30 September 2008

What a Dad

Alerted by his daughter's scream, 64-year-old man in Indiana killed a sex offender who broke into his home and was on his way to attacking the man's 17-year-old daughter.

The police spokesman said the dad didn't appear to have tried to kill the intruder - just tried to hold him and keep him away from his daughter - but either way, I believe he should get a plaque for "Services Rendered to Society."

My Thoughts This Morning

President Bush: "I'm disappointed that the bill failed."

Me: "Okay."

President Bush/Congress: "We'll keep trying to pass something."

Me: "Okay. And I'll keep calling to keep the government from screwing the economy even worse."

29 September 2008

Wow - Could We Have Actually Stopped It?

Just heard the latest roll call vote being 220-something against, 190-something for... with a few votes outstanding.

Does that mean the Bailout Bill failed? I'm keeping my fingers crossed...

Updates as I hear more...
[12:08 MDT] YES... FOR NOW. We'll just have to let the market fix itself.

[17:01] (Final count: 228 Nay - 205 Yea) Buckle up... it's going to be a very, VERY bumpy ride, and I'm pretty sure it's not the last we'll see of attempts to destroy the engine of the country, either. We're in a very, very dangerous place right now - economically and philosophically, and if we don't stand on principle, we'll end up in an even worse place than we're already headed.

[17:26] What the heck?!?! Check this out:
  • "The Federal Reserve will pump an additional $630 billion into the global financial system, flooding banks with cash to alleviate the worst banking crisis since the Great Depression." and
  • "The Term Auction Facility, the Fed's emergency loan program, will expand by $300 billion to $450 billion." THAT IS A 200% INCREASE!!! Carefully worded for scanning readers, but DANG.
Doesn't look like the Fed needed any additional authorization.

26 September 2008

I Think I've Come to a Direction

I think I've finally started leaning very strongly on the proposed "$700B" bailout. (The quotes are because we should probably quadruple any government estimates...)

Up until yesterday around noon, I was very conflicted. And like Sarah at Trying to Grok, I didn't feel smart enough to blog the bailout. I needed more information, and I needed to see clearly the "lesser of two weevils," as it were.

Then I heard more from Speaker Pelosi.

To paraphrase, since it was a radio blurb and I haven't yet seen it online: "we can't just bail out these companies and do nothing for the little people."

Oh, wow. That helped a lot.

Bailing out these companies is (theoretically, propaganda-ly) designed to keep us little people's savings and jobs and finances intact. Why would we need something else?

Then Congress introduced another massive stimulus package last night.

And oh, wow. That helped more.

This is absolutely not about "helping." This is about taking over our lives - in answer to our desperate plea to fix the mess that CONGRESS CREATED by sticking their fingers in the markets!!!

I don't WANT the government to own my house, if/when we buy one again.

I don't WANT the government to own my husband's work or his workplace.

I don't WANT the government to own my financial products.

I mean, name the last time government got involved and things got better.

Even the architects of it don't think it'll fix things - otherwise, why propose an additional stimulus package? (More debt and dependency....)

So... now that this bailout is revealed to be exactly what it sounded like before the confusing propaganda started, namely: an unconscionable power grab to socialize the country by blindfolding and holding hostage the American people; I DO feel smart enough to blog about it. At least on principle.

What's coming is UGLY. But I'm finally of the opinion that what Congress, the Fed, and the Executive branch are doing is not going to help.

And I oppose it.

-- Very interesting source (h/t Drudge) --
from http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0908/13918.html:
  • "one option would be to make clear that the secretary needn’t be confined to buying up bad debts" - oh, why in the world would we limit governmental power???
  • "Pelosi will be reluctant to expose her members if House Republicans are sitting out the process." - if you're so sure it's right, Ms. Pelosi, GROW A SPINE and stand up for it!!! Looks like she's just afraid of being "exposed."
  • "Those principles will include improved oversight of the program, as well as a plan to phase in the $700 billion investment in stages, while still assuring the administration a virtual free hand for at least the first $350 billion." (emphasis mine) Pardon me???
  • "And when Democrats left to caucus in the Roosevelt Room, Paulson pursued them, begging that they not “blow up” the legislation. ... The former Goldman Sachs CEO [Paulson] even went down on one knee as if genuflecting, to which Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Cal.) is said to have joked, 'I didn’t know you were Catholic.'" EXCUSE ME?!?! Yeah, joke about it, Madame Speaker, but we don't kneel before other mortals in this country. And I'd prefer NOT to have our economy bowing to Congress.

25 September 2008

Citizen Action... in Action

A Yemeni journalist - jailed for "insulting the President" - has been freed after worldwide citizen action.

Yep, CITIZEN action. No government sanctions, no government programs...

CITIZEN. ACTION.

To quote from the article quoted at Jawa, regarding human rights, "citizens are taking matters into their own hands without waiting for governments to act."

As long as citizens are protecting human rights, (and not, say... honor killing...), HALLELUJAH!!!

The more we do oursleves, and the less we rely on government to do, the better-off we'll be... so never stop trying! To paraphrase a well-known saying, we can't all do everything, but each of us can do something.

24 September 2008

Another Reason to Love Sarah Palin

She can take it - with grace and humor.

When asked about the SNL skit where she was portrayed by Tina Fey, she said, "I thought it was hilarious. I thought she was spot on," Palin said. "Didn't hear a word she said, but the visual, spot on."

And - *heehee* - the resemblance has been so striking that, per the article, "she once dressed up as Fey for Halloween."

23 September 2008

"Gangland Diplomacy?"

