Trump Baby Whine Crying... IT'S NOT FAIR!

"There is nothing so unattractive as a whiny person. We can have empathy for a person in deep emotional pain. But a whiny person who gets overwhelmed with perceived unfairness and like a two-year-old child who did not get his or her way, well, it can be difficult to relate to that person."

~Gary Rohrmayer

21 Dangerous: 21 Day Transformational Pray Guide

Okay, Trump will deliver his big fancy speech tonight, and I am not ready for his stupidity, but whether or not I like it, it's coming. Putting all things in perspective, he can say he's going to do something, but that doesn't mean he will be able to do it. Like declaring California primaries null and void, or imposing restrictions on the use of mail=in ballots. The law is quite clear that the Federal government can't stick it's nose into how the states run their elections, if he tries, there will more than likely be lawsuits. Also, Gavin Newsome has prepared for this that kind of nonsense. When it comes to Trump possibly declaring that the 2020 election was rigged, it wasn't, Joe Biden won, it's simply a continuation of his usual boring whine. IT'S NOT FAIR! Of course, there is the possibility that all he will just come to say that he is backing, Mike Lindell, the pillow guy, for governor of Minnesota. See, he did that yesterday, but Trump does seem to prattle on when he thinks he's been clever! Nah, Trump won't share the limelight with anyone, he's the big boy! I mean, he's the man who couldn't even allow America to be the star of the 250th year of signing of the Declaration of Independence! What a sad child he is.

Well, we will see what happens next.

Merry/Happy Don't Drink Bleach Day!

 

From Our Family To Yours...

 

Wear a mask

Wash your hands often

Know the stats for Covid-19 in your area

Test for Covid if you have symptoms

Get caught up on your vaccines.

 

And

 

DON'T DRINK OR INJECT DISINFECTANT.

YOU'RE NOT A COW,

 SO DON'T TAKE COW DEWORMER ( INVERMECTIN ).

Don't take fish tank cleaner! HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE doesn't cure Covid! OMG... does anyone still believe this stuff?

If you're reading this post, you obviously made it through the pandemic, and that's amazing news, it makes me truly happy. Now, given what we all went through in the Trump years, and since he left office, please consider your vote carefully this year. Don't throw it away. Don't just think of yourself, think of those around you. A mother or grandfather who could lose their Social Security. A neighbor who could be round up, just because they look like they could be here without a Green Card. We can still work on the damage done with the overturning of Roe v Wade. We can make real strides in fixing it. We just need to keep Joe Biden in office. And as much as I understand the option of casting a protest vote, now isn't the time. Trust me, I'm in my 60s and I have never seen a more dangerous time, than the time we are living in right now.

And by the way, the pandemic isn't over. Do you want Captain Bleach to deal with another dangerous round of Covid?

 

 How would he handle it next time?

 

Happy Don't Drink Bleach Day!

 Four years went by so fast, I guess we were having fun!

Happy Easter 2024

 

Easter is…
Joining in a birdsong,
Eying an early sunrise,
Smelling yellow daffodils,
Unbolting windows and doors,
Skipping through meadows,
Cuddling newborns,
Hoping, believing,
Reviving spent life,
Inhaling fresh air,
Sprinkling seeds along furrows,
Tracking in the mud.
Easter is the soul’s first taste of spring.

~Richelle E. Goodrich

 

  Making Wishes: Quotes, Thoughts, & a Little Poetry for Every Day of the Year

 

I am a person of faith, and I don't speak about it much here because my faith is too personal to expose it to the ugliness of social media, but all the blessings you see listed above, and more, is because of God, and his son Jesus Christ. If you aren't a person of faith, I stand by you, I will not try to change you or your values in any way, you have my respect in your values, but on this one day, allow me to share the part of me that I keep to myself. My faith. Believe me, I have felt God's love and empathy in this past year, as I have navigated the death of my sister, niece and nephew. It helped me get back up from my depression and I am beginning to move on. I think about them every day, but the lingering sadness isn't lingering as much anymore. I hate this last part of letting go, because then they will really be gone, but there is a strength in all this, and it has come through really hard work, and God being there every step of the way!

