At The End Of The Day...

From For Ellipsis

"Every time you wake up and ask yourself, "What good things am I going to do today", remember that when the sun goes down at sunset, it will take a part of your life with it."

-Indian Proverb

Torture. When it comes to a subject as serious as this, I ask you, is there really such a thing as right or left, indeed, shouldn't it be right and wrong? I do not understand how anyone, regardless of political affiliation can say, "let's just move on," when it comes to this issue. An awful lot of bad things have been done in the name of each and every American. With equally bad results. It has been proven that torturing prisoners usually results in very little, if any, solid information. The tactic of torture does NOT keep us safe, indeed, it puts us in greater danger. Have we been safe since 9/11? Well, I don't think that we can say that just because there hasn't been a day like 9/11 since then that we are safe. I think we have been lucky, but not necessarily safe. You have to remember, the enemies we have now are a patient lot. Walking around with a cocky attitude, bragging about how safe we are, will eventually comeback to bite us... BIG.

Here is what I really don't get about the Bush administration authorizing "harsh interrogations"... why? Why resort to that? Why let Osama bin Laden win in his effort to change who we are, or were? Can you just imagine the moral victory we handed him? Not only did we never bring to justice those who attacked us that day, but we have given them a solid moral victory in knowing they have divided us as a nation. Sigh. Will prosecuting the Bush administration for war crimes divide us further? I hope not. I hope that regardless of what we have all been through, we can still see and know the difference between right and wrong.

I remember when the Bush administration tried to erase the word hunger, by calling it "pantry challenged." Sheesh. It was still hunger. It didn't work. And it is my hope that changing the name of torture to enhanced interrogations, won't work either.

It's Obama's first 100 days. So far he has given me a lot of hope. He has reversed many of the Bush administrations policies, and with each reversal, I can feel another brick being lifted off of me. Hope. It's a good thing. Are things perfect? Far from it. Do I agree with everything he is doing. NOPE. But at least I can see a future again. Life is getting better. Nothing really profound happens in the first 100 days of any administration, it's what happens from now on that really matters. I just HOPE he does the right thing.

Opinions, opinions...

If you are a republican, or a democrat for that matter, feel free to chime in. If you have known me for any length of time you know I welcome opinions, even if you don't agree with my point of view. So, tell me what's on your mind. Go ahead. Don't be shy.

Opinions anyone?

-Carly

Things I Think About While Surfing The Net...

From For Ellipsis

"The three great elemental sounds in nature are the sound of rain, the sound of wind in a primeval wood, and the sound of outer ocean on a beach."

-Henry Beston

Things I Think About While Surfing The Net...

1. As much as it hurts, we must not let the Bush administration get away with torture. We have to move forward, I agree, but we must do so with justice. Those who ordered it, and those who manipulated the justice system, MUST be held accountable for the past, so we have the future we were promised when we were children!

2. I could really go for a hamburger right now, but I will settle for a nice ripe pear.

3. I found a cute little new scarf at Macy's the other day!

4. Gosh, we only had a few days of summer-like weather, now I am in the mood for autumn to be here. It's going to be a long summer.

5. I am worried about the two American journalists being held in North Korea, Laura Ling, and Euna Lee. The North Korean government is now saying they will be putting them on trial for espionage. Sigh. They are in my prayers.

6. I am also worried about the American journalist, Roxana Saberi, jailed in Iran. She was recently sentenced to 8 years.

7. Both of the two situations I just mentioned, is why we must not condone torture. We must protect the safety of those two women, by sending a message that no one in America is above the law!

8. On a happier note, the world of finance seems to be stabilizing a bit... at least for now.

9. If I could win the lottery, I would buy an apartment on Central Park West, so I can watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade go by my window.

10. I got a Twitter account, but I almost never use it. I must be old or something, but I just don't get it.

11. Turkey sandwiches with Sweet Potato fries for dinner. YUM.

12. Tri-tip roast with vegetables tomorrow night.

13. Keith Olbermann said last night, that he would pay Sean Hannity $2,000 per second to be water boarded. I really hope he takes him up on it!