Aw, HAY-ick no...

[Russia is wandering the world and happens to end up in the Caribbean... all this to play nice with Venezuela? See article here...]

To quote, "Enough is Enough!"

What. The. Heck.

I just completed a survey through a company I'll not name, since I understand that they're just the agents of questioning. I'm also resisting the (STRONG) temptation to post screen shots, for concern over copyright and confidentiality infringement.

But some of the questions were just blatant race-baiting, and I was highly affronted. I'd say "offended," but it's not quite right... "smacked in the face-shocked" is probably the best term.

They had indicators to measure how warmly you felt about "black people." And "white people."

Huh?

You'll have to name the individual to get an actual opinion! For example, I think very highly of Condoleezza Rice, and very poorly of, say, Michael Moore. I think Rev. Wright and Timothy McVeigh are/were hateful individuals. I think Bill Cosby and Mother Teresa and George Washington are/were wonderful individuals.

Isn't judging someone based on who they are and what they do as a human individual, (you know, "the content of their character"), what Dr. King was fighting for?

Another question pertained to whether Barack Obama is "black enough."

Okay - first response: outrage at stupidity of color-based assumptions. How on earth are we supposed to all get along if we keep asking questions based on the premise that people still hold assumptions about others based on how much melanin their skin produces?

Second, as a "white" person, how would I make that call? What could I say that wouldn't be taken as an insult?

Third, since that's been a common criticism from the "black community" (read: a bitter editorialist who happens to be black), I'd have to ask what you actually mean by "black." Are you just judging on skin color, or are there socio-economic factors at work? Like, how critics say Colin Powell, Condi Rice, Walter Williams, etc. are "not really black" because of their positions - in society and on the issues? Could a "white" person be "black" if they fit those socio-economic factors?

Fourth, I know that there are still some die-hard idiot racists in this country, but I'd venture to say that the vast majority of us aren't badmouthing any particular color, or making sweeping (negative) judgments about individuals based on what hue their genetic make-up produces. (Yes, regardless of what recent surveys say.) So enough with the stupid, prejudice-imbuing, "when did you stop beating your wife?" questions!!!

Or maybe I'm wrong, and we're all just haters, and I don't get out enough.

18 September 2008

Just for the Record

I know it's been a few days, but I feel obliged to blog that there is telephonic (?) evidence that Russia was indeed the aggressor in the latest Russo-Georgian conflict.

Meaning: Russia had tanks rolling into South Ossetia before Georgia did anything.

Just for the record.

11 September 2008

And on the 9-11 Anniversary

Never forget:

We face real evil.

Real horror.

And real courage can fight it...

...whatever size our sphere of influence may be.

Freedom of Speech

I don't support everything that President Bush does. Not even close.

But one thing that just drives me up and down the wall is when people talk about how Bush "censors" people who disagree with him... even though late night comedians, liberals everywhere, and the entire NYTimes staff are still walking free, not stuck in Gitmo.

The thing that these critics miss (besides that they're still able to publicize their oft-lauded critiques, however irrational), is where that's actually happening in the world.

Like China... and hey, even civilized places like Italy, where this comedienne faces jail time for insulting the Pope.

So liberals, don't talk to me about how evil Bush is and how he shuts down social or political discourse. You're still as free to blab - and insult whomever you want - as you ever were.

09 September 2008

Wow! Go, Justice Thomas!

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has recently given a speech that indicates he believes systems of racial preference are not only unconstitutional, but a just-plain-bad idea. Counterproductive, even. To quote him, "it almost trumps thinking." And to quote the news article:
He wrote with evident resentment in his autobiography "My Grandfather's Son" that he felt he was allowed to attend Yale Law School in the 1970s because of his race and took a tough course load to prove he was as able as his white classmates.
And that's exactly what good, hardworking people will (and do) feel when government provides "helps" in the system. It might be seen to take away from their accomplishment, if there is the spectre of preference - that they didn't really do it themselves and compete on a fair plane. And there's no way that they can prove to critics that they're truly "good enough." (Even if it's darn obvious, as in Justice Thomas's case.)

Plus, how insulting is it, to say, "you can't really do it... let me handicap your game" to people before they've even had a chance?!?! We're not talking about chivalry - we're talking about infantilizing people. It's lowering expectations based on their color or ethnic background. How is THAT not the "racist" position to take?

If, as a woman, I were graded on an easier scale in school or given a position at work largely (or at all) because of my gender, I would be highly affronted. I'm not a token; I'm an individual. I don't care what "plumbing" we have, or what shade of pale our skin may or may not be. I want to be evaluated as a contributing human being. And I may be projecting, but I think that's what other people want, too.

03 September 2008

Regarding Gov. Palin and Her Family

The broadcast media DISGUSTS me.

In fact, the word "disgusts" is not strong enough. My vocabulary isn't broad enough (although, for you LOTR fans out there, the language of Mordor might come close...)

Absolute hypocrites for the sake of political power.

At any rate, I need to pass along a GREAT link at a great blog, guest-written by one of my heroes; here are some snippets:
The news of Sarah Palin's 17 year old daughter didn't surprise me - it was me.
<snip>
That is the reality of teen pregnancy that doesn't end in abortion when your family is in politics. People are gleeful, and people are mean. And the very people who accuse others of being hypocrites are often the biggest hypocrites themselves.
Check it out.

02 September 2008

Great News from Iraq - ANBAR

The Anbar province (the one where most of the bad news has been coming out of for a long time now) has now been handed over to Iraqi control. (As of yesterday, actually...)

Sweet.

Big, BIG day for everyone!!!