...In a *Shopping* Basket

Meaning, how society is going all to ruin.

Honestly, after previous years, we weren't surprised to hear that someone was trampled at a store during Black Friday sales, but the severity and aftermath were shocking.

I mean, when you can't even get people to stop shopping for a death, WOW. And the people rushing into the store were trampling the other employees trying to help the man who'd been trampled. WOW.

Or how about when people are so feeling the holiday spirit that they erupt into a fistfight and then shoot each other in a Toys 'R' Us? WOW.

Hubby and I have been talking about the Wal-mart trampling incident since yesterday, and we sure hope the people involved are identified and prosecuted, because no matter how tearfully said, "but I had to get that TV!" probably won't make a very good defense in court... and it would only increase the human cost if everyone involved gets away with it simply due to being a mob.

Sending prayers to the victim's family and to the police working on identifying the guilty parties on the tape...

(Irony of the day: As I'm wrapping up this post, the Taco Bell "Not It" commercial is playing - the one where two friends are watching a third friend get chased around by a bull, both claiming "not it" to go help him...)

Prayers to India

Sending thoughts and prayers to India and the victims and their families there after the horrific attacks... (beware the copious graphic coverage).

And more prayers for the hostages still being held...

Time to Get Our Houses in Order

Not "again."

STILL.

$700 billion has all of a sudden ballooned in size to $7.4 TRILLION. (h/t: Drudge)

Things are going to get a heck of a lot worse, a heck of a lot faster.

All I can say is to get your house solvent, because our country is not... and it will never be as long as our runaway government keeps promising more of our FUTURE INCOME.

Also, CALL your representatives, senators, and the President. Tell them to stop the madness. Do your part to fight this grand theft while you're still allowed to do so.

Tagged!

I've been tagged! (And it sure took me a while to get this out there... started it last Friday!)

It's Just Me at Regular Voices tagged me as having a Fabulous Blog. *blushing* Thanks! I feel very flattered and more than a little overwhelmed! Regular Voices is a great blog that normal people can actually relate to, and from the conversations we've had so far, It's Just Me is not only honest, but open-minded and fair. Makes blogging a real treat, and I get a sense of how other people who are thinking, are thinking.

1. You have to pass it on to 5 other fabulous blogs in a post.
   So here, in no particular order (except as they occur to me... and only 5? I could go on for ages! As busy as these bloggers are, I'm not going to insist that they pass it on, though - no pressure! :-)):
   • Trying to Grok - Sarah is just all-around great to read. From politics to knitting to military life, she's got it covered, and her resources rock, too!
   • A Homeschooling Momma - Such a great resource for educational activities! Ann is thoroughly dedicated to teaching her sweet little girls, and she comes across the neatest sites!
     
   • Jen's Poetry Picks and Politics - Great issues and sources, and I love the poetry posts! What a way to nurture both sides of our brains!
     
   • Young Survivor - Jenn has not just survived, but thrived since her breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. She's worked incredibly hard and competed in the Gold's Gym fitness challenge two years in a row now, on top of taking care of her family and doing her job; she was even selected to be on a national panel this year. Such an inspiration!
     
   • Peaceable Walk - Wonderful site. It's a refuge, and a place for relief, uplifting thoughts, and reminders of what's really important.
     
   
   
2. You have to list 5 of your fabulous addictions in the post.
   • Umm... blogging. Definitely blogging.
   • Following the news/issues;
   • Chocolate (although with recent illness, that's taken a backseat, and, if the universe were "fair," it would stay there!)
   • Information - reading everything I can, which is tough as a mommy;
     
   • Political discussion... although I'm generally non-confrontational in "real life" in the interest of putting people before politics. Spouting off into the ether about politics and principles - well, that and a lot of prayer - is how I keep my head from completely exploding.
     
   
   
3. You must copy and paste the rules and the instructions below in the post.

   Instructions: On your post of receiving this award, make sure you include the person that gave you the award and link it back to them. When you post your five winners, make sure you link them as well. To add the award to your post, simply right-click, save image, then "add image" it in your post as a picture so your winners can save it as well. To add it to your sidebar, add the "picture" gadget. Also, don't forget to let your winners know they won an award from you by emailing them or leaving a comment on their blog.

