The Sky is Falling September 23, 2008

 

Wow. What a depressing day this has been. Glenn Beck (and Ross Perot, for that matter) have been shouting from the rooftops for years about our pending economic doom and they’ve finally been exonerated. They can no longer be laughed at; people snickering and pointing, whispering “Chicken Little” under their breaths. They were right!

Even after more than a week of listening to talk radio and watching news programs, I am still pretty much as confused as I was initially. I know the basics and I’ve heard the frightening statistics and it scares the living crap out of me! As long as my husband and I can keep our jobs, we’ll be fine. He works in property management and I’m in mining. Typically, when the economy takes a dump, mining booms, so I’m more than likely going to be fine. But, who knows if our jobs are truly stable? Thank God neither of us is in retail or housing or the financial industry. It seems like those will be the worst hit. What about all of my friends and family? Are their jobs safe? I don’t think anyone’s job is truly safe. Well, maybe the medical field. I don’t know. I know I’m rambling. I’ve just been sick to my stomach listening to Glenn Beck today. I purposely didn’t listen to Darrell Ankarlo this morning just to give myself a break. But, as soon as I turned on Glenn Beck, it was all economy, all the time.

I realize that it’s depressing and long, but it’s worth the read, if you want to be prepared for what’s ahead. http://wsj.com/article/SB122186563104158747.html#printMode

Anyways, I know I just need to think positively because there’s not much I can do except: write my representatives, don’t spend more than I really need to, save, save, save! Oh, and PRAY!

Sorry to be bring you down, but everyone needs to be as prepared as we possibly can! Don’t bury your head in the sand. Ignoring the facts won’t do anything to help you.

That’s all.

Same ‘Ol, Same ‘Ol September 14, 2008

 

Although I have certainly left hints here and there, I haven’t really come out and specified my exact thoughts on this year’s election. Honestly, I could probably write a 20-page paper on it, but I’ll try to be semi-short-and-sweet.

Actually, I’m still not sure who I’m voting for because I’m not all that impressed with our choices. As has become the status quo every election year, it’s a decision based upon the “lesser of two evils”.

Regarding the “messiah”, Mr. Barack Obama, of course, I can’t stand his ideas or policies. Does he have a great personality? Yes. Is he charming and convincing? Of course. But, I like to look beyond the glitz and the glamour and find the substance. If he isn’t “officially” a socialist, he borders quite close to that line. (Then again, the current government is hovering over that line, too, with all of the government bailouts they are approving or getting ready to approve.) Obama basically wants the government to take care of us from cradle to grave with all the “free” healthcare, education, and all the other stuff he wants to “give” us. (Which, by the way, I find particularly odd considering he and his wife have made something of themselves without much government assistance.) The problem is, as any sane person knows, nothing is ever free. Obama wants to tax the crap out of us in order to pay for everything.

Obama says he wants to tax the “rich” to pay for everything. Well, according to Obama the “rich” includes anyone who makes over $250,000/year. To me, yes, this is somewhat rich. However, people who make this much are often small business owners. Who works for small business owners? Well, how about roughly 80% of us. If business owners are taxed to death, you can bet your ass that they will lay people off and/or not hire new employees. Gee, I wonder how that will affect the economy?  

Obama also says he will give a tax cut to 95% of us. I wonder if he realizes that 40% of us pay no taxes? I also wonder if he understands that it makes no sense to give tax money back to people who didn’t pay taxes in the first place? According to the Tax Foundation, the top 1% of wage earners pay 40% of the taxes in this country. That’s right, 1% of our citizens pretty much carry the rest of us. By the way, that percentage is 11% higher than in 1999 – when Clinton was in office. That’s right, Bush taxed the rich more than Clinton. Additionally, the top 10% of wage earners pay 70%of the total tax burden. So now we see that the top 10% is carrying almost everybody. Now here’s the kicker:  the top 50% pays 96.4% of the total. The question you’re now asking yourself is, “Gee, what does the rest of the population pay? Nothing?” Well, you’re actually pretty close. I’m no math wiz, but I think that means that the next 10% pays a mere 3.6%. And, you remember my first stat – 40% pay NOTHING AT ALL. Are you still hell bent on taxing the “rich” some more?

