October 10, 2008
The media is starting to refer to this as another Black Friday. Whether
it is or isn't one thing is for sure, this has been a very bad week for
Wall Street. My theory concerning the correlation between the DOW and
Bush/Bernake/Paulson addressing the nation is holding firm. Today Bush
took to the Microphones again to tell us that ...
"Anxiety can feed anxiety and that can make it hard to see all that is being done to resolve the problem."
"Fellow citizens, we can solve this crisis, and we will".
Shortly after he stepped away from the
mic the DOW fell 100's of points to where it sits right now at just
above 8000. Well, thanks for the pep talk dude. Somebody aught to place
a gag order on these three musketeers.
It is lunch time as I write this and I couldn't help but notice what a
$5 bill will buy me right now... a couple of burritos and a coke at
Taco Bell or a share of GM stock. And a vendor is setup in the lobby of
my office building peddling their usual wares - a string of plastic
beads goes for $6. I never understood the Native Americans selling
Manhattan for beads but it is coming in focus a little clearer to me
today.
And one more thing, for all the people blaming this mess on the
Democrats and Clinton/Carter, the guy in charge gets the credit. That's
the way it works. You want to be President and things don't turn out so
well on your watch, it is your problem. If the Republicans have known
this was going to happen since the late 70s and they are so smart
why didn't they fix it before now? They have had 27 years since
Carter left office to put our nation on the right financial track
and 19 of those years were under a Republican President. So if the
Democrats have out foxed you for the past 30 years, with your man in
the Top Chair 73% of that time, you guys are even dumber than I
thought! The sad truth America is we do not have many bright
politicians. Now if you will excuse me I will go apply for a Bank of
Japan credit card.
 (She just purchased 100 shares of Pfizer with her monthly allowance.)
Cheers!
October 9, 2008
As I said three days ago, EVERYONE should NOT vote. ABC News' John Stossel seems to agree (http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/story?id=5985719&page=1).
I would not necessarily equate politics to brain surgery but you at
least should know more about the candidate than just being able to pick
his/her picture from a lineup. It IS our duty and our right to educate
ourselves about the governmental process in this country and the
candidates running for office. However, we are still free to do as we
please with our spare time and if an American citizen chooses not to
study politics then he/she should refrain from voting. So those of you
who don't know how many Senators there are on Capitol Hill, pass the
polls on November 4th and follow your passion, i.e. DON'T VOTE.
October 6, 2008
 
I got out this weekend and did my part to stimulate the economy. Perkins Rowe
is the newest commercial development around town. At the corner of
Perkins Road and Bluebonnet Drive, Perkins Rowe is a self contained
community. If you work at the Neuromedical Center or the Baton Rouge
General Hospital on Bluebonnet, you can lease or purchase an apartment
at Perkins Rowe and eliminate the expense of owning a
vehicle. Work, shopping, and entertainment is all within walking
distance and if you are lucky enough to be employed by the Neuromedical
Center, your walk is literally no more than a few footsteps. The 16
screen Cinemark theater seems to be aware of the taste of more
sophisticated movie fans and my biggest hope is they will
eventually be my source for first-run independent films like Downtown
West was in Knoxville. It remains to be seen if Baton Rouge can support
this complex AND the 170+ stores in and around The Mall of Louisiana
too.
On a recent malk (Which
is what I call walking in the mall for exercise. Others just call
it mall walking.) I saw this sign at the Journeys shoe store...
I'm wondering if this ad campaign will sell shoes or get more
people out to vote on November 4th? I guess either way it's a
win-win for America. Or is it? Do we really want people voting who
decided to go register because of a poster they saw in the mall? I'm
guessing most of the young people signing up to vote are not too
interested in politics and government and consequently they have not
spent any time studying the issues and the candidates position on the
issues. Yes, they enjoy free concerts but when it comes to reading a
book about economics or the Vietnam War, well I'm guessing not too many
of them will turn off the iPod or stop texting their bff
to get enough knowledge to make an educated decision. And it's
not just young people.... Michael Moore encourages us to "Ask everyone
you know: are you registered to vote?" There are plenty of people over
45 who have never voted. They don't believe it will matter and since
they too would rather watch Survivor on television than read Hard to Call (McCain) or Change We Can Believe In (Obama) or Bad Money (Kevin
Phillips) they are probably wise to refrain from voting. In my
opinion, we should not encourage people to vote if they have no
interest in the process of government. I'm convinced that is why we are
in such a mess. It is our right and our duty I believe to inform
ourselves and vote. But don't vote if you didn't get around to checking
out the candidates qualifications for the job.