Too Real?

Oh, here's one big reason Gov. Palin was so noxious to the traditional media:

She knows how real life works, and she's okay with it.

Not the whited sepulchre of modern politics, (perhaps... although she might know more than the condescending jerks give her credit for); but REAL LIFE. The vital side.

She wasn't bothered by the turkey slaughtering behind her in her recent press conference because it's REAL LIFE.

Eew, the MSNBC commentator sneers.

Yes, Mr. Commentator, much of real life is "eew-y."

What's more, this incident is highly illustrative of the what "the media" doesn't understand about what a lot of people call "Real America:" We in the latter might not want to be in on the slaughtering, but we DO (largely) understand and appreciate where our turkey comes from, and we don't sneer at those who deal with the vital parts of life. They're real, and we're real. The talking heads' powder, teeth, and hair, on the other hand...

Hummmm...

A lawyer is challenging the music industry's anti-piracy lawsuits, proposing alternate solutions and charging that:

...the Digital Theft Deterrence and Copyright Damages Improvement Act of 1999 is unconstitutional because it effectively lets a private group - the Recording Industry Association of America, or RIAA - carry out civil enforcement of a criminal law.

and that:

...the music industry group abused the legal process by brandishing the prospects of lengthy and costly lawsuits in an effort to intimidate people into settling cases out of court.

Agreed.

I'm not certain about the implications, though. RIAA really does seem to have morphed into a vindictive, petulant organization, but those who knowingly downloaded illegally DID break the law. But fining college students hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of dollars? (And so on with the "buts" - back and forth, back and forth...)

In a way, I think it's kind of like seat belt violations: it's a common violation; most of the time nothing happens; and the potential costs to others are huge. And actually, seat belt violations are more important, in a life-and-death way.

On the other hand, there's nothing inherently wrong with not buckling yourself up; whereas there's definitely something inherently bad about wrongly possessing someone else's property. That's where my problem lies. I don't think I have any legal objection to people doing whatever they please with their own property, for their own use.

While the fines and lawsuits are simply ridiculous, there has to be a penalty for wrongful property possession - especially doing so knowingly.

Maybe the problem isn't with the legal system, per se... maybe it's with judges and juries who issue such outlandish fines.

And with the whiny, maliciously-behaving RIAA.

And with the whiny downloaders who - while seeming apathetic rather than malicious - obviously don't have a real principle to cling to.

A Good Reason to Care Whether We're Becoming Russia

The latest in an evil series.

The article lists previous incidents, as well, but the latest is that yet another journalist has been attacked for investigating corruption in Russia. Just local government, so there was no Polonium involved... "just" thugs.

Wonder What the Stop Fee Would Be...

[Update 17Nov2008/18:12 - thanks to commenter Jason for pointing out that there is Congressional oversight; I've updated the pertinent section of the post and must say I feel marginally better... ;-) ]

Looks like there's a movement to act on the little "buyer's remorse" in Congress over Hank Paulson's recent coronation: Sen. Inhofe (who, I must add, DID NOT vote for the Bailout that granted Sec. Paulson unlimited taxpayer funds with no strings attached and no oversight) has called for cutting off the funds.

To quote just some of the gems in the article:

Last week the Treasury secretary announced he was abandoning his plan to free up the nation's credit system by buying up toxic assets from troubled financial institutions. Instead, Paulson wants to take a more direct action on the consumer credit front.

"He was able to get this authority from Congress predicated on what he was going to do, and then he didn't do it,'' Inhofe said.
...
Inhofe recalled earlier comments opposing Paulson's plan because the administration's point man did not have answers for a number of questions. He also recalled questioning the rush to get the bailout passed.

"I have learned a long time ago. When they come up and say this has to be done and has to be done immediately, there is no other way of doing it, you have to sit back and take a deep breath and nine times out of 10 they are not telling the truth,'' he said.
...
"Congress abdicated its constitutional responsibility by signing a truly blank check over to the Treasury Secretary,'' he wrote.