Obama also wants to pay for his big programs by taxing the supposed “windfall profits” of oil companies. With gas prices the way they are, I understand why this sounds like a great idea – trust me. And, even Republican VP candidate, Sarah Palin, did this in her state of Alaska. However, who is the government to tell private companies what kind of profit is a “windfall”, or “too much”. The problem with this philosophy is that it can easily become a slippery slope. Where will it end? Whose business is next? Is it yours? Isn’t the whole point behind this country that you can be and do whatever you want and the government won’t get in your way? Where will the government cap you? How much excellence will they allow you to achieve?

So, these are my main arguments against electing Mr. Obama. Change can be great, but exactly what kind of change do we want? Is it truly Mr. Obama’s version of change which we are seeking? Not that I’m trying to go so low as to compare Obama to Mussolini, but the media and the people LOVED Mussolini before he was elected. Remember the words of Mark Twain, who said, “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it’s time to pause and reflect.”

Now, on to McCain. We all know about his service to this country and the extreme pain and suffering he endured in Vietnam. I will always be grateful for his service, as we all should be. However, this does not necessarily mean he should be President. I agree with him on some issues, yet I strongly disagree with him on others.

One thing McCain and I will never agree on is immigration. I am almost at a loss of words that he is so pro-illegal immigration when he has lived in Arizona for so many years. It is truly unfathomable. How he can live here and see all of the detrimental effects firsthand and be okay with even partial amnesty, I will never understand. It truly sickens me.

Another thing going against McCain is his world-renowned temper. Honestly, I haven’t personally witnessed much of it, but it’s a well-known fact that everyone (Dems and Republicans alike) acknowledges. I did witness one instance with a local conservative radio show host, Darrell Ankarlo. Honestly, I can’t even remember the exact exchange, but I know that McCain’s angry response was way out of line. Ankarlo asked McCain something about immigration, I think, and McCain blew up at him. It was ridiculous. Do we want this man in front of the button?

NEWS FLASH: JOHN MCCAIN IS OLD! The liberals like to harp on this fact just a little too much. While I understand the hesitancy in regards to his age, I think there are more important things to argue about. Anyways, have you seen McCain’s mother?! She is 96 and looks younger than he does! It’s amazing. I just think McCain didn’t age well, but he’s got good genes.

One of McCain’s biggest faults is the fact that he’s been in Congress FOREVER! While many point to the experience this gives him, I see it as a fault. When the Founding Fathers got together, their intention was not for government officials to make it their career. They were supposed to do it as a part time job; and once they were done, they were supposed to go back to their regular job – not stay for life! We’ve got it totally backwards. I could go on forever on this particular subject, but I won’t.

As far as the Veep’s go, I could care less about Biden. Yes, he brings experience to the table, but like I said before, I don’t necessarily see that as a good thing. The only things that I find odd are that Biden has praised McCain in the past and he’s made some pretty racist remarks – not sure that he’s the best choice for a Democratic candidate. In regards to Palin, no, she doesn’t have much experience. However, at least she’s had executive experience and she’s the second person on the ticket – not the first, like on the other side. I’m not completely convinced that she is ready for the VP position, but we’ll see. I do like that she actually is a regular person, which is exactly what the Founding Fathers intended. There are many rumors swirling about Palin which I could totally discredit right now, but I won’t go on any further than I already have. This is good enough for now.

That’s all.