14. I think Susan Boyle is fantastic! I am rooting for her to win Britain's Got Talent! You go girl!

15. Dylan and Hendrix get more beautiful every day. I am so in love with them!

16. I need some Starbuck's right now.

17. Meghan McCain is fabulous. She might be the best hope of the Republican party!

18. I am pretty sure. Well, I am!

19. Can you just imagine, winning a year's supply of Lee Press On Nails?

20. Monty, I will take door number 2.

21. I wonder who the serial killer will turn out to be on One Life To Live?!

-Carly

Here A Lie, There A Lie

"Take our politicians: they're a bunch of yo-yos. The presidency is now a cross between a popularity contest and a high school debate, with an encyclopedia of cliches the first prize."

- Saul Bellows

I am not sure which politicians Saul Bellows is referring to with that quote, but it certainly seems to fit our current choices. I guess some things never change. Sigh.
So, did you watch last night's presidential debate between Barack Obama and John McCain? I did. In fact, I had been looking forward to it all week, as I sat glued to the news regarding the seemingly imminent Stock Market collapse, and the failure of our economic system.

In an effort to understand things better, I have been playing a little game with myself for the last couple weeks. I chose a stock that had been struggling, and invested a nominal amount of fantasy cash, $200.00, just to learn about what it must feel like to those men and woman who are standing at the brink of financial ruin. I chose the amount, based on a percentage of what we have been able to save lately. It's a fair amount for such an exercise I think. If nothing else, the recent financial mess we found ourselves in, with the California Budget stalemate, forced us to tighten our belts, and the result was a bit of a savings in the bank.

Every day, when I logged on, I checked the opening quote and then watched the stock periodically throughout the day. Some days it didn't move much, other days it did a great deal of moving, mostly in a downward motion. I read financial articles about the stock, and what was causing it's downturn, and I watched as it held on for dear life, and then finally fall into an irreversible coma late Thursday night. Yep, you guessed it, I was watching Washington Mutual. See, I felt I kinda had a stake in it already as a depositor there. I should have know it didn't have a chance when I bought the original stock a couple weeks ago for $2.10 per share. But I saw some possible light when a week later it had risen to about $3.60. Oooh, bliss.

I had some hope at that point, maybe, just maybe, if they could hold on and ride out the storm, it would work out for the troubled savings and loan. Alas... along came nervous investors, and the market fell off sharply, and Washington Mutual didn't have a chance. It might have survived if the bailout had been implemented as soon as Bush and Paulson requested it... but wouldn't that have been a scary proposition?As I watched the whole thing unfold last week, all the twists and turns and political maneuvering, I learned a lot more then I bargained for.

I learned that you can only cry WOLF so many times, after that you are pretty much left in the woods, some very dark and creepy woods, with your own devices for finding your way home again. If you don't believe me, just ask President Bush. Actually, I learned the moral of that story in kindergarten, from the story, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, but apparently not everyone has read that book, and as a result, Bush has lived his presidency crying wolf, and now he has learning the lesson.

He has lied, and demanded and generally gone about thinking he is king of the world his entire time in office, so, last Monday he and Paulson submit a 3 page report to Washington that basically said, there is a big, snarly, farty, mangy, drooling, flea infested, cross eyed, one lipped, 7,000 lb wolf in the forest behind the red houses and blue houses, and he is going to pounce if we don't get him NOW! We got to nip him in the bud. PRONTO! Otherwise, we will all be eaten up and farted out. To which Washington, said, wait a second... not so fast... maybe we don't have to nip him in the bud, maybe we can accomplish the same thing by starving the wolf to death, as opposed to nipping him in the bud... if indeed there is really a wolf.

Now with all that in mind, along comes the first presidential debate between John McCain and Barack Obama. I was looking forward to finally hearing something about what kind of future we are in for. Both men were asked about what they will do about the economy, how they felt about the proposed bailout of Wall street, and how we will dig ourselves out from the brink of disaster. Neither candidate could really say, because the bailout situation hasn't been decided upon, we did however, get some idea of what areas might be cut, due to the overwhelming deficit one of them will inherit. As I sat, listening to the two sniping at each other, and the never ending condescending "I don't think he understands" from McCain, it occurred to me, that I wasn't going to make up my mind until I read the analysis from Factcheck.org, that would be in my mailbox today when I woke up.