"However, the lame duck session of Congress offers us a tremendous opportunity to change course. We should take it.''

*happy dance*

I'm considering moving to Oklahoma just so I can vote for him.

I Like Anderson Cooper

He's real, he's thoughtful, he's funny, and he's FAIR. I remember him from Channel One days, LOL, and it's great that he's been doing so well. He calls things as he sees them, (which doesn't always coincide with how I see them, and that's okay), and he's earned my respect. Lots of it.

A couple interesting things from last night's episode of The Tonight Show (pertinent segment is "Chapter 3," right after the second ad break, and around the 20-minute mark and continues through the next segment... if I can get a better link from Hulu, I'll post that instead.):

• He said Sarah Palin was very capable. Jay, of course, had to crap all over that assessment, but Anderson's initial statement is actually what jives with statements from people who have met her, not via Katie Couric, but in person.
  
• His comments on the bailout totally caught Paulson's flipping and flopping (and continually changing demands and plans), to the point that suggested we could question whether they actually know what they're doing.
  

He is one of the friendliest, most politically un-readable people I've ever seen on TV. I have no idea how he votes, but he listens, and he appraises people fairly, at least in my estimation. And that independent, fair nature makes me a fan.

Manners

As in, what we've largely forgotten in today's society.

Just basic decency and respect for others.

A gay "rights"*** group interrupted a church service, yelling and throwing fliers at people (which, I might note, is technically assault), as well as protesting outside the church.

This kind of intimidation is absolutely unacceptable. What are the consequences of the "protest?" Let's see:

churchgoers were unclear as to the purpose of the demonstration.

The Eaton County Sheriff's Department responded to the scene Sunday but no arrests were made.

Moral of the story: It's okay to act like a violent, spoiled child, as long as you're acting that way toward the politically-unpopular people who disagree with you - those oh-so-threatening religious fundamentalists who, I hope the "protesters" noticed, didn't attack them and yell hateful things back...

***in quotes because they already have specially protected rights - it's not a matter of rights anymore, but rather a matter of shutting down those who disagree, which is neither right nor respectful of others' rights.

Perestroika? Hmm...

Drudge has linked to an article about Gorbachev's recommendation for President-elect Obama: PERESTROIKA.

Hmm.

(Showing age...) I was fairly young when Gorbachev came to power, but I remember hearing perestroika and glasnost and some other seldom-used member of that triad... and I remember that they were "good things."

Anyway, that word caught my attention, and I looked it up.

Here's Wikipedia's definition:

the Russian term (now used in English) for the economic reforms introduced in June 1987^[1] by the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Its literal meaning is "restructuring", referring to the restructuring of the Soviet economy.

And here's another - from Gorbachev himself in 1987 - read the whole thing if you're up for night terrors:

...overcoming the stagnation process, breaking down the braking mechanism, creating a dependable and effective mechanism for acceleration of social and economic progress and giving it greater dynamism

...utmost respect for the individual

...the revival and development of the principles of democratic centralism in running the national economy, the universal introduction of economic methods

...a resolute shift to scientific methods

...the combination of the achievements of the scientific and technological revolution with a planned economy

...ever better satisfaction of the Soviet people's requirements for good living and working conditions, for good rest and recreation, education and health care.

...elimination from society of the distortions of socialist ethics

ACK!!! Run like the wind, people!!!

*ahem... regaining composure* Let's take some of these one at a time:

• "Breaking down the braking mechanism?" You mean, like what's left of our divinely-inspired Constitution's checks and balances? In favor of "accelerat[ing]... social and economic progress?" Bad idea, especially since it depends on who's allowed to define, "progress."
  
• Combining science and technology with a planned economy? It's not too far from those words to "eugenics."
• Satisfying "people's requirements for good living and working conditions, for good rest and recreation, education and health care" - like FDR's Second Bill of Rights?
• Eliminating "the distortions of socialist ethics" - (I'm assuming he's not referring to the distortions that ARE socialist ethics...) - that sure sounds like shutting down criticism and silencing disagreement, to me.