Good-bye, Babalu September 11, 2008

 

Dogs’ lives are too short.  Their only fault, really.  ~Agnes Sligh Turnbull

I think we are drawn to dogs because they are the uninhibited creatures we might be if we weren’t certain we knew better.  They fight for honor at the first challenge, make love with no moral restraint, and they do not for all their marvelous instincts appear to know about death.  Being such wonderfully uncomplicated beings, they need us to do their worrying.  ~George Bird Evans, Troubles with Bird Dogs

The more I see of man, the more I like dogs.  ~Mme. de Staël

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.  ~Roger Caras

A dog is one of the remaining reasons why some people can be persuaded to go for a walk.  ~O.A. Battista

Dogs have given us their absolute all.  We are the center of their universe.  We are the focus of their love and faith and trust.  They serve us in return for scraps.  It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made.  ~Roger Caras

 

I had to put Lucky down today. :( Talk about one of the worst moments in my life. Long story made short, he’s been doing really badly for the last couple of days. Once again, all of a sudden, he was dragging far behind me on walks and taking 20 minutes for a walk that should take 10. He couldn’t get himself up from a laying position, no matter how hard he tried. He was peeing all over himself. My husband and I created a harness out of towels and helped him walk outside to go to the bathroom. His urine smelled like nothing I’ve ever smelled before. (My mom said it’s probably because his kidneys were shutting down.) He was drinking water like it was the last drop on Earth. His breathing was all funny – low and shallow one minute, short and quick the next. He was definitely not having a fun time at life and I was running a hospice center out of my home.

When I’m stressed, I either don’t eat at all or I eat everything within my grasp. Today, I ate everything within my grasp that was sure to take a year or two off my life. Actually, I was okay until the guys at work took me up on my proposition about getting a cake from Tammie Coe because I was depressed. I ate a huge piece. Then, I decided to just throw my whole eating day to hell and get a 10-piece McNugget and fries for dinner.

Anyways, James couldn’t bring himself to go with me, but my sister and her ex-boyfriend (don’t ask – long story) went with me. (Her ex-boyfriend is really kind of like one of the family because he lived with us for a year-and-a-half.) Of course, like our other dog, Jake, Lucky is old and so his veins suck to stick with needles. The vet techs taped a catheter to his front left leg and left the room. When the vet finally came in, he had problems getting the fluid-of-death to go in and Lucky tried to bite him. (I warned everyone there that Lucky had tried to bite a vet before.) The vet decided to go another route and use his left leg. He couldn’t get it to go in there either because of his old veins. He had to leave the room for a second to get some other kind of device. (Don’t ask me what the difference was in any of these techniques, I’m no medical expert.) The assistant cradled Lucky’s head in her arms to that he wouldn’t try to bite anyone and I squatted in front of Lucky’s face, with one hand under his chin and the other patting his head. He was really quite calm. I continued to gently pet his head while the vet plunged the pink liquid into his leg. I could feel the tension go out of his neck and he slowly lowered his head down to the ground as tears trickled down my cheeks. I told him I loved him and kissed his head.

I had my sister’s boyfriend drive us home because I’m not the best of drivers while I’m crying. When I got home, I hugged my husband and cried. Then my sister, Stephanie, wanted to go find a fish tank. Since I knew all I was going to do otherwise was sit and mope, I decided to go with her.  So, we went to a fish store, where the tanks were too expensive, and then to Petco. As we walked in, I noticed some dog treats on sale for $1. I went to grab them before I realized that I didn’t have a dog anymore. When we got home, Lucky wasn’t in his “spot”. Later, my husband and I went to Target. Driving home, I told him that normally, I would take Lucky on a walk when I got home. But, I don’t have a dog anymore. When we got home, Lucky still wasn’t in his “spot”. No longer, will he trip us up while walking through the house. When I go into the backyard, Lucky won’t be there to continuously roll a ball toward my feet, begging me to throw it. When the cats are done with their breakfast, Lucky won’t be there to furiously lick up the scraps. I won’t hear the clickety-clack of his claws tapping the floor as he follows me around the house. On the other hand, I won’t ever have to see the look in his eyes from the pain and suffering he endures again. I guess I can live with that.

That’s all.

NOTICE! September 9, 2008

I have been kindly informed by a source who shall remain nameless that I failed to mention in my previous post that my friend, Melanie, attended the KTAR event with me. I sincerely apologize for any emotional damage this may have caused my dear friend.

That’s all.

