Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Wordless Wednesday - Feel the HEAT!



Tuesday, July 19, 2011

The Debt Ceiling and the Ceiling of my Patience

This entry has been edited (for language) many times. My parents have taken to reading this blog (yay!!) so I am really trying to cut down on the unnecessary “f” bombs, while leaving in the totally necessary ones… harder than one might think! LOL Seriously, my blogs about politics tend to be slightly inflammatory. Slightly. :) Now that we are all on the same page…


Here we are exactly two weeks away from the possible demise of the credit rating of one of the most powerful nations in the world and everyone seems to be more concerned with Casey Anthony, Rupert Murdoch and every other celebrity that happens to be pushing out a kid. Um, ok- I’m going to say this as politely as I can so that my fellow Americans don’t get too upset: it is this type of thinking that allows other countries to “one up” us on a regular basis. EVERYone should be calling their Congressperson. EVERYone should be weighing in on the fact that the Republicans have come out and said that they want to cut entitlements- benefits that our grandparents have EARNED by working for 45+ years of their lives. EVERYone should be weighing in on the fact that the Democrats are saying that there will HAVE to be higher taxes to pay down our deficit. EVERYone should be shouting that the Tea Party is somehow putting together a plan. (OMG- I cannot even imagine what the hell that is going to look like). Or that interest rates are going to be exponentially higher; the middle class is on the verge of disappearing; the poor will get poorer; crime will go up, or, I don’t know…. This may be the ONE thing that our economy cannot bounce back from?!

Many times I call for outrage and today is no different. This is not happening to someone else, in another country, far, far away. This is happening to us. We elect people to go to Washington D.C., who are supposed to have our needs and wants in mind, yet Congress is arguing like a bunch of buffoons about something that will have the least impact on them. Let’s look at some numbers. John Boehner, who I hate to say is from my home state (honestly, I gagged a little when I typed that- PLEASE do not think that all Ohioans are THAT close minded) makes $223,500 a year. Well, that is what he makes as speaker of the House, there is no telling what he makes on the side- slimy bastard. Both Majority and Minority Leaders of both the House and Senate make $193,400 and each regular member of Congress makes $174,000. (Do a little math and their salaries ALONE equal $94,261,100.) They also get cost of living increases, health insurance and benefits. Hmmm. They represent the people but make so much more than the people they represent. Would it be ok to balance the budget that they are all complaining about by giving them the average wage that is earned in their respective state? The median family income in Cook County is just under $54,000. Cook County is the second most populous county in the COUNTRY. Think about that. Dick Durbin, how about this: in the interest if the country I’m going to have to take away your benefits and give you a salary of $54,000. Fair? What do you think Senator Durbin would say? I doubt he would go for it.

The people who are supposed to be working in our best interest make more than three times the MEDIAN family income (legally- some politicians are on the take). During the last edit of this entry the total cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan surpassed $1,223,117,120,950. And these assholes are arguing about getting rid of Medicaid benefits? Could it be that they are so willing to get rid of the benefits for our elderly because no matter what their health care (and that of their families) are covered? Could it be that the Republicans are so willing to take the American people’s entitlements because their’s are guaranteed? Could it be that the Democrats are so willing to dangle those benefits in front of the Republicans because they can go to doctor and WE pay for it? They can go to the hospital and it won’t bankrupt them or their families? Nancy Pelosi can argue until she turns blue… whoever revives her will get paid by the benefits that are bestowed to her by the American people. Barack can auction off some portion of Medicaid, or WIC, or whatever he is willing to give up because his family’s care is guaranteed. John Boehner can say no to higher taxes on the wealthy because his ass IS wealthy. How about we cut their salaries in half? How about we end both wars? We have the potential to save almost $2Trillion right there. I vote yes on that.