I wish Factcheck.org had been around years ago. I like knowing who is lying to me, and who is stretching the truth. When all was said and done last night, John McCain had lied again and again, and misrepresented Obama again and again. Don't get me wrong, there were misrepresentations on both sides throughout the night, but McCain has seemed to circulate more and more negativity since the very beginning, and even when he has been called on his lies, half truths, and misrepresentations, he has dug in again and again, rather then relying on the truth to make his case for the White House.

I used to have some respect for John McCain, but it has eroded greatly. As for Obama, while I haven't always believed he could deliver what he has promised, I do think he is more in touch with what's happening right now. By all accounts, when he attended the meeting at the White House this week regarding the bailout, he at least asked a series of questions about the package, and it's consequences for America. By some reports, McCain did little for the process, and indeed may have been more of hindrance, then any real help. Obama showed some strength and leadership to me.

So, while I am looking forward to upcoming debates, especially the Sarah Palin/Joe Biden face off next week, I think it will be more of an exercise in amusement, rather then anything that will affect my decision making come November. In truth, I have already decided how I will be voting. See, I will be voting for the candidate that lies to me less. It's just that simple. Go Read FactCheck.org's,Whoppers of 2008, and make up your own mind.

-OndineMonet
"Decision 2008"

Fall Back

"The ancient Romans had a tradition: whenever one of their engineers constructed an arch, as the capstone was hoisted into place, the engineer assumed accountability for his work in the most profound way possible... he stood under the arch.

-Michael Armstrong

Lately, I have had an old saying on my mind. "Spring Forward... Fall back." As a small child, I thought it was nifty, just nifty. What a cool way to remember that the earth, at least here in the northern hemisphere, will soon be sinking into shorter, darker days. I guess I have had that quip on my mind lately, because of all the turmoil in the Stock Market. It is a perfect metaphor for the current situation. Think about it. The Bush administration has insisted for years that the very foundations of our economy were sound. We were a resourceful people, and therefore we would come out on top. We would survive. Well, I suppose everything does look much more alive in the spring... doesn't it? I suppose when we all closed our eyes, and tried to believe it, we were smack dab in the middle of our springtime mentality, but now the leaves are falling, and so is the economy.

The fact that the Bush administration has been given a free ride, in terms of accountability, has disturbed me for years. I am sure you have read my rantings over the years I have been blogging, but at every turn, Bush and company, have been written a blank check, and therefore we have found ourselves in yet another mess, and it will be you and I who clean it up. Bush will leave office, without taking responsibility for whatever damage is caused by the latest blunder... namely... the failed economy and his plan to save it. Not only is there no concrete guarantee that it will work, but if it indeed fails, we will be in roughly the same boat we are in now, and no one will have to answer for it.

When Nancy Pelosi sits down with the Bush administration to iron out the details of the current ""Bailout" proposal, she will ask for perhaps a second stimulus package, and food stamps, and caps on the retirement packages for the executives of the major banking institutions that allowed this situation to build into the catastrophe that is taking place before our eyes, but if she stops there, she will have let us all down once again. She needs to demand that the question of accountability for what happens next, not be a question at all. The Bush administration needs to finally have the buck stop with them. They need to be held responsible for what they have done, and will do in the coming weeks and months. I think it's about time the free ride stops. Demanding that accountability be written into the proposal must not be negotiable. It must become a fact of life. When all is said and done, I wonder who will actually take responsibility for this mess?

Winter 2008...

"I hope you're confident about our economy. I am. We've got some short-term issues to deal with. Fourth quarter growth slowed to .6 percent. In other words, there are signs that our economy are slowing."

-George W. Bush, January 30th, 2008, speaking at the Robinson Helicopter Co. in Torrance, California.

Spring 2008...

"In the long run, we can be confident that our economy will continue to grow, but in the short run, it is clear that growth has slowed."

-George W. Bush, March 15th. 2008 weekly radio address.

"One thing is for certain... we are in challenging times. But another thing is for certain... that we've taken strong and decisive action."

-George W. Bush, March 17th, 2008, after meeting with economic advisers.