October 3, 2008
5PM
I have been wondering for several weeks now just who the 5% are who
will see a tax increase under Senator Obama's plan. His rebuttal
to McCain / Palin about raising our taxes always includes a statement
something like "95% of tax payers will see a reduction in their taxes".
So who are the 5% who won't see a reduction (and I imagine will
probably see an increase since everyone is going to have health care
and we are going to bring the troops home and create new jobs and
eliminate the need for foreign oil, yadayadayada). My first thought is
Oh I hope it isn't me! So today I spent a lot of time on the Internet
trying to find out who the 5% are. (Michael Moore isn't doing this for
me since it is an Obama Tax Plan and not a Bush Tax Plan.) After
reading ALL of the Tax Plan on Obama's website and Googling my brains
out, late this afternoon I emailed using the "Contact Us" link on
www.barackobama.com and I asked if my taxes would increase since I am a
tax payer filing "single with no deductions" and not "married with
children" (that was a very funny Sitcom by the way). Quick as the speed
of coaxial cable I got the following reply:
Dear Jennifer,
Thank you for contacting Obama for America. The volume of messages we're
receiving has gone up recently, and we appreciate hearing from you. While we
cannot respond individually to thousands of messages per day, the level of
interest and thoughtfulness of the comments reflected in these communications
are very gratifying. Your thoughts on our campaign and America's future are
greatly appreciated.
Individual citizens like you are the foundation of this campaign.
Since he entered this race, Barack has spoken consistently of working together
to reclaim the meaning of citizenship, restore our sense of common purpose and
rally the power of millions of voices to demand long overdue change. We hope
you will explore our website, www.BarackObama.com, to learn more about Barack,
his record and his plans.
If you're writing because you want change, we need you to help us fight for it.
Please sign up here to volunteer:
http://my.barackobama.com/acvolunteer
And you can get started from home right now. We've built a set of easy-to-use
web tools that empower you to get further involved right now. Sign up for
My.BarackObama.com, where you can find events near you, connect with neighbors
who support Barack, create your own blog, and do much, much more.
And if you're not sure you want to get involved, and are writing to express a
concern or disagreement, we appreciate that as well. The open discussion we want
to facilitate cannot take place without hearing from people expressing a wide
range of views.
Thank you again for writing.
Sincerely,
The Correspondence Team
Obama for America
---
Here are some more useful links to help you get started:
Learn more about Barack's policy positions: http://my.barackobama.com/acissues
See Barack in person or attend a campaign event, view the Events section toward
the bottom of the front page: www.BarackObama.com.
Invite Senator Obama or Mrs. Obama to an event: http://invite.barackobama.com
Donate: http://my.barackobama.com/acdonate
Buy Obama Gear: http://my.barackobama.com/acstore
Now Senator Obama's
campaign has raised about $427,000,000 yet they can't answer one simple
question? The answer to this question should be on his website under
FAQ but I couldn't find it. If any of you reading this know the answer
or can find it on barackobama.com please let me know. I am a big girl
and I can handle the truth. I suspect I won't like the answer but I am
used to paying more than a single American's
share. And I guess it is my duty to pay for more than one person since
I have chosen not to breed and not to borrow money (I do have living
expenses, in fact rent is the largest portion of my living expenses and
I could fit a few more people in here, like a kid or two. Maybe I
should bring a couple of kids over from oh Iraq or Iran or China and
get my tax dollars worth and big deductions too!) I will always and
forever resent it though since I cause no one any problems and I take
up minimal space and don't need a lot of water/food/air to subsist.
Yes, I received a public education but I do believe I have more
than paid for it already, thank you very much! So any way, I
responded to the Correspondence Team to thank them for their prompt
reply. I know my taxes will increase under a McCain/Palin regime so I
guess it is just going to be Lose/Lose for me. C'est la vie
12:45PM
I'm going to go out on a limb here and expose my ignorance... the U.S.
