USmama's Xanga

Michigan needs help

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:22:46 GMT

Why do we keep voting in the same politcians and hoping for different results? Michigan sank significantly in state ratings after Jenny G.'s first term, but we went back for more of her same crappy governing skills. Now, we're in worse shape yet, and she still isn't capable of thinking outside of her tax and spend box.

Oh, Now I Get It. Sort Of.

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:23:57 GMT

Today, I stand corrected on a million things I've always believed. I can't explain this all on one little blog post, but I can direct you to a site that will open your "political eyes" like never ever before.

I warn you, however, to be prepared to be pissed. Really pissed. And then maybe just a little hopeful. This has nothing to do with us-versus-them politics. And I challenge everyone I know to check this out, and when you've covered all the articles on the site, let me know what you think - 'cause I'm still processing.

SOOOO...

Regardless of your party affiliation, forgetting for whom you voted in any election in your lifetime...

if you care about your country and the future of it even just a tiny little bit...

there is a website you need to visit and learn from...

GO TO www.ourcaucus.com

Remember, this isn't about Republican bashing or Democrat bashing. It's about US, all of us, and what we can do to take back control of our insane government.

Obama - The Big Improvement

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 01:15:44 GMT

We used to have a president who was intent on destroying our enemies. (That bad, bad man.) Thank goodness we now have a president who's only intent on destroying us. Yeah, that's change you can believe in.

Big Bombs and Idiots

Tue, 26 May 2009 03:02:05 GMT

Okay, I've got to be quick with this one, but I just have to say that the world is full of idiots -- especially at the leadership level.

Do they really think that North Korea cares about their anger and judgement? Really?

North Korea is a communist state. They understand that fear is the emotion that rules over all others. They don't give a rat's ass what the rest of the world thinks of them. (Let's give them a little credit for that bit of maturity.) And they have no moral sensitivity to what their bombs may do to the rest of us. They have the big stick, people, they don't have to care what we think.

For thousands of years, people have understood that no one bothers the strong man on the block. Yeah, they might taunt a little, but they really never mess with someone who can pound them into the sidewalk. That's where we are with N. Korea. They understand the basic principle of strength equals power. Americans and Europeans want - more than anything they want - to believe that brains and understanding and sensitivity are the things that speak to others. But when it comes down to it, the ability to kick ass is what wins out every time.

The old quote about Sam Colt comes to mind: "God made all men, and Sam Colt made them equal." For North Korea, having nuclear power is all about keeping things equal. No, it's more than that. They just made themselves the strong guy on the block.

It makes me miss Ronald Reagan. As I see it, he won the cold war by bankrupting the Soviet Union in an arms race. Yeah, he used a lot of good old talking too. But words mean nothing when you're the underdog. Remember David and Goliath? Little, average farmer boy? He was the laughing stock of the Philistine army until he took out their ten foot hero. But I haven't seen the guts of David around, and Reagan is long lost too. Who will stand up to the big bullies now? Maybe Hillary can give them a button to push when they're feeling antsy.

I'm just afraid that in our world of special-order menus for terrorists, no one has the balls to carry a big stick anymore. Can you say "comrade?"

When does the bleeding stop?!

Wed, 13 May 2009 19:43:10 GMT

Last fall, before the election, when "change" was the word on every liberal's lips, a friend of mine dished out some pretty harsh words when I questioned the public's blind buy into an idea that wasn't fully defined. I told her that Castro, also young and charismatic at the time, had promised change to Cuba. Was that the kind of change we wanted? "How dare you!" began her reply.

Well, change is here, and I'm seeing shadows of people I don't even dare to name. But of whom are we to think when the leader of our "free country" steps in and fires the CEO of a publicly held company? I'm pretty sure I heard a ghost from a certain past administration laughing in glee as the American public was saddled with a massive budget proposal that their representation didn't even read and which funneled away billions of our tax dollars to political organizations like Acorn. And I see visions of a certain historical villain every time our new leader of the free world cranks the screws tighter on gun control. (I wonder how Obama would look with a mustache?)

Now, in light of a recent visit to my local Social Security office, I have a fantastic picture of what Obama-care is going to do to our health care. Face it, Britain's nationalized health care sucks. So does Canada's. (Six months before starting treatment for breast cancer? No thanks.) In fact, you can't find a single example of better health care than we have now. "But what about the uninsured!" Honey, I've been in the emergency room and prime care way too many times in the last twenty years, and never, ever has anyone been turned away for the lack of insurance. The doctors give the same level of care to the guy who's paying out of pocket, the guy who's paying 20% and has his insurance pay 80, and the guy who doesn't pay at all. Is it perfect? No. But more government is not the answer, folks, more competition is.

But that's beside the point. The point is that the government is growing, taking over our free market, and ignoring the basic rights of the public. And my liberal friends have no problem with that. I wonder how they'll feel about it in about 15 years and someone they love has breast cancer and it takes six months before the government has time to "save" them.

