Just a thought

It's depressing to hear how the economy is tanking. I'm not sure that's the term I want to use. Things seem to be sinking faster than a rock in water. I keep wondering when this thing is going to hit bottom... and once it does how long will it take to crawl out of the pit?

My mother turned 70 on her most recent birthday. She wants to go to Hawaii. The trip, if it happens, will probably take place during my Spring break. Not a good time for me. I always set aside money to help me get through those nine weeks I'm not pulling in my regular salary. It's called SUMMER VACATION! Now the plan is that I not only pay my way but help pay for the trip for Mom. I haven't priced anything yet, but I can see myself spending upwards of $1500 for all of this. Sure I have the money, but that's 1500 plus that I have to make up for the summer shortage. Not to mention the fact that I'm about to go through my third and final attempt to achieve National Board Certification. That alone is going to take $1000. I don't want to get deeper in debt to make this happen. Of course to get deeper in debt someone has to extend credit to me. Banks haven't been doing much of this and Americans are too afraid to ask because they might not be pulling a paycheck a year, I mean a month later.

Now if I were the government, the financial institutions wouldn't like me very much. I gave you bail out money and instead of using it to help consumers you're sitting on it. Ya got six months to do something with that dough other than give you and yours bonuses and buying out other banks. If you don't, I'm calling in the loan...with interest, penalties, and several pints of blood. Uber B#$%^ ain't I?

Bail out

I a bit sick of hearing the phrase "bail out." The picture of a boater in a canoe or other small sailing vessel with a pail and scooping out water with it because the boat sprung a leak. Yeah our country has sprung a leak and it's called a recession. Someone tell me why it took the "economic experts" a YEAR to finally declare that the country IS in a recession? I was saying that... over a year ago and wondering when our leaders were finally going to suck it up and call it what it really was. "Economic downturn." Damn! How far down does it have to get before you call it a recession?

Back to the bail out issue: First it was the various financial institutions : AIG, FANNIE MAE, FREDDIE MACK, and wouldn't you know it all of a sudden I'm drawing a blank and can't think of the other companies. Now the BIG THREE automakers want a handout, I mean bailout in the form of a loan. LEssee...Wasn't there a bailout back in '82. Ford I think it was. Twenty-six years later, no lessons learned from Ford's screw up and all THREE are holding out their hands for a hand... I mean "government loan." Let me rephrase that, Since it's OUR tax money I'm going to say a loan from the American people. And I think most of us are saying HELL NO! Damn, if you're willing to bail out the big folks how about us little folk. If they haven't forgotten, a buck isn't going as far as it used to. People aren't getting raises. What am I talking about. People are losing their jobs quicker than they can lose a pound of weight. Businesses are going belly up faster than a dead fish.

So the country is caught in the vicious circle, a ripple effect that touches EVERYTHING and EVERYONE. People aren't buying because their money doesn't go as far as it used to. Everything costs more. They're hanging on to what little they have. Businesses are closing or cutting jobs because people aren't buying. Their suppliers can't get rid of the inventory that they have, so they start cutting back on production and don't need as many workers. And it keeps going and going and going. Sounds like the Energizer bunny on the batteries and an IV of caffeine.

Our leaders have decided to throw money to various big corporations to keep them afloat. And us little people are DROWNING. Up the creek without a paddle or a boat, not even a life jacket. Blub, blub, blub! Here's a thought, stop trying to patch up a gunshot wound with a band aid. 700 billion or trillion ain't gonna fix this (Other than letting this thing run its course, don't ask me what will). Neither will a pail as big and deep as the Grand Canyon.

The Mother of All Elections!

History was made on Tuesday November 4th as America elected its first African-American president. To tell you the truth I would have predicted this happening late in my life after I had retired and was an old woman in her seventies or eighties. I should be excited. I should be elated. I should be rejoicing with the rest of the African-Americans over this phenomenal event. Yet I cannot. This was a bittersweet election for me. I didn’t like either candidate. Obama for his lack of experience and the probability that he will be just as wishy-washy as Clinton (Remember his stance on gays in the military and how many times he changed his mind on that?) and McCain simply because I am sick of the Republican high mindedness of looking out for American big business as they outsource jobs overseas leaving less for the American people (Not to mention rob us blind with their greed). Their interests are in helping the rich keep as much of their money as possible and throwing a few bones to dregs like me and the average Joe, the REAL backbone of this country.

There is so much more I can say about the partisan politics of our country, but I will hold my tongue until another time. This campaign went on for TWO long and grueling years. Hell yeah, I’m glad it’s over but I have this bitter taste in my mouth. It was a very large and bitter pill for me to swallow as I filled in that bubble for the McCain-Palin ticket. It would have been just as large and bitter if I have voted Obama-Biden. With each election cycle that I witness, the mudslinging gets worse. Mudslinging? No, more like throwing dirt clods and rocks. I say just turn ‘em all loose in a boxing ring and let ‘em go at it until there’s one guy/gal left standing. I mean, what’s the difference except the fact that it would be over a lot faster?

For the first time since I began voting I was undecided. Yes undecided. I was undecided all the way up until a week before I voted. How can you decide between a possible administration that would be similar to Bush’s and an administration where the president can’t be clear on what he really means? My pastor said vote your conscience. If I really voted my conscience I would have written in my pastor for president. No if I had really been thinking I would have written in Colin Powell. See, if he had run there would have been no question, no doubt, no delay in who I would vote for. Colin Powell. Not because he’s black, but because I know who and what he stands for. Even if the opposition would have dug up and pulled out skeletons in his closet, he still would have gotten my vote. When I shared this information with a colleague, they questioned me and defended Obama. Yeah Colin Powell has experience and is a military man, but Obama is surrounding himself with people who have political experience. So whose agenda will really be on the table, his or theirs? No if Obama wants to surround his self with people who have the experience, how about appointing Colin Powell to sit on his cabinet?

Introductions

I don't consider myself a political person, thus the irony in the title of my blog. I've decided to hsare my perspective on the political quagmire at the local, state, and federal levels (Not so much the local, but definately the state and federal). Yeah I vote, but considering some of the choices we have out there... I will quote Bart Simpson: Ay caramba! I have always found it difficult to get into the mechanics of politics to fully understand it. I've been around for 48 years and have seen a lot of stuff in that time, but nothing like the drama that has played out over the past eight years and even more so over the past three. I'm not sure that even Hollywood could write a better script!

Don't look for pics of me. I will be hunting for and posting pics of our illustrious leaders. Help me with some labels when I do. My posts will mostly be rants over the nonsense and the sad state of our nation. I'm just trying to make sense out of all of it. I will post my perspective. Yeah, I know some of you will read my posts and think "This chick is whack!" I'm a teacher of little people and I teach them music. I maintain a certain level of insanity to stay sane. Others will think "Right on Mama! Preach it!" I'm not going to say that I don't care. You can agree, disagree, agree to disagree or simply not give a flyin' flip. Comment if you wish. Tell me what you think, but keep it civil. Failure to do so may force me to sic my first graders on you.