House of Representatives passed the Senate version of the Bailout Bill
about 15 minutes ago and the Dow Jones Industrial Average has dropped
over 200 points. Is that the way it was supposed to work?!?!?!? OUCH and oh, everybody line up orderly now ok!?!? http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/03/california.loan/index.html
Did I watch the Vice Presidential Debate last night? You betcha. I'm
still trying to decide if that was Palin doing Fey doing Palin or Fey
doing Palin doing Fey doing Palin. Whatever, both candidates were
lying or for those who can't handle such a strong word, fudging the
facts. Biden's tone and body language better aligned with how I'm
feeling lately, i.e. angry and about to burst into tears any
minute as I watch my Traditional IRA plummet like it is on an elevator
with a cut cable. You-betcha-Sarah on the other hand, well I wasn't
surprised. If you think about it for a minute it makes sense. Alaska is
a beautiful state (based on the pictures I've seen) but it is cold
(duh) and unlike Baton Rouge, the days there really do get shorter
until you reach the winter solstice (which means less than 6 hours of
sunlight per day in the winter months). So for a sub-tropical gal that
sounds pretty miserable. The type of person who would choose to live
there must be a chipper-sort by nature or else they just wouldn't make
it. I am all for diversity and I love the fact that this old world has
many different types of people, I wouldn't want it any other way.
I appreciate Sarah's chipper up-beat attitude but I myself
related more to Biden's sense of urgency that is, it is now or never and we
better get it right. Also, while both candidates had tremendous
pressure on them last night, Sarah was visibly nervous. I'm magnanimously going to attribute her not answering most of the questions to her big case of The Nerves. For her sake,
I'm glad that event is now history and I do hope she gets to spend a
lot more time with her family in good ole Alaska real soon!
Keep on the sunny side
Always on the sunny side
Keep on the sunny side of life
It will help us every day
It will brighten up our way
If we keep on the sunny side of life
Doc
Watson
October 2, 2008
Anyone who out there still trying to decide who to vote for in November? This article in Rolling Stone is interesting reading. And for a little humor try this article.
I'm not sure the vote last night in the U.S. Senate was a good thing.
They voted 74 to 25 in approval of the "Bailout Plan". John McCain,
Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, all voted for it. The last
time I had this feeling in my stomach was when they voted to authorize
the use of the United States Armed Forces against Iraq (Well let's be
clear, John, Hillary and Joe voted, Barack wasn't there yet. Dennis Kucinich voted against the Iraq war AND the Bailout). I
just knew they were wrong then and I'm pretty sure they are wrong now.
One difference in then and now is the polls, that attempt to measure
what the American people think, show about 2/3 of us are against the
bailout whereas in October of 2002 about 9/10 were for the war in Iraq.
Maybe the people are getting smarter (and the politicians haven't changed
even a little bit). One item of note in the Senate Bailout Plan is the
provision for mental health coverage equal to physical health coverage
for those with health insurance. Is that to keep the numbers of folks
jumping out of windows down? That was a smart move because if all of us
John Q. & Jane Q. Publics out here off ourselves, who will pay for
the Bailout?
If they get
around to paying off mortgages for people who bit off more than they
could chew, well I will just kick myself for being so damn responsible!
And did you catch the tax break to Hollywood that was added to the
Senate Bailout Plan? It will give over $470 million worth in tax breaks
to TV and movie producers who film in the U.S. WAHOO! That's great, if
we can all still afford cable and a movie ticket that is! Now if it
will just pass in the House of Representatives (and what about that pesky little rule in the Constitution that says "All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives"? Is this not backwards?) we can all run out and borrow some money again like we used to. As Roseanne Barr put it on her blog, "Apparently, we're beyond screwed if we don't HURRY UP and borrow 700
Billion to give them so we can borrow it from them." Come on America, RISE UP!
Now we all need a good laugh and here's a couple for you:
http://joannecasey.blogspot.com/2008/09/disorder-in-american-courts.html
September 29, 2008
The view here in Baton Rouge on Saturday was all
about FOOTBALL. Whether you love it or hate it, it is that time of year
and LSU is off to another very good season it appears. Saturday night
they beat Mississippi State here in Tiger Stadium. I watched most of
the game on television. There is one thing I really wish the networks
broadcasting football games would do differently. I wish they would
show at least half of the Half-Time show. It seems to me that there are
at least as many (if not more) students playing music in the band
as there are students playing football. When these students become
alumni and get jobs making big bucks, the alumni band members surely
donate to their schools just like the alumni athletes, no? So why don't
we get to watch the bands perform on television? Also, sponsors,
musical instruments and all the accessories are not free. Musicians
just like athletes are forever shopping for the best reeds,
mouthpieces, drum sticks, etc. to get them First Chair. ESPN please
listen up, you can ADD sponsors like Yamaha (did you not see that
screen shot in the University of Florida's video?), Getzen, Bach, etc.