It is sickening that Congress people forget WHO they work for… and that we ALLOW them to forget. We should be beating down their doors and lighting their phones UP… or in a caravan, on our way to Washington D.C. to show our faces. Because if these debt talks aren’t productive, guess what? That job that you have won’t be worth shit in the long run. Dollars won’t stretch; they will break, along with the American economy and the American Dream.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Soulful Saturday - Janet Jackson

Janet Jackson. From the cute, think chick of the control days to her wardrobe malfunction at the Super Bowl, there is little that you can say about her musical talent. It is undeniable. It has been said that she is one of the hardest working professionals in the business and it shows when she is on tour. My family went to see her during the Rhythm Nation tour (totally dating myself) and she was AMAZING. Clearly, since I still remember!! From the key earring to the red hair from the Velvet Rope album (yeah- she did it before Rhianna and it looked better), Janet has been setting the standards and trends since the mid 80s. Welcome to my walk down memory lane.

What Have You Done For Me Lately?




Let's Wait A While



I Get Lonely (Remix w BlackStreet)
* My personal favorite...



Control



Miss You Much



Anytime, Any Place



Saturday, July 09, 2011

Soulful Saturday - Ray LaMontagne

Ray LaMontagne is in Chicago with Dave Matthews and his traveling Caravan... or whatever the hell the proper name of the tour is. I am only mildly interested in seeing DMB, though I REALLY want to see Ray. My need stops at being outside in the summer heat with a bunch of hippies. I mean, to each his own, but I will pass until I can see him for less than $100. :) Either way, this Soulful Saturday is dedicated to Ray and his beautiful voice. To listen to him sing immediately brings to mind names like Otis Redding, Sam Cooke and Van Morrison. When I say simply amazing, that is exactly what I mean. None of this auto tune nonsense, just some pure folky, bluesy music. I love him (although the beard-- has to go. Totally dislike guys looking like Wolfman Jack in my presence). Other than the beard, I would take 100 Rays and replace all the crap that is on the radio today. I dare you to listen to him and NOT like at least one of these songs. I dare you not to LOVE him.

Trouble


* Yep, you recognize this song from that commercial with the dog. LOVE.


To Love Somebody


* Remake of a Janis Joplin song. O...M...G!!!



Shelter



Let It Be Me


* Added to the downloads... you should do the same!!



You Are the Best Thing


* Seriously, if you ever get this song from me, know that it is REAL.




You're Welcome! ;)

Wednesday, July 06, 2011

Shock and Awe

I have been watching the results of the Casey Anthony trial and I have a bombshell of my own. To all of you outraged people who find it necessary to be the part of the ongoing side show: please stop pretending because you DO NOT care. Stop it with the protests and the appearances on talk shows (Nancy Grace, I’m looking at you!!)… and for God’s sake, stop it with the comments about hell and damnation for a chick that killed her child because by next week you will be on to the next newer, hotter thing and YOU will have forgotten about that sweet face that is making the rounds on the tv stations .

Oh, I can hear it now: “How dare she type that I don’t care…. I care!” No, you don’t. You know how I know? Because other than the other two notorious “mothers” that killed their children (Susan Smith and Andrea Yates) who else can you name? Do ANY of these names ring a bell: Patricia Blackmon, Kenisha Berry, Debra Milke, Dora Durenrostro, Caro Socorro, Susan Eubanks, Robin Row, Darlie Routier, or Teresa Lewis? How about grandmother Caroline Young? Or even Frances Newton, who was executed 6 years ago? Do you know who they are? Women who killed their children (Young killed her grandchildren). My sophomore year in college Kenisha Berry wrapped her four day old baby in duct tape and put his little body in a trash bag until he died. What about Julie Schnecker? Do you know who she is? THIS year- 2011- she killed her children. She said that she did it because they were mouthy. So, for being “mouthy” she shot her 13 year old son twice in the head as she drove him home from soccer practice. When she got home she shot her 16 year old daughter in the head AND in the face as she did her homework. Where were you in January when that happened?