 

 And by the way, Joe Biden is right...

“There will come a day, I promise you, when the thought of your son, or daughter, or your wife or your husband, brings a smile to your lips before it brings a tear to your eye. It will happen. My prayer for you is that day will come sooner than later.”

~Joe Biden

 

Happy Easter to you and your family.

I hope your day is filled with love, warmth,

 and every blessing and kindness too.

 Never forget the strength of kindness.

Don't forget to be kind to yourself.

 

Existence

 

“A seagull flying beautifully is heaven; a seagull hunting an innocent fish is hell!

 Existence is heaven and hell, joy and horror!” 

~Mehmet Murat ildan 

 

Right? A little later today, I will be attending a meeting of the Democratic club of Lodi. Sigh. I want to go, but I am unsure of how diplomatic I can be anymore, and to make it all worse, I have a big opinionated mouth. Can I hold my tongue and how some folks want to dump Joe Biden over the Israel/Hamas war? The economy? His age? Will we have another protest vote over these things? Maybe! And wouldn't that suck? Yes, yes it would. I guess my real concern is the fact that if you put any number of people in the same room, there will be someone who thinks radically different than you do. Which is okay, but I am passionate about my politics, and all I really want is to help defeat Donald Trump. I am not in it to shoot myself in the foot by picking apart our best hope for survival. Joe Biden isn't too old for me. Joe Biden is smart enough for me. Joe Biden is handling the middle east well enough... for now... but I may revisit that subject at a later date. Joe Biden is our best hope for saving democracy, and he has Kamala Harris at his side. If he should pass away in office, I am completely at ease with her becoming president. That's how our government works, and I was proud to vote for a Biden/Harris ticket in 2020 and will happily do so again. So, I have high hopes for my first meeting, I really do, but I am also prepared to run from the crazy!

Go Joe!

Necessary

 

 

 And then this happened...

Via New York Times

 Full transcript

Today, at my direction, U.S. military forces — together with the United Kingdom and with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands — successfully conducted strikes against a number of targets in Yemen used by Houthi rebels to endanger freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most vital waterways.

These strikes are in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea — including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history. These attacks have endangered U.S. personnel, civilian mariners and our partners, jeopardized trade and threatened freedom of navigation. More than 50 nations have been affected in 27 attacks on international commercial shipping. Crews from more than 20 countries have been threatened or taken hostage in acts of piracy. More than 2,000 ships have been forced to divert thousands of miles to avoid the Red Sea — which can cause weeks of delays in product shipping times. And on Jan. 9, Houthis launched their largest attack to date — directly targeting American ships.

The response of the international community to these reckless attacks has been united and resolute. Last month, the United States launched Operation Prosperity Guardian — a coalition of more than 20 nations committed to defending international shipping and deterring Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. We also joined more than 40 nations in condemning Houthi threats. Last week, together with 13 allies and partners, we issued an unequivocal warning that Houthi rebels would bear the consequences if their attacks did not cease. And yesterday, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution demanding the Houthis end attacks on merchant and commercial vessels.

Today’s defensive action follows this extensive diplomatic campaign and Houthi rebels’ escalating attacks against commercial vessels. These targeted strikes are a clear message that the United States and our partners will not tolerate attacks on our personnel or allow hostile actors to imperil freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most critical commercial routes. I will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary.

January 20th 2021 Part Two

It's a slightly different format for this post. It was an unusual day, and it called for an unusual post on this blog.

 

First this happened

 "Power is okay, and stupidity is usually harmless.

 Stupidity and power together are dangerous."