LSU has for many many years offered an outstanding marching band to
rally the fans around their Fightin' Tigers. (I would actually rather
watch a good marching band perform than watch a football game myself.)
So what do you say ESPN? Are you listening?
ESPN is holding an online Battle of the Bands and Quest for the Crystal competition.
Seven college bands have recorded the Indiana Jones Theme and you can
view them and vote for your favorite. Yes, I am a bit biased but in all
fairness I viewed all seven. Four of the seven moved me with their
music. I particularly enjoyed the University of Georgia Red Coat's
musical arrangement. The percussion section is excellent. LSU gets my
vote however because they have musicians who play with their entire
bodies, they incorporate movement into the music while they are
playing. Also, they managed to sneak a bit of the "Pregame/Touchdown
for LSU" theme into their rendition of the Indiana Jones theme song,
nice touch guys and gals. And lastly, LSU is the only contestant to
include a plea for your vote. At the end of the video Head Coach Les
Miles asks you to "Vote for LSU and have a great day". In my opinion,
while the University of Georgia had the best musical performance, LSU
had the overall best performance for a marching band and they deserve
to win. Whether you agree with me or not, all seven videos are
worth taking a look at. And maybe we should all email ESPN and request
more band coverage on Saturdays!
September 26, 2008
Bumper sticker wisdom:
A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking.
Meet Henry Earl... http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2008/0925082henryearl1.html
As
you can see from this article, Henry has spent almost 14 of his 58
years on earth in jail for public intoxication. From the look of his
mug shots, he is none the worse for it! In fact, it appears to me that
Henry is quite happy in 13 of the 30 mug shots shown here. That tells
me that 43% of the times Henry has been arrested by law enforcers he is
happy about it. In only 4 of the mug shots does he appear to be ticked
off (13%) so we can conclude that about 1160 out of 1333 times
arrested, Henry was having a pretty ok day, if not down right
enjoyable. Now I have to wonder, why do they keep arresting him? If it
is to rehabilitate him, the
laws and the folks responsible for the laws and enforcing the laws
are insane ("Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and
expecting different results." Albert Einstein). They are keeping
Henry in jail because he chose to become intoxicated on alcohol and
that is bad for him. So why not arrest all the overeaters? They
continue to eat too much and that is very bad for them. The cops should
be hauling all the overweight people they catch eating to jail then,
right? If I may go one step further, to attempt to legislate morality
is insane. I can support laws that hold people responsible for actions
that bring direct harm to others but laws that attempt to stop people
from actions that bring harm to themselves is a waste of time and
money. Deny Henry Earl a driver's license. Legalize marijuana. Have a
nice day!
Now... for those of you who are trying
to wrap your brain around the headline news story of the week... this
explanation makes sense to me...
http://scienceblogs.com/goodmath/2007/12/the_total_stupidity_of_crowds.php
but
I must warn you, read at your own risk. It is NOT a feel-good story! I
wish somebody would make it required reading for Congress!!!
Which
reminds me, I saw Dolly Parton interviewed by Ellen Degeneres this
week. When Ellen asked Dolly, "Your fans have actually said that they
think you should run for office someday, that you should run for
President. That's how much your fans believe in you. Is that something
that you'd even be interested in, to run for office?" Dolly replied,
"No, don't you think we've had enough boobs in the White House?" (Watch
her say it here)
Made me chuckle. I love Dolly Parton. The outer package may be an
artificial caricature of a woman but the inner Dolly is the most
authentic true and honest soul I have come across so far. Dolly Parton
- I Salute you!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Backwoods Barbie lyrics by Dolly Parton
I grew up poor and ragged, just a simple country girl.
I wanted to be pretty more than anything in the world,
like Barbie or the models in the Fredricks' catalog.
From rags to wishes in my dreams I could have it all.
I'm just a backwoods Barbie, too much makeup, too much hair.
Don't be fooled by thinkin' that the goods are not all there.
Don't let these false eyelashes lead you to believe that
I'm as shallow as I look 'cause I run true and deep.