We must fight these things!!!

Granted, from reading up on it at Wikipedia, it seemed to be a move in the right direction, the way it was sold: freeing up the economy - to a point. Freeing up political discourse - to a point.

But everything was still ultimately under state control - it seems like the populist Gorbachev and his glasnost were able to make the people (and world media) happier about it, though.

Let's be careful what we let ourselves be made happy about, because "utmost respect for the individual" is incongruous with the rest of those definitions.

One Great Bird

A parrot helped save a two-year-old's life by squawking like crazy when the sitter was... indisposed. (h/t: Drudge)

I think every parent can relate to this sort of thing - although in our house, it's historically a mess that explodes all over the kitchen in less than two minutes in lieu of a life-threatening situation...

And while I've been dead-set against having a live bird in the house, (after the mess left by a family pet when I was growing up), it might not be the end of the world, LOL...

Although... since the babysitter was the one who actually did the Heimlich, maybe we'll just settle for a great babysitter.

Instant Comments

Just a quick note - after having quite a backlog of comments (for the scale of this blog's usual comment traffic) awaiting moderation; and me being unavailable for an extended time (again, for the scale of how quickly I try to publish comments), I've removed moderation for posts within the last 30 days. Older posts' comments will still go through moderation, but I'm going to see how it goes.

So... you'll be able to have more real-time discussions, and hopefully we won't get too much spam, LOL!

The Weight of the Presidency

Everyone knows that the Presidency is not an easy job. You get the blame for pretty much anything anyone wants to throw at you, and most of your accomplishments won't even be known for a few decades. In fact, a recent article at the Onion - ever a source of keen satire - was titled, Black Man Given Nation's Worst Job.

That was the funny spin on the job (among other things... lingering racial tension, our propensity for demonizing people after we vote for them, etc.).

Then I saw the video I'd missed of Obama's press conference.

The biggest emotion I felt when I watched it (aside from the normal critique of his plans and a "that was unnecessary..." about his Nancy Reagan slam) was compassion. Empathy. Even pity.

He looked like he'd aged a decade overnight - did you see those bags under his eyes? And he seemed rather tired and distracted - so off his usual cool, collected presence that he couldn't remember what he was saying much after looking away from his prompter. I felt like I saw the thought, "Oh, crap... what have I gotten myself into" crease his forehead a couple times.

Why is this? My guess: he's getting more Presidential intelligence. He's starting to find out how big the problems really are - especially the ones we don't hear about.

In other words, I think the real weight of the Presidency is beginning to settle on him, and I pray that he really will be granted the strength and the wisdom to keep us free.

Sexual Harassment... oh, you mean the *training*

Ever felt like you're being sexually harassed just sitting in sexual harassment "training?"

Well, this professor does (among other things), and he's refusing to attend.

He's even willing to lose his job and go to jail over it, if necessary. And I LOVE his statement:

"I have consistently refused to take such training on the grounds that the adoption of the requirement was a naked political act by the state that offended my sensibilities, violated my rights as a tenured professor, impugned my character and cast a shadow of suspicion on my reputation and career," McPherson told the Orange County Register.

Sing it, brother!!! (And I must say, he made a brilliant pun...)

Only a Distant Memory?

New research has yielded a rather stunning advance - the ability to "erase" a specific memory. In mice, for the moment, but wow.

It seems almost Haitian, for Heroes fans out there...

Not to burst the researchers' bubble, of course, but I think the technology might already be in use, targeting things like the definition of a free market (Pres. Bush, et al).

Or the text of the Constitution, or the idea of self-reliance (anyone who's been through public school).

I might be signing up when they start human trials...

Of COURSE We're Not Teaching Gay Marriage...

... only societal norms!

I don't care what anyone else says, Kindergarteners are simply too young to deal with concepts like gay, lesbian, and transgender issues.