Hey, Glenn Beck, Give Us a Break

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 14:52:30 GMT

I've heard Glenn Beck. I even enjoy his show. I've heard Rush Limbaugh, Laura Ingraham, and Sean Hannity. And, despite the hatred I hear from others, I think they are right about most things.

But...

I have a problem when, concerning the political orgy that's taking place right now, these people ask when America is going to do something about this?

What the heck are we supposed to do? Hmmm?

Let's say we all call our representatives. Oooh, that's going to do a lot of good. We get to talk to some intern or other gate keeper with a condescending attitude. We know they don't consider our opinions. They really couldn't care less. Their minds are made up by the political games they play. The same goes for email. In fact, a lot of representatives don't even have published email addresses for their constituents contact them. Why not? Let's face it, they don't really care either. Letters? Oh please. We saw what happens to our letters at the end of the Clinton administration. (Remember the massive number of garbage bags full of unopened mail?)

We could write letters to editors of papers. But let's get real. They might print one letter from a conservative for five from liberals. Why would the media support the views of those who oppose socialism and big government? They love big government.

We tried in the elections to appeal to logic. We screamed at the top of our lungs that big government was not the solution. We asked our liberal friends and neighbors to point out one instance where bigger government meant better lives for the people - to show us even one government agency that looked like the way we'd want our health care system to look. And they couldn't. But they voted in a big government socialist anyway. There is no reasoning when it comes to politics, it seems. Power tends to wipe out reason. I think our founding fathers knew that.

So, tell me. Tell me and the rest of the Americans who are watching in horror as their children's futures get signed down the river by Washington, what are we supposed to do?

Obama is right on track

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 19:20:05 GMT

I believe it was last August when I forwarded a letter to the editor to a bunch of my friends. I thought it was good food for thought. The letter was written by a Cuban refugee who begged people to remember that change is not always a good thing. He begged people to remember a young, handsome, and charismatic politician who promised change to the people of Cuba. He begged us all to remember Castro.

Most of my friends are liberals. (I don't know how that happened.) And most of them politely ignore it when I step on their political toes. Sometimes, we even have friendly conversations about our different points of view. But that time was different. I got a scathing reply from one of them. She was angry, so angry I could almost feel her rising blood pressure through the email. "How dare you compare Barak Obama to Castro?" she railed. (The letter never mentioned Obama by name.) She blamed the Bush administration for getting us into a war, a huge deficit, and every other wrong in life. (Don't forget, the liberals blamed Bush for Katrina.) Then she blamed evangelical Christians for putting Bush in power. Bush was evil. Christians were evil. Obama was the only hope for saving our country from such evil. She requested that I take her off my email list. I did so gladly, because I don't like to insult people, and I do get frustrated when people can't call a communist a communist. So, yeah, I deleted her off the list.

Now we are in the fifth week of the presidency of Barak Obama, the golden boy, the one who would save us from war and poverty and even our own sins of selfishness. (Don't forget, he did promise to help us "spread the wealth.") Since his inauguration, the market has done nothing but sink - EVERY TIME HE OPENS HIS MOUTH. He has signed a bill that equals more spending than you can imagine - analysts predict that it will cost more than it would add up to if we had started spending a trillion dollars a day when Jesus was born and continued to spend a trillion every day until now. Yes, that much. And he is now promising to change our healthcare system. Yeah, I really can't wait until going to the doctor is as nice as a visit to the DMV or the Social Security office - how 'bout you?

But here's the thing. Despite the bad news, Barak is right on track. He promised change, and we've got it. Do you really think he cares about the market? I'll tell you a secret - he doesn't. He may give it a little lip service, but the truth is that horrible economies are a socialist's dream come true. The worse the economy gets, the more business sectors the government will have to bail out. The more they bail out, the more they control. They can tax and regulate the rich right out of providing jobs for the rest of us. And then we'll all need help. They can make more people dependent on them. And then they can set whatever kind of policies they want - because dependents are far less likely to complain, rebel, or try to change the status quo - it's too dangerous for them.

I hope my liberal friends like the look of those bread lines the Russian's had in the eighties. That's how governments spread the wealth. I hope they like the idea of the government telling them whom they can turn to for medical help. That's how governments run medical care. I hope the idea of the government choosing their child's career for them based on the child's aptitude and the government's needs sounds like a delightful future for their kids. Because that is exactly the direction we are headed. Don't think that sounds likely? I'm sure you never thought he'd bring this kind of financial burden on us all. When are we going to wake up and smell the communism, people?

Barak Obama and the liberals of this country need the market to die a fast death. They need rampant unemployment and financial disaster. While they talk about fixing these things, they are rapidly putting policies in place to insure that these disasters happen. They know that broad economic failure helps them extend the power of government when people cry out for help. They know that disaster gives them the platform they need to position themselves as saviors of the common man.

Barak is right on track.

God have mercy on the rest of us.

Yeah, Obama's just a regular guy...

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 12:29:40 GMT

On the campaign trail, he was presented as a regular guy. He worked for pennies to improve Chi-town neighborhoods and communities. He drove an old car. He dreamed of a better world...

The man had his own private chef, for crying out loud.