I've always been misunderstood because of how I look.
Don't judge me by the cover 'cause I'm a real good book.
So read into it what you will, but see me as I am.
The way I look is just a country girl's idea of glam.
I'm just a backwoods Barbie in a push-up bra and heels.
I might look artificial, but where it counts I'm real.
And I'm all dolled up and hopin' for a chance to prove my worth,
And even backwoods Barbie's get their feelings hurt.
I'm just a backwoods Barbie, too much makeup, too much hair.
Don't be fooled by thinkin' that the goods are not all there.
Yes, I can see where I could be misjudged upon first glance;
But even backwoods Barbie's deserve a second chance.
I'm just a backwoods Barbie just asking for a chance,
just a backwoods Barbie.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
September 15, 2008
Mother Nature's Bossom
For the past two weeks I have viewed the world from East Tennessee. It
is a beautiful spot on this grand planet, one of Mother Nature's best
in fact. This picture was a view along the Tail of the Dragon. For
those who don't know, the Tail of the Dragon is a portion of US Route
129 in Blount County Tennessee. It is a world reknowned motrocycle
trail that snakes through the mountains and it supposedly has 318
curves in 11 miles (I say supposedly because I have not counted them but I take their word for it). Several movies have been filmed along this road, The Fugitive with Harrison Ford and the 1958 Robert Mitchum film, Thunder Road which
is appropriately about running moonshine. Since I was staying at the
end of the tail, a few miles from Hoot's Deli, I finally got around to
riding it into North Carolina last week. It is a bit dangerous but
something to see. Here are a couple of other good spots along the
tail...
 
My view every morning... 
and afternoon... 
Otherwise, I did a lot of this... 
and a little of this... 
and my best friend did a lot of this... 
and a little of this... 
We don't go anywhere without working in a trip to the mall for some shopping...
And of course it isn't vacation without a few splurges...
 
but in the name of all that is good and wholesome we also partook of fresh veggies...
 
So... that's what I've been up to... it was a lovely two weeks !
Peace Out
August 31, 2008
If you did not see any of the Democratic convention in Denver and feel
like you might have missed something, here is a link to Time Magazine's
video montage. It only takes about 3 minutes of your time and from one
who watched pretty much the entire convention, it is a very good
summation. Enjoy...
http://www.time.com/time/video/?bcpid=1485842900&bctid=1760455467
And... I would like to go on the record by saying I am opposed to
spreading rumors. No where on my blog will you see rumors about
political candidates' personal lives. I do not care what church a
political candidate goes to. I do not care who his/her friends are. All
I need concern myself with is their political platform and their
political behavior and that is all you will see thoughts on here.
Within 24 hours of Friday's announcement of McCain's running mate,
there is lots of rumor
about Sarah Palin and her youngest child and that is offensive to me
and it should be to you too. I don't care about any politician's
personal life. Our great country was changed for the worse when Ken
Starr went after Bill Clinton and the stained dress. Yes, it was wrong
for Bill to lie but what difference did it make for anyone except his
family? No one died. Now if Sarah's teenage daughter had a child out of
wedlock and Sarah suffocated it with a pillow and you can prove it,
then please by all means let us know. Otherwise, it is no business of
mine. The blue dress was TMI (too much information) for me too.
I am not a Republican. But neither am I a hypocrite and after 51+ years I don't feel any need to become one now.
No Stones Jen
Peace Out
August 29, 2008
(AM)
I did watch Senator Barack Obama's acceptance speech last night at the
Democratic National Convention in Denver. Senator Obama is known for
giving good speeches (that is why he is where he is today) and last
night's was no exception. It was well written I thought and of course
he delivered it well. He did not give us his own "I have a dream"-"Ask
not what your country can do for you"-"The only thing we have to fear
is fear itself" quote to repeat for the next 200 years but maybe he is
saving that one for the swearing in ceremony. And when you factor in the truth of content, well, maybe it was a B-. So my final grades for the three major speeches come to this:
Hillary - A+
Bill - solid B
Barack - B-
I do believe
Senator Obama has a very good chance of winning the election in
November. The conventions have a way of making it appear (to the people
who watch them anyway)that a candidate is very popular and sure to win.
It is not a given however, and he has a lot of work to do between now
and then. I'm concerned the debates (if and when they get around
to it and it will be a big mistake if they don't have a couple of
debates) will hurt him. And I know it is petty and I don't think it is
fair or right but the media will have a chance to spin like with this
story...