Even Obama has claimed that his Kindergarten sex ed idea would just be anti-abuse awareness. But that's not what gay-rights advocates are practicing ALREADY.

Just teaching, "be nice to people," or "don't call names," should suffice. But in California, a teacher with an agenda can do a lot more... and watch what the school rep says, versus what the actual school policy says in that video.

One more reason I don't want my kid in public school.

More Good News from Iraq

Two more provinces handed over to Iraqi control!

I'm fairly late posting the news here, but it's GREAT news, nonetheless!!!

Assisted Suicide... Funny Timing!

Washington has legalized assisted suicide. Of course, it might be in much higher demand after last night's results... *wink*

Seriously, though, it actually does fit with the socialist healthcare model. Older, ill people are no longer "contributing enough to society," and healthcare must be rationed, after all, in that model. Check out some of the eugenicists pre-WWII... (and, coincidentally, also during and after a troubled economic period...)

It's a real issue, and it's both dangerous and evil.

What Happens When You Don't Get Real Information

This woman - a daughter of former slaves - was able to vote yesterday. Her friends were more than happy to help her, and I would've done the same.

But I think I would've done more to educate her first, because here's what she had to say about why Obama's a good choice:

"Republicans don't care for the poor people," she said. "They want it all and they don't want the Democrats to have nothing."

Wow.

Where do you even start with that? This poor woman has been isolated and bombarded with defeatist, socialist propaganda for so long that she honestly believes what she's heard.

So do the majority of the people in this country, apparently. (Thanks, public schools...)

Now, I am sick of the constant Republican capitulation to socialism, and I don't consider myself a friend of the party. But I don't think that bad people in positions of power in either party want to do anything but enslave us. The socialist programs we already have, have done little but steal both property and accountability, making it harder for honest people to succeed, destroying families, and undercutting the foundation of our country.

Corrupt, power-hungry people are the ones who don't want us to have anything; and the more we rely on the government, empowering those who seek authority, the less we'll all have, indeed.

Comments Fixed

OK - there's a known issue with Blogger, where embedded comment forms aren't showing up quite right.

I've switched the comments back to a pop-up window, and it appears to have worked around that issue, so they're functional again... sorry for the inconvenience!

Good-night, Comrades.

I just can't filter out what to say.

This whole idea of "unity in support of our Constitution/government despite our differences" (two different things, I'd say...) is a bunch of nonsense.

I support the Constitution.

That IS my difference with our President-elect.

He will not have my support for unConstitutional policies. (Which, as I've heard them, is most of what he wants to do...)

Congress will not have my support for unConstitutional legislation.

Our government will have my support for Constitutional duties.

And I will remain civil.

Good-night, comrades.

Yep. Just in Time.

... or not.

Sarah Palin has been cleared of wrongdoing in an IMPARTIAL ethics probe about "Troopergate."

"Troopergate," wherein she (essentially) fired her Public Safety guy for not firing a slimeball state trooper.

That state trooper also happened to be an ex-brother-in-law. Abusive, drunk on duty, tasing a 10-year-old, corrupt guy - ask Alaskans... he was a real piece of work.

Of course, this is released after early voting, and just before the election, so the news doesn't get time to disseminate as it otherwise would...

What was the last news on it? The partisan legislative (preliminary) investigation thought she did something wrong. (And being part of the establishment she was dismantling, they WOULD.)

So it was referred to the State board, which - yes - just found that she did NOTHING WRONG.

Yep.

Of course.

Released "just in time" - not for people to know that she's been cleared before voting; but for the investigators to wash their hands of waiting until after the election.

It's so good to know that we conservatives can still be so OBVIOUSLY unjustly tarred by the media...

Election Jitters

They're gone.

Up until last night, I was losing sleep over the consequences of this election, however it turns out. I knew in my head that we could survive whatever comes, but I didn't feel it.

But yesterday I decided my votes, and without getting into details, I felt good about them.

And I woke up peaceful today. It felt like a combination of some surreal experience and Christmas morning.

I voted, and whatever happens, my family will be okay. We'll keep fighting the good fight, and we'll be okay.