and keeps her things in her car. I asked if her car was close by and it was. I went with her and picked up her laundry. I brought it back clean a few hours later along with the food I had in the house that didn't require cooking or refrigeration. Mainly snacky foods like Lorna Doones, Cheerios and Granola Bars. I also stopped and got her a hot meal from Whole Foods.

I remember hearing about a tent city that has erected in Seattle. While Seattle seems to be a Mecca of sorts of homeless because of year round mild weather and permissive city laws, apparently it has grown since the recession has been hitting the country. It got me thinking of how many other people who have just fallen through the cracks and end up on the streets. It really is quite sad.

I also wanted to know what led her to start becoming more involved with Tea Party events. She told me that she is a conservative person but not really a joiner. She was working hard to keep her head above water when the Tea Party first started and just didn't have the time or the desire to get involved although she agreed with the basic concepts. She admitted that part of it for her is a time filler and a temperature controlled place to go for a few hours. She has never spoken to anyone that I have seen. She comes in, listens and leaves a bit early.

She explained to me that she knew this coming for a while and held it off as long as she could, but just couldn't make the rent anymore. She thought she had prepared herself but has found out that it is an incremental experience. Your life becomes about surviving today. Having enough food for today. Finding a safe place to sleep tonight. Looking at tomorrow is hard and looking at next week is next to impossible. She went through a period of depression for the first month or so but has been able to shake that off. She realized that this is her life and only she can get herself out of it. She keeps herself clean and has started filling out job applications again. She has a job interview later this week. She told me that she has been able to keep her phone turned on so can find a job. She says that is one of her biggest fears is that she will lose her phone service or her computer will get stolen. She knows she will never find a job if those things happen. She has found places that she feels safe to sleep. The hard part now is filling all the hours without getting very depressed.

I talked to someone at my church today. They have an opening for someone to help with the summer camp. It won't pay much and it is only for a few weeks, but it will help. The pastor said there are plenty of other people around and they will run a criminal background check just to be sure. My church also has a house, but presently that is being filled by a woman and her kids who were being abused and needed a safe place to stay until she can get on her feet. So I am not able to find her a temporary place to live, at least not yet.

Since I love blogging so much I told her she should start a blog and keep a record of her experience. It may help someone else who finds themselves in similar circumstances. She told me that she did start one but gave it up pretty quickly because of the depression. I told her she needed to start it up again. She told me she would. Here is the address if you want to read her story. There isn't much there, but it is interesting reading.

I am going to try to find her later today or tomorrow and tell her about the summer camp position. Wish me luck in finding her and wish her luck in her endeavor to get her life back on track. I will update you later.

Family Time and Summer Movies in DC

Every year DC has free movies under the stars (or clouds in this week's  case).  Thursday the movie was E.T.  Believe it or not, I had never seen it.  But, it is good wholesome family fun that is free. 

Picnicking down by the river and watching a movie under the stars is part of the summer here in D.C.

The Blind Side and Dirty Dancing were postponed due to bad weather and will replay at the end.  Most of the movies are kid friendly.  So if you in DC and free on a Thursday night join me for a night at the movies.  Just bring some bug spray and a blanket and you are good to go.  It is great way to create some memories for your kids.  Parking has been easy to find so far. 

Language Matters

As we mature we can see things from a different perspective that we just don't possess as a younger person. We bring our past experiences as we age, or at least we hope. I have been thinking a great deal about these experiences of late. As a younger person I wasn't comfortable in my own skin and couldn't always express my thoughts very well. So remembering my past experiences even when I was young was a good way for me to put my thoughts together. Here are some of the things that I have experienced and witnessed.


I traveled a great deal outside of the U.S. when I was younger. Mostly Europe, but I spent some time in the Middle East. I also travelled to a few countries that were just lifting the veil of communism. I saw brutality out in the open, but was most surprised the reaction to the other people out in the streets when this brutality had taken place. They basically just ran away. As an older person I have a better understanding of geopolitics and it isn't all that surprising due to the fear that these people lived with on a daily basis. Ending up in jail in Egypt could very well cost you life and limb in the most literal of senses. The population didn't dare talk about overbearing police in public. There was no cable news shows to talk to.

I remember when I came home from Israel I almost got down on my knees and kissed the American ground I was standing on. Israel is a beautiful country and I have been back several times since my teenage years. I love it there, but I would never live there. The everyday very real threat of war and violence is a great deal for the mind to wrap itself around. At least for me. And by far Israel was the safest and most free country that I visited in the Middle East.


Life and career went on. It included doing fundraising for politicians. Even a presidential campaign. The 2004 George W. Bush re-election campaign (yeah you can partially blame me). I learned so much during that campaign. I never worked so hard, learned so much, or had such a feeling of accomplishment on election night. We won against many barriers. The CBS lies so close to election day, an unpopular war, and a media that hated the President.


One of the most important lessons I learned from this experience is that a presidential election is won by a relatively small number of independents in a handful of states. Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Missouri are some of the usual suspects. These voters don't normally pay a great deal of attention before September or October. They are generally not primary voters and a healthy percentage of them only vote during a presidential election years. They vote mainly on kitchen table issues and are very turned off by the extremes on both sides of the aisle. In some ways the presidential campaign comes down to a personality contest. Which person do you want showing up in your living room over the next four years. ridiculous to me, but for some reason not to them. This is not to say that negative campaigning doesn't work, obvious since both sides do it, it does work. If it didn't you would hear it anymore. But, campaign realize that there are lines that they cannot cross without running the risk of losing more voters than they would pick up. It is control tested to death. Campaigns spend a great deal of money doing the research.


The electorate also doesn't want to be lied to, at least not in terms of short-term. It seems that Americans still want to hold onto the notion that Medicare and Social Security are not in real trouble, but basically speaking they want to believe that a politician is capable of telling the truth, saying what they mean, and meaning what they say. What they don't want to hear about is FEMA camps for the masses, forged and or missing birth certificates, and that we are now living in a police state.


As the presidential election campaign season is gearing up I have become increasingly concerned of some of the rhetoric and hyperbole that is out there. The independents aren't going to buy into it and more than they bought into the far left claims of Bush's fascism and the police state he had created during his first term in office. It is more than likely these claims helped get him elected by swaying some of the independents away from the candidate that they associate with those claims. Even if that politician isn't using those terms themselves, guilt by association is alive and well in presidential politics.


Our society is open enough that we see images from around the world of real cases of a police state. We all saw the video of the young woman in Iran being murdered for showing up at a protest. The images of Tiananmen Square are now iconic. The images that we see of America are of average citizens showing up at tea parties across the country. Not one single arrest and no citizens being stopped at getting out their point of view. We have no curfews. We have free and (mostly) fair elections. We all witnessed the peaceful exchange of power in the House of Representatives in January. Not things that normally happen in a police state or FEMA camps.

By jumping on the crazy train of hyperbole and sheer exaggeration we get a one way non stop ticket to the acceptance speech of Obama's second term. Not an acceptable outcome as far as I am concerned. An outcome that will not allow this country to recover from the over-spending and choking over-regulation that is killing growth in this country. Presidents become even more ideological in their second terms, no elections left and they have the freedom to create their "legacy". history back this up.


This is not to say that we don't talk about the over reaching government. We talk about in terms that people relate to in their own lives and own life experiences. It is no accident that you never heard a high-ranking republican saying that Obama was born in Kenya. It would be political suicide with independents. They will not elect someone who they believe are part of the lunatic fringe. Campaigns spend a small fortune on messaging and testing that messaging for a reason. Language matters.