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/08/28/moos.mouth.kissing.cnn
Television addict that I am I had already noticed this but I wasn't
going to say anything. While watching this montage of video clips of
Obama kissing Mrs. Biden and hugging Nancy Pelosi I couldn't help but
wonder what would happen if it had been Bill Clinton instead or maybe
Barney Frank kissing Joe Biden on the mouth. (Actually the Denver
police would probably have arrested poor Barney if that happened) I
have never seen so many blatant double standards than I have in this
election year. All I'm saying is, whoever is in charge of marketing (or
whatever you want to call it), Senator Obama needs to reign it in a
little. Don't forget, about half of the people in the country do not
think that highly of him and they still need to be sold. And some of us
older folks still put a high value on decorum and protocol. Senator
Obama may be a very affectionate person but he needs to keep his
Presidential-face on, at least until after November 4th! Count yourself
lucky Barry O because others would have been crucified by the press for
this. Just my humble opinion.
And now a word about Gustav...
I was not residing in Louisiana three years ago today when Hurricane
Katrina made landfall but from my view here in Baton Rouge on this the
anniversary I see that most everyone has a plan. The federal, state and
local governments are all seen together in the same room at the press
conferences anyway and I know for a fact that moving vans and
supplies arrived at a nearby nursing home on Thursday with
preparations being made to receive extra clients on Saturday. All
except the premium grade of gasoline was sold out on Wednesday at the
Chevron station where I normally purchase the champagne for my Saturn
but I did get the old girl's tank topped off just down the street at
the Shell station for a few more cents per gallon. The price of regular
went up 10 cents per gallon between Wednesday and Thursday and I
haven't priced it yet today but I expect another 10 cents more soon. I
have a plan and I will begin to implement my plan later when my work
day is over. My plan is to leave the state so after today I will not
have a view of Baton Rouge other than what CNN and others choose to
give me. I am not leaving because I am afraid of the storm. I am
leaving because I am due a vacation and this seems like as good a time
as any to take it! (Besides, I am a HUGE fan of electricity and
air-conditioning!)
I would like to offer a little sympathy for the Republican Party. It
looks like the storms (Gustav & Hannah) and the news stories they
will spawn will surely have an impact on the convention in
Minneapolis-Saint Paul next week. Hurricanes have not been kind to the
Republicans to say the least. Neither
Democrats nor Republicans are bad evil people. Everyone has both
good and bad in them and I look forward to hearing about the good
things they have done in their lives. We have listened to Biden &
Co. and Obama & Co.'s stories this week and next week we will get a
chance to hear about John and Cindy and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. I
have heard and read John Boy's story but I am most interested in Cindy
and Sarah's! In case anyone is wondering, I watch the conventions for
entertainment, not for deciding who to vote for. This is their "best
foot forward" campaign air-time and not a good place to learn truth.
But it amuses me more than Big Brother or some football game. (And my research on Sarah has already begun)
Please Alignak or whoever is in charge here, have mercy and compassion.
Amen
(noon)
Ok... I just viewed Gov. Sarah Palin's acceptance video (don't worry, he doesn't kiss her on the mouth, ugghhh)...
And I've been reading about her all morning and I've got to say ...
somebody has underestimated John McCain. Go on... check the headlines.
Here we are at noon on the day after the Democratic convention in
Denver, the embers from the made in China fireworks have barely burnt out, Barack Obama the brilliant orator gave the biggest speech of
his life last night on the 45th anniversary of Doctor Martin Luther
King, Jr's "I have a dream speech", and crazy old John McCain has blown
that story away with his announcement of a VP running mate. And he did
it without a media biased in his favor, in fact they seem to be biased
in the opposite direction this time around. So that makes this even
more remarkable. Now I'm not saying that this will cinch it for him,
far from it. All this was intended to do was to dampen the fire or
squash any points gained in the polls after the Democratic convention.
And based on the buzz (there was more web traffic
on Gov. Palin's website right after the announcement than there is on
the evacuation route here in Louisiana right now) I would say it was
(and I hate to use these words but they are appropriate here) a mission accomplished. I've got to repeat myself... DNC,
you are running the wrong horse in this race and you missed your golden
opportunity to recover that flub by making her the VP choice. Pssst...
hey guys, pointing out Gov. Palin's lack of experience is
not the way you want to go here. And don't forget, even though she
would be a heartbeat away, she will not be the one taking the lead in
January. (It's kind of scary that I am having to tell you this, but I'm
trying not to think about that. Maybe y'all should try sleeping in shifts.) Let me draw you a picture....