~Patrick Rothfuss

The Name Of The Wind

As you might imagine, I didn't sleep very well during the overnight hours of January 20th 2021. I was sure it was over, and that he was going to leave, but there was the stomach churning feeling that he might still pull one last rabbit out of his hat. One last terrifying rabid rabbit, that would start a war, or perhaps nuclear war. Knowing him, both seemed a fairly reasonable possibility. If neither of those things happened, perhaps that recurring nightmare I told you about, could happen. But as of 8:17 AM Eastern Time, it was wheels up, and my camera was ready to take a photo, off the TV in our bedroom, as Trump was on his way to Joint Base Andrews, and ultimately Mara-Lago. Leaving behind his disgraced presidency, as the only president to be Impeached twice!

Next Came This...

Kamala Harris Took The Oath Of Office

Making History By Becoming The First Female

 Vice President Of The United States

At 11:42 AM ET

Finally...

Joseph R. Biden Became The 46th President Of The United States
 

And with that, I decided to get caught up with all the sleep I had missed the last 4 years. We (America) were safe again. Or at least for a while. Trump, and his death cult, will still be hovering like a dark cloud, especially during his second Impeachment trial, which will begin, by the way, on February 9th 2021. But in the moment I, and most of the world, sighed a deep sigh of relief because were were finally safe again. We did it! We survived it.

 

Here are the headlines from around the world...

Plenty happened later that day, but I decided to take a few days off, and let history handle it. There will be plenty to share on this blog, as I move forward with regaining my footing. I'll get there, but there is no way I am going to push it. I am retired from politics now, or at least for the time being. I love my country, so I will share my happiness, and heartache, from time to time, but right now I'd much rather talk about my photography, and the silly little mishaps I tend to get myself into. This blog schedule will be more consistent going forward. Adjusting for Alan's hours, I will be posting as stated below. And that's that! I am going to enjoy not having a pit in the bottom of my stomach. Of not living with that abusive relationship. Just life, my life, our life, lived to the fullest. At least until 2024, when the next national election takes place. With any luck at all, every single one of the Trump's, and their sycophants, will be behind bars. With the exception of Mary Trump. She can stay.

 

But One Thing At A Time. Lets Enjoy This For A While.

Everything In It's Time.

 

(Blog Schedule For 2021)

 

Tuesday Through Friday

 

~Carly

January 20th 2021 Part One

 

"The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do mot just happen."

 

~Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

 

400,000 Americans have died from Covid-19. Many, if not most, could have probably been prevented, if not for all the misinformation, lies, conspiracy theories, of one man, Donald John Trump. As dreadful and depressing as it all is, I'm not thinking about him so much right now, because I am choosing to think of the souls lost to the virus, and the feeling of gratitude I feel deep down for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, and their efforts to bring us out of the darkness, before they have even assumed office. 

 

Last night they held a remembrance ceremony, at the Lincoln Memorial, as 400 lights were illuminated, along the sides of the reflecting pool, each representing 1,000 people lost to the disease since it was first diagnosed in America early last year. It was certainly a beautiful and profound event, but very surreal, because not only does my mind reel from the number of dead, but the number diagnosed... 23,839,868. But if that wasn't enough, there are armed guards surrounding the capitol, because of the very real possibility of violence from Trump supporters, later today, during the Inauguration. 

 

It's all out of my hands. None of us can control the future, but I can keep myself up to date on the virus, and what I need to do to stay healthy. As for the acts of domestic terrorists, I have no control over that either. Prayer won't even help. All I can do is hang on, and hope that folks will wake up to the fraud that Trump is before their bitterness is acted on, and someone gets hurt. Its all so out of control, but a little later today, we will be on our way to healing. At 12 noon ET, Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th president of the United States, and I will hang-up my job as an amateur political analyst. I just want to feel happy again.

 

Happiness is only a little under 12 hours away. 

 

"To heal we must remember. It's hard sometimes to remember. But that's how we heal. It's important to do that as a nation."

 

~Joe Biden

1/19/21

 

"We gather tonight, a nation in mourning, to pay tribute to the lives we lost. For many months, we grieved by ourselves. Tonight we grieve together."

 

~Kamala Harris

1/19/21

 

~Carly

There's Always The Moon

 

"You are my fantasy on a cold dark night,

 my muse during the light of day

 and the one wish my soul would make."