If the Palin family had had a private chef, the press would have been all over it. We would have heard no end of it. Sarah Palin would have been painted to be an uncaring mother and unfair politician living too well off of the tax payers' backs. (Don't deny it. They crucified her for wearing borrowed clothes!)

The truth is, Obama was a millionaire before he announced his candidacy. They aren't "normal" people like the rest of us. (You don't find too many people of average income attending Columbia, and we all know it.)

They lied by the way they represented themselves to the public, and people ought to be outraged.

But they won't.

They won't because the press won't make a big deal out of it, and the lie will be swept under the carpet with all the other dirty little truths - like his political views on your money.

My question today and every day is this: If Obama is so in favor of "spreading the wealth," why hasn't he spread his wealth? Why is he able to afford a private chef? Couldn't he feed a lot of fellow Chicago-ans with that money? Shouldn't he donate it to the stimulus package?

It seems to me that a guy who could afford a private chef ought to be able to help out his brother in Kenya who lives in a tiny hut. A rich man who believes in spreading the wealth and can afford a private chef should be able to help his aunt live somewhere other than a Boston ghetto. Don't you think?

You see, Obama doesn't really believe in spreading his wealth. He believes in spreading the wealth of others. You and I are dirty dogs if we want to be rich. (And believe me, I'd love to be rich.) We're unpatriotic if we don't want to give the government more of our earnings. We should be willing to give up our hard earned cash in the name of sharing with our fellow man. (We should feel great about paying for abortions around the world. It's so neighborly of us.) But somehow the guy who got into office with that message doesn't feel he should have to share. And that's a pretty nasty dish to serve up to a nation built on capitalist beliefs.

I found a great deal!

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:51:24 GMT

I am a big fan of Zents body products. They're made of high quality, natural ingredients, and they're scented with pure essential oils. Unique, lovely, and, at first, surprising, the Zents lotions give me an instant shot of self esteem. (I can't wear a lot of perfumes or lotions due to sensitive skin and a tendency toward headaches, but this stuff is fine.)

So, here's the big deal --- I found a store in Holland, MI that's having a special until Feb. 14. Buy a lotion, get a shea butter body soap for free. The name of the store is Devries and Dornbos. They have a website, and their phone number is 616-392-1891.

I know this sounds like an ad, but I don't work for Zents or Devries and Dornbos. I'm just a fan, and thought there might be some of you out there who would enjoy what they have to offer and like to get the bonus product for free. I love free stuff!

Enjoy!

Can We Really Speak Freely?

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 18:22:50 GMT

Americans pride themselves on their freedom of speech - or, at least, they used to. In the last twenty years, I've seen that freedom grow smaller and smaller. It started with "hate speech" and "hate crimes" accusations. Now, if you ask me, every crime is a hate crime. People don't steal from their neighbors out of love. Rape is as hateful as one can get. And murder, even in the heat of passion, is still born of rage and hate. So the term "hate crime" has always annoyed me.

But the term "hate speech" soon followed the "hate crimes" trend, and it has muzzled people across the globe. We have fiction writers with canceled contracts because certain groups find their work offensive. We have journalists being prosecuted in Canada because the Muslims don't like how they might have been portrayed in an article. In American, the land of the free, we have our own ways of prosecuting people for using language that the speech police consider offensive. Let's face it: O.J. Simpson was acquitted of a double murder, not because of his innocence, not because of his attorney's great skill, not even because of the planted evidence involved in the case, but because of Mark Fuhrman's use of the "N" word. (Admit it, we heard far more about Fuhrman's words than about his guilty deeds.) White guilt and the speech police set that man free. Isn't that sad? We let horrible crimes go unpunished because of one man's racist words. It that really justice?

The problem with censoring people's speech is that it really isn't just a judgement on their words. When we censor speech, we are really censoring thoughts. We're telling people that they shouldn't think the things they think. We're telling them that they must agree with the government or society, and that we'll make them suffer if they don't. Sounds a lot like the Stasi in Eastern Germany after WWII, doesn't it?

Now, I like it when people control their mouths. I'm not a big fan of foul language. I don't allow my children to use nasty words, curse words, and low-grade language. (When they are out of my house, they can make their own rules for their use of language.) I think racist people and their hateful language hurts a lot of people, and I wish they didn't think that way. I wish no one suffered the taunts and names of cruel children on a playground. I wish people got along better than they do. But when the public starts policing words, when the press decides to silence people with whom they disagree, when politicians put gag orders on reporters who challenge their views, when we worry more about feelings than justice we lose the very basic right that makes us free - our right to freedom of speech.

Do we really want to live in a society that demands a constant censoring of our thoughts and beliefs and the words we use to express them? How long will it be before none of us are allowed to speak our minds? How long before we have the equivalent of the Stasi spying on us all to monitor our speech? How long before disagreeing with the government, or speaking out against it will result in fines, jail, or worse?

If you had asked me these things twenty years ago, I would have laughed and waived them off with some mention of the Bill of Rights or the amendments to the constitution. But I'm not so sure anymore, and I wonder if I'm the only one worried about this.