Senator Obama's Resume
| Nov 2004-present |
U.S. Senator |
| (July
2004) |
gave a speech at the DNC |
| 1997
- 2004 |
Illinois Senator |
Governor Palin's Resume
| 2006-present |
Governor of Alaska (90% approval rating) |
| 1996-2004(?) |
Mayor of Wasilla where she lowered the property
taxes 60% |
| 1992-1996 |
Two terms on the Wasilla City Counsel |
| 1984 |
Won the Miss Wasilla title and placed second in the Miss Alaska pagent |
(OMG! A POW war hero and a Beauty Queen. Come on Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, stand up and take your bow. I
know you wrote this script. You can't fool me!)
Ha Ha Tee Hee Chuckle Chuckle This can't get any better, can it? Go
ahead and laugh people, yuck it up, enjoy yourselves. The world as we know it ends in 2012 (according
to the Mayans and Shirley McClaine)!
Goovy
Peace Out
August 27, 2008
How about that Hillary on the mile-high Hill last night?!?!?!?!? DNC you are running the wrong horse in this race! I'm just saying. Hillary Clinton is clearly the best qualified for the job. While
I have always respected and admired Hillary Clinton (in spite of her
flaws) for her lifetime of service to this country and for her amazing
intellect I have never personally thought of her as a "hero". Today
Hillary Rodham Clinton is my hero. She is my hero because she is
one of the most honorable and selfless civil servants in our country.
She has not always been so in my opinion but she demonstrated last
night that she is now. She was gracious, diplomatic and totally
focused on what is truly best for this country. She did this most
effectively and without any contradiction or inconsistency. She did not
say she was wrong when she stated that Obama is less qualified for the
job of President than she or McCain because it would be a lie.
She is absolutely right. (Barely a) Senator Barack Obama does not
have enough leadership experience. This experience does not need to be
in Washington or even in politics but he has to know how to lead.
Giving speeches and deciding which side of an issue is the most popular
then taking it is not leading (off-shore drilling, Cuba embargo,
decriminalization of marijuana, illegal immigration, etc.). Hillary
Clinton was a leader for universal health care when it wasn't
cool (1993) and 15 years later she is still leading this effort, she
"keeps going". Hillary did an amazing job last night of "leading" her
supporters to vote for Barack Obama. I have no doubt that she persuaded
some of them to vote for Obama.
The Democratic Party leaders asked Senator Clinton to unite the party
and win the election for Barack Obama because everyone knows, even the
DNC, that he can not win this election on his own merit. James
Carville pointed out the absurdity of that notion on Good Morning
America on Tuesday morning. Mr Carville said something very close to,
"There is nothing that she's going to do that the people are going to
say, 'Gee, you know what? That was really a great job she did.' The
Hillary people need to get over that. No such words are going to be
uttered by anybody in television. Now, I think there's a little bit of
a flaw here because the commentators look at Clinton voters as a sub
prime mortgage. The Clinton Voters can be packaged up and bundled up
and delivered to Senator Obama. The truth of the matter is Senator
Clinton or President Clinton can say some very complimentary things but
that's part of the deal. Senator Obama has to go out and close the
deal. He is the one that needs their votes. So the more important of
the three speeches in terms of those voters is to be his speech on
Thursday night. I expect him to do a very good job. HE is the person
who has to move these voters - we tend to forget this."
James Carville is absolutely right when he explained that the Clinton
voters can not be packaged and delivered to Obama. Senator Clinton did
not hypnotize and/or brain-wash her voters to vote for her. She can not
control who they choose to vote for now that she is no longer an
option. Yes, she pointed out the differences in herself and Senator
Obama while campaigning and stated that she believed she was the better
qualified (sometimes with a dramatic tone), any
candidate would. But Senator Obama has to convince them now that
he is the better qualified candidate to win their vote in the General
Election. If Senator Barack Obama loses the general election it is
because he was not a good enough candidate, end of that story!