 

Grace Willows

 

I wanted to see the alignment of Jupiter and Saturn, but it was not meant to be. I missed it. A silly common cold got in the way. But I did get to see them fairly close together and that was fun. I wish I could have gotten a good photograph, but that wasn't meant to be either. Still, I always have the moon to keep me company. He's always there, like the most dependable friend any mere mortal could have. I love the moon, and I never get tired of taking his picture, so yes, I guess he is a friend at this point. And what could be wring with that? If you look just to the left of the palm tree, you can see two white dots, which are the two planets. So, I kinda photographed the event, right? Oh well, there will be more celestial events, and I will try then too. Never stop trying... right? Never give up! Good things are coming our way! Now, if I could just stop worrying about the lunatic in the White House. Please hurry, Joe!

 

 

~Carly

Stockton, California

December 22nd 2020

 

 

 

 

Life Under The Canopy Of Autumn

"The Might of life 

honors the waning sun of autumn

be-decking the landscape 

in a fancy blaze of tangerine."

 

~Tara Estacaan

 

It's basically the last week of autumn and some trees have shed their last leaf, while others are hanging on with overfilled branches of beautiful leaves. So, as sad as I am, I know the post-season of leaves will continue to keep me smiling for at least another month, maybe two! They will get me through until the inauguration of Joe Biden on January 20th. Sigh. It's only a little over a month away, 39 days to be exact, but it feels like forever. If only Trump would stop, and autumn play in my mind forever. 

 

Let There Be Light...

~Carly

Stockton, California

December 12th 2020

 

 

33 Days...

"A moral character is attached to autumnal scenes; the leaves falling like our years, the flowers fading like our hours, the clouds fleeting like our illusions, the light diminishing like our intelligence, the sun growing colder like our affections, the rivers becoming frozen like our lives... all bear secret relations to our destinies."

 

~Francois-Rend de Chateaubriand

Memories d'Outre-Tombe 

Tonight is the first of three debates between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, and I wish I could say I am looking forward to it, but truth is, I am dreading it. I am, or perhaps was, a politics nerd, but unfortunately, I am just too damn tired to put in any real effort into talking about it, with the exception of sudden bursts of venom I manage on Twitter. Take the graphic above as an example. I just made it earlier this evening, and it wasn't easy. I had to make myself do it. Now, I know what you're thinking, "No one made you do it" and of course, that's absolutely true, well mostly anyway. You see, I made me do it. I used to enjoy making my own graphics, especially for political posts, but my nerves, at least what's left of them, are completely frayed. So bad in fact that my patience is practically non-existent. Even with folks I genuinely like and admire. Sigh. 

Maybe it's just that I don't know what to expect. Trump is an asshole. Joe Biden can be an asshole, but usually it takes a fair amount of provoking, to cause him to lose his shit. Tonight has all the potential to be nasty beyond compare. My body hurts just thinking about it, but I guess it's a necessary evil at this point. Most pundits are expecting Trump to pull out a dossier filled with nothing but baseless innuendo regarding Hunter Biden, which would be funny if it wasn't so fucking pathetic. Dirty tricks of the 1950's. Paging Roger Stone! And just think... there will be two more debates after this one, and one with just Pence and Harris! The prospect of that one doesn't bother me quite as much, in that Pence mostly behaves like an adult, if one doesn't mind listening to him perform verbal fellatio on Trump. 

The next 33 days are going to be HELL ON EARTH! I am so grateful that I have my leaves to help me get through it. 

~Carly

September 29th 2020

Stockton, California

 

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 94~ What The Duck?

"With a rubber duck, one's never alone."

~Unknown

"She's a few feathers short of a full duck."

~Unknown 

The presumptive GOP nominee, Williard "Mitt" Romney has chosen Paul Ryan for his V.P. pick. So? So, I thought I would care more than I do. Paul Ryan, who is plenty polarizing mind you, just doesn't bring out the same kind of ire Sarah Palin did in me. I know. I know. Give it time. It's not like Ryan hasn't pissed me off from time to time. YES HE DID, and while it's there, there is also a strange kind of ... of... competence that he exudes that makes me at least a little less frightened that if Mitt Romney is elected, and God forbid should pass away in office, that we would be thrust into an apocalyptic mood swing of a crazy person. Ummm... woman. Ummm... person.