Did you know that three to five children A DAY are killed by their parents? More than 200 women kill their children in the United States EVERY year. Where is your outrage? Let’s not even think about baby killers for the moment, what about the people who do not take care of their children? What about the kids in foster care, waiting to be adopted? Where the hell are all the outraged US citizens when it comes to fighting for the care of those children? You know where they are? Overseas, adopting babies from other nations. You don’t care. You could not possibly because each year more and more children are abused, given up on, left to raise themselves and there is no outrage. There is no crying in the streets for them. There are no protests outside courthouses when abusive parents get them back , when our educational system fails them- repeatedly or when they enter the system or when they need a HOME LIFE where they can thrive. There are no talk shows for them (and NO you cannot include Maury- that is just trash hour). There are very FEW of you that are waiting in line to adopt a baby in this country, who may not look like you and let’s not even begin a conversation about the dwindling reproductive rights that women have in this country- which seems to be trickling away every day and no one says anything about it… until a child suffers and then everyone is like “I didn’t see that coming” or “how could a mother do that to her child?”. You don’t care. I mean really- you just don’t want to see the consequences of your non-caring and trust me, no one does! That is why some of us are being so sanctimonious now.

You’re sympathetic to the Anthony family. So am I. It is hard to look at the pictures of Caylee Anthony and not be sad that a young child was taken from this Earth so early in her life- no matter who did it. It is very difficult to not pass judgment on a person who seems to not care enough when her child goes missing. It is extremely hard not to make assumptions about the jurors involved in this case who came back with those not guilty verdicts, right? Of course it is. This case has been sensationalized- so much so that actual fist fights broke out between people waiting to get a seat in the courtroom. The media played on our need to see some justice for that pretty little doe-eyed girl in the pictures. And we fell for it, hook, line and sinker. Do any of us want to see dead children in the street? No, I would argue that the majority of us do not. However, if we REALLY cared about the children of this nation and the plight that some of them are going through, our entire country would be different. So, take the week. Write all over the internet about how Casey Anthony is the devil and how you cannot believe how the justice system ignored Caylee. How Caylee has been forgotten, how our children need to be cherished. Then go back to your lives, where you are too busy to volunteer. You can’t make time to mentor or to check up on people. You just shake your head at the bad ass kids in the neighborhood, instead of correcting them and showing them a better way. In that week, that seven day grace period anywhere from 21-35 children will die at the hands of their parents.

Show me that you care. Show THEM that you care.



Saturday, July 02, 2011

Soulful Saturday - Dru Hill

90s music at its finest! :) Sisqo and I have the same tattoo around our belly button, which says way more about him than me! :) And everyone in the group has a S curl, but their voices are fab! All kidding aside, I think I have a thing for boy bands or something.

In My Bed



We're Not Making Love No More



I Should Be



5 Steps



Tell Me

Friday, July 01, 2011

The Price You Pay For Dirty Politics - Fed Up Friday

The downfall of Illinois governors seem to be all over the news today, as well they should be. Monday, former governor Blago was found guilty of trying to sell the Senate seat that used to belong to Barack Obama. In fact, he was found guilty of 17 felony counts. You know what that means? He is about to do some serious time in prison. He has a wife and two daughters. Let me be frank, I absolutely think that he deserves time in prison- no leniency. No time served, no deal. I know I said he has a family. I know that they are having money problems; I know that he has daughters he will not be able to watch grow up. I get it. And just like I know that, he knew that. I have absolutely no sympathy for Blago at all. Please keep up as my Republican tendencies start to show! :)

Does it suck that his kids will grow up without a dad? Hell yes, but that is the price you pay for being a scumbag. Does it suck that his wife Patty will have to figure out how to get out of her financial woes, without his help (though he definitely helped her get into this mess), yes, it does... But that is the price you pay for marrying a scumbag. How about how shitty it HAD to be for Former First Lady of Illinois Lura Lynn Ryan to know that she would probably die while her husband was in jail for the stupid crap he pulled while playing Governor of Illinois? (He was released so that he could be by her bedside as she dies this week... but could not go to her private funeral because he is now back in jail.) I am SO tired of these crooks- politicians or not- striking up deals and getting light sentencing after wheeling and dealing their way into fortunes, while innocent, law abiding, high ass tax- paying citizens (like me) struggle to stay afloat.

If I wanted to be a criminal mastermind I could. Let me just say, I would be SO great at it too- because, unlike most criminals, I am not stupid. That easy money, fast talking lifestyle is not for me, thankfully. I would rather be able to look myself in the face, look my parents in the face and know that I got what I EARNED, not what I could weasel away from people. Ugh, some people make me sick.



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