So tell me, what do you think will happen? Will we avoid a full on financial depression, or will we fall completely? How much faith do you have in the Bush administration plan to bail out Wall Street? What is the biggest struggle your family is facing right now? How closely are you watching developments in the Stock Market? Will you be shopping more, or less, this upcoming holiday season?What was your "Back To School" shopping like?


Share your thoughts with me.

-OndineMonet
"Falling Leaves"
Oakland, California
September 21, 2008
Afternoon

911 Once Again

"Tears are the safety valve of the heart, when too much pressure is laid on it."

-Albert Smith

Well, as of today, it has been 7 years since the worst terrorist strike on American soil occurred. I hear a lot about how safe George Bush has made us, but has he really? Yes, it's true we haven't been struck again, and some efforts to do so have be thwarted, but I have to continue to ask one question... WHERE IS BIN LADEN AND WHY HASN'T HE BEEN BROUGHT TO JUSTICE? Is there any real excuse, or reason that actually makes sense? Do you think he will ever be caught? Will Bin Laden ever be made to pay for what he did? I wonder.

-OndineMonet

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #173: Share A Joke

"Nothing is better than the unintended humor of reality."

-Steve Allen

Weekend Assignment #173: Share a joke. Make it funny. Also, since I'll want to link back to them, and I am, after all, but a cog in the great AOL machine, keep it reasonably clean and free of ethnic/sexual put-downs. You know.

Put the joke up on your blog or journal and then come back and leave a link in the comment thread (if you don't have a journal/blog, you can leave the joke in the comment thread. But remember, if you have a journal/blog, the point is to let the massive attendance of this blog push people to your online home, with fame and fortune to follow!)

Extra Credit: So, ever been to Kansas City? Because that's where I'm going.

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

Every once in a while John Scalzi chooses this subject for one of his Weekend Assignments. I rather like this subject, and posting jokes, because humor is... well... fun. Life gets way too serious at times, so thank you Blogfather, for the fun assignment for this week! I thought and thought about what kind of joke I wanted to tell, and what might be an unusual and creative way to present it, and then it hit me like a bolt of lightning... how about posting a joke by way of a YouTube video? So, I grabbed my cat Elvis, and recruited him as my audience, and then I was all set.

The problem was, Elvis wasn't in the best of moods. He had to pay a visit to Dr. "B" and have some more blood drawn to see where his blood sugar levels are. We are still working on getting him back to his old self. I will have a full update on him, later this weekend. He is a little less animated then usual, and he and I have a lot of work to go with our video making, but for it being our very first try I think we did ok. :) The video runs for 30 seconds, which isn't very long, so if you just have a little patience while it loads, you will get to meet my cat Elvis. :)

Here is an additional joke to make you laugh. Enjoy!

Einstein Dies And Goes To Heaven

Einstein dies and goes to Heaven. At the Pearly Gates, Saint Peter tells him,

"You look like Einstein, but you have NO idea the lengths that some people will go to to sneak into Heaven. Can you prove who you really are?"

Einstein ponders for a few seconds and asks, "Could I have a blackboard and some chalk?"

Saint Peter snaps his fingers and a blackboard and chalk instantly appear. Einstein proceeds to describe with arcane mathematics and symbols his theory of relativity.

Saint Peter is suitably impressed. "You really ARE Einstein!" he says. "Welcome to Heaven."

The next to arrive is Picasso. Once again, Saint Peter asks for credentials. Picasso asks, "Mind if I use that blackboard and chalk?"

Saint Peter says, "Go ahead." Picasso erases Einstein's equations and sketches a truly stunning mural with just a few strokes of chalk.

Saint Peter claps. "Surely you are the great artist you claim to be!" he says. "Come on in!" The Saint Peter looks up and sees George W. Bush. Saint Peter scratches his head and says, Einstein and Picasso both managed to prove their identity. How can you prove yours?"

George W. Bush looks bewildered and says, "Who are Einstein and Picasso?"

Saint Peter sighs, and says, "Come on in, George."

Extra Credit: Nope, never been to Kansas City. Nope. Never. Not even once. Don't think I have ever flown over it in an airplane. Nope. :) Maybe someday I will. I would like to take a long road trip sometime. :)

-OndineMonet
YouTube Video
Elvis And The Bush Administration Light Bulb Joke