Is it possible for women to be sexist against her own gender?

Hmmm.

I wish I knew what to think. In August, 4 years ago, I was still smarting from Hillary Clinton's primary loss to Barack Obama, when along came Simple Sarah. I believe I described John McCain's choosing her as...any old vagina in a wind storm... or something to that effect. I didn't come to that conclusion on the first day of her introduction to the national political stage, it wasn't even after the interview she did with Charlie Gibson of ABC News. No, it came somewhere around her disastrous interview with Katie Couric. Who knew Katie Couric would be the one to ask the toughest question of the presidential campaign...

Katie Couric..."And when it comes to establishing your world view, I was curious, what newspapers and magazines did you regularly read before you were tapped for this — to stay informed and to understand the world?"

Sarah Palin... "I’ve read most of them again with a great appreciation for the press, for the media, coming f—"

Katie Couric... "But like which ones specifically? I’m curious that you—"

Sarah Palin... "Um, all of 'em, any of 'em that, um, have, have been in front of me over all these years. Um, I have a va—"

Katie Couric... "Can you name a few?"

Sarah Palin... "I have a vast variety of sources where we get our news too. Alaska isn't a foreign country, where, it's kind of suggested and it seems like, 'Wow, how could you keep in touch with what the rest of Washington, D.C. may be thinking and doing when you live up there in Alaska?' Believe me, Alaska is like a microcosm of America."

That was it. Right there. Sigh.

"Not the cry, but the flight of the wild duck leads the flock to fly and follow."

~Chinese Proverb 

Barack Obama was spreading HOPE. Who couldn't use a little hope after enduring 8 years of the Bush presidency?

Barack Obama was spreading CHANGE. Who didn't want that, after the incompetence of 8 years of the Bush presidency?

Barack Obama was spreading the possibility of the country being whole again, and who didn't want that after 8 years of the Bush presidency?

Obama had a lot to spread. And while it felt like a huge stone was being lifted off my shoulders, I wasn't ever particularly impressed with him. Our house had solidly supported Hillary Clinton, but when Hillary lost the nomination to Obama, she asked her supporters to get behind Obama... and we did. Hope sounded good. Change sounded especially good. And competency would have been especially good... if only it would have actually happened.

Don't get me wrong. No one in the Obama administration is Bush level incompetent, but I have some serious questions about how Obama arrives at the decisions he does. Shrug. Honestly, I don't know why anyone on the republican side of politics would want anyone else in the White House. Obama has caved so often, I don't know how he can still say he is a democrat. Not much of what he promised as candidate Obama has materialized. And he still seems obsessed with pursuing the fantasy of bi-partisan politics.

"Always behave like a duck... keep calm and unruffled on the surface but paddle like the devil underneath."

~Jacob Braude

It's pretty telling that the current Obama/Biden campaign slogan is... "Barack Obama... Are you in?" "Stand With Barack And Joe." "Forward."

In 2008 it was all about YES WE CAN.

4 years later it seems... NO WE COULDN'T.

What the DUCK?

~ME :(

Yes We Can... And Yes We Did!

"If you are walking down the right path, and you are willing to keep walking, eventually you will make progress."

-Barack Obama

Say hello to the future, and what a bright one it has the potential to be! Now it's time to roll up our sleeves, and get to work! Hopefully, we will remember to be patient. We didn't get into this mess overnight, and we won't emerge from it overnight either, but we will emerge. And we will be great again! Doesn't it feel amazing to have HOPE back once again?

-Carly

With One Week To Go; I Can Haz Vote!

"Bad politicians are sent to Washington by good people who don't vote."

-William E. Simon

I Can Has Vote!