And with all due respect (and I do respect the brilliant mind and keen
wit of Mr. Carville), James Carville was wrong about one thing... I am
hearing a lot of commentators on television noting what a great job
Hillary did with her speech. I would love to know who wrote the speech
because it was genius. If I had to guess I would say Hillary with
contributions from Chelsea but maybe I am just hoping.
Thank you Senator Clinton and "keep going", I am behind you all the way!
August 22, 2008
Here is my pick for the week's best news story...
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/08/mccain_beats_obama_in_new_brun.html
Don't waste any time (or any more time) on the VP picks and the polls
ladies and gentlemen. This is all you need to know. Actually, I'm
thinking maybe this is a better way to pick the next president of
the United States of America. No need for primaries and campaigns and
national conventions and general elections... just let Howard Dean and
Mike Duncan pick a party candidate then race a couple of thoroughbred
cockroaches, one for each party and let the best roach win. That is
sort of how we do it now but we spend about 2 or 3 billion dollars
before it is all over on election day.
Adios Cucarachas
August 19, 2008
And the wheels on the bus go round and round... http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2008-08-18-iraqtanks_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip
This is so sad to me. War is sad and totally useless. No good comes
from it. Humankind has been at it for as long as there has been
humankind and that is a very long time. Enough time to learn better. It
is hard to find any optimism for nobility, excellence and/or altruism
on this planet. We seem to be devolving fast!
On a lighter note...
Check out this short video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghSq0z0IZbI&NR=1
and tell me, who is amusing who? Is the dog amusing the girl or the
girl amusing the dog? Maybe the girl is annoying the dog? Clearly, the
girl is amused.
Adios muchachos
August 9, 2008
 This morning's Sunrise
What is that on yon horizon? The 2008 Pennington Hot Air Balloon
Championship in Baton Rouge, Louisiana is what that is on yon horizon.
This morning was the most perfect morning for a balloon event. It was around
70 degrees fahrenheit with a comfortable humidity and just a slight
breeze. The guys and gals in the baskets were dropping flags at a
target. They were allowed to come within one inch of the ground. Some
came down low and others took longer shots. A time or two the announcer
asked the spectators to move back in fear they would get clipped in the
head by a basket. It is quite breath-taking to watch a balloon descend
right over your head! This was my third hot air balloon event and if
you have never been to a hot air balloon competition I suggest you try
to attend at least one in your lifetime. It is worth getting up for in
this viewer's opinion.
 Peace Out
August 3, 2008
Well I finally got around to it... this is the newest Bass Pro Shop and
it is right here in Denham Springs, LA. I am familiar with Bass Pro
Shop only because they brought one to Sevierville, TN when I lived in Knox county and I remember
reading about the controversy in the Knox News at the time. I'm not
sure why there is controversy ... it seems like a sure way to bring
retail business to a city but none the less, some people are agin' it.
Maybe it is the same people that don't want a Walmart in their
neighborhood. I'm not sure, I just know the Bass Pro Shop
catches your eye from the Interstate.
The Denham Springs store opened February 6, 2008. It has a 65,000
person capacity and 15,000 showed up for opening night. Bass Pro Shops
have been described as part museum, part art gallery, part conservation
education and entertainment centers. For the record, I am not an
outdoor/sporting/fishing sort of gal so I knew there would be
nothing in
the store that I wanted to buy but... I am a museum sort of gal and I
had read and heard enough about
the sights to see inside that I knew I would have to go check it out.
So check it out I did.
It was just as I expected. Mostly a big warehouse sporting goods store
with moderate prices (I've seen better and I've sure seen worse price
tags). But the interesting sights were the art work, (almost every inch
of wall space is a mural) the taxidermy (I'm not a fan of taxidermy but
if you are you should check this place out) and as with all retail
stores, the customers (if you are a people watcher that is).
Now I've been there and done that and I had myself some fun. I don't
think I will ever have a need to return but it was worth seeing once.
July 24, 2008
Here's one for you...
Teachers taught what not to wear
(http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/25841174.html)
When I read this I had a couple of thoughts ...
1) Is this a joke? Just some fun with irony maybe? I hope?
2) Do you think the teachers have trouble reading and comprehending the
Dress Code so that the management/leaders had to demonstrate to them
what not to wear? Really?
3) Who wrote the Dress Code? They do have one, right?
4) Is this News?
|
WELCOME to Jen's
view from Baton Rouge, Louisiana