Can you believe there is only one more week to go until we choose a new president? It has seemed like it has taken forever to get to this point, and who would have figured we would end up with the exact choices we have? I have already cast my vote, I almost always vote by absentee ballot. It's just nice to be able to sit in my own home, relax, and maybe do a little praying as I mark my choices. It is a comfortable way to vote, but it isn't as exciting as going to the polls early in the morning on voting day. Alan, on the other hand, prefers to vote in person on Election Day. To each his own I suppose. I guess it really doesn't matter how you vote, as long as you vote! Right?

So tell me, will you be voting this year? If so, will you vote in person or by absentee ballot? Do you live in a state that votes early? If so, have you already voted?

-Carly
"I Can Haz Vote"
Berkeley, California
October 28th 2008
Afternoon

Joe v Sarah

"Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build a bridge where there is no river."

-Nikita Khrushchev

Ok, I can admit it, last night's debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin wasn't the laugh out loud laugh fest event I had envisioned it would be, in fact, I have to admit I found it, at times, fascinating. Yes, fascinating. Sarah Paling was well rehearsed and on her game, while Joe Biden was restrained and personable. Sarah Palin displayed the kind of folksy humor and everyday appeal that turned republicans on to George Bush in 2000. Joe Biden is a sharp individual, who has 35 years experience in all the areas, that Sarah Palin is just learning about. And that was evident last night too.

As a democrat/liberal/woman there probably wasn't much that could have been said to change my mind at this point about who I will be voting for in November. I don't happen to think last night's debate will do much to change most people's opinions, in that nothing new was said. Last night's debate accomplished one thing. We got a better look at Sarah Palin. She came off extremely competent in the debate, but in that she was rehearsed, did we really get to see who she is on any given day? I would like to see more of her in interviews, as opposed to on a stage. Was she merely tired or uncomfortable when she was interviewed by Katie Couric and Charles Gibson? Or is she still somewhat lost without a script? She certainly showed last night that with the right amount of coaching, she can do very well, but what happens when she has to think on her feet? Will she know what to do?

As personable and folksy as she was last night, I found myself thinking about George Bush, and his every day guy persona. Honestly, he and Karl Rove managed to make Al Gore's accomplishments sound boorish and elitist. And it happened again with John Kerry, although Kerry, in my opinion lost a good bit of support by not fighting back against the lies and attacks. Fear was the theme for most of the Bush administration's time in the White House. If George Bush wasn't trying to scare us, he was patting us on the back and telling us everything will be ok. Which of course as we all know now, everything wasn't ok.

Granted, Sarah Palin isn't running for president, she will be the vice president, but she will be only a heartbeat away from the presidency, and I don't happen to think she is ready for that. It might be that her time hasn't quite come yet. Maybe she needs to consider a run for the senate when her governorship is up, but I just can't see her serving as vice president with any kind of real leadership. Joe Biden on the other hand is no push over. I don't think he would be as open to Washington manipulation quite the way Palin might. And before you call me sexist, think about what I am saying. Sometimes lack of Washington experience is a good thing, but sometimes it lends to being more pliable to the inner politics. The not so nice side of things.

To a certain degree that is what I think happened with George Bush. Looking back over the last 8 years, there are times when he seemed more like a wind up doll, rather then a real leader. Dick Cheney seems to be the one running the show. He didn't make a run for the presidency, because he has been the president for the last 8 years! A lot will be blamed on George Bush, and it should, but no real responsibility will ever happen. I am not interested in seeing that dynamic repeat.

So, when Sarah Palin, said last night, "Say it isn't so Joe, you are always looking back, we have to start looking forward," I wished I could say to her, "Sarah, we have to look back until we learn from those failures." Ignoring the past won't change the damage that has been done. The republican party wants to forget the failures that have taken place, and move on so that they can repair the damage done to the party, but along with it accountability gets lost, and to them, that might just be the sweetest part of their selective amnesia.

Opinions, opinions. Tell me, what did you think of last night's debate? Do you think more positively toward Sarah Palin then you did before the debate? Have you made a final decision as to who you will be voting for? Tell me everything.


-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"