Friday Night with KTAR September 8, 2008

Friday night I went to the 92.3 KTAR event at the Orpheum theatre. It was awesome! It was Mac Watson, Pat McMahon, Darrell Ankarlo, and GLENN BECK! Our infamous sheriff, Joe Arpaio, was also there in the front row – 12 rows in front of me. During the intermission, he was in the aisle, about 10 seats to the right of me, talking to people and signing autographs. Since all but one of the guys there were strictly conservative, the audience was made up of mostly conservatives. So, when they referred to Arpaio being there, 95% of the audience cheered him on, while the other 5% booed. It was funny, because the two guys next to me, who were obviously friends, had a mixed opinion of the sheriff; one clapped, while the other cupped his hands around his mouth and booed. I think the biggest issue even conservatives have with Arpaio is the fact that he is a total media whore. But I don’t care – I’m willing to accept his unrelenting love of his own ego in exchange for a crackdown on illegals and inmates being treated like actual criminals.

The first half was all the guys and the second half was strictly Glenn Beck. I really do border on obsession when it comes to Mr. Beck. The guys at work were hassling me before I left for the show about getting all crazy and throwing my panties on stage. Let me be clear, I love Beck for his mind alone – nothing more. Yeah, can you see me throwing my underwear to the Mormon guy on stage??

During the first half of the show, Beck told a very interesting story about his meeting with President Bush not too long ago. He said it was the same day that Obama said something about us needing to fly planes into Pakistan or something because someone came into the Oval office while he was there to tell Bush about it. Anyways, let me start by telling those of you who do not know or may have preconceived notions about Beck because you don’t actually watch or listen to either of his shows, that Beck is not a “Bush lover”, by any stretch of the imagination. I’ve heard him repeatedly criticize the president – particularly on the border issue. Beck said he got a call from someone at the White House that the Prez wanted to meet him. He felt like he was being called to the principal’s office because he had been hammering on Bush all week about the border problem. It was a totally off-the-record meeting, so Beck didn’t get into too many specifics. He said that Bush was showing him some stats about the Iraq War or terrorism or something and Beck told him he needed to share the information with the American people. Bush said he couldn’t do that because he has a deal with the military. The military doesn’t want every bit of info getting out there for many reasons, one of them being that the fact that they would be labeled “baby killers” if it did. Take that to mean whatever you will - Beck didn’t elaborate. Then “W” proceeded to tell him that people don’t know what it’s like to be president; they don’t know what it’s like to make the kind of tough decisions that he is forced to make with the informatin he is privy to. He said he was fully prepared to be the most hated man in the country (or world – I can’t remember which) for the next 50 years if that’s what it takes because he believes he is doing the right thing, etc., etc. I am no “W” fan, by any means, but that really impressed the crap out of me. Beck also said that Bush is SO NOT the person you see on TV – total opposite. I took this to mean that he actually seems to be intelligent and understands what he’s talking about. If you don’t know, Beck’s TV show is on CNN – of course a mostly left-wing organization, including Mr. Wolf Blitzer. Beck told Blitzer that he had met with Bush and even he said to him, something like, “So, what did you think? Totally different, huh?” I find this so interesting. Hopefully, you do, too.

Here are some pics from KTAR’s website from the show and my crappy cell phone pics:

Left to Right – 1st pic is all of them onstage (MacMahon, Ankarlo, Beck, Watson), 2nd pic is all of them again backstage, 3rd pic is just Beck, 4th pic is Ankarlo giving Beck a couple gifts, 5th pic is Arpaio and Beck backstage, 6th pic is Beck and Ankarlo (believe it or not – camera phone sucks!), 7th pic is Beck, 8th pic is Arpaio in dark suit in the aisle greeting with people.

That’s all.

I’m a slacker September 8, 2008

I know I’ve been a total slacker as far as writing on my blog lately, but I’ve been busy and stressing a bit. I’ve got a couple huge bills that need to be paid and I’ve been trying to figure out how to pay them off as quickly as possible. I think I’m going to have to get a part time job. That’s right, just when I thought I’d be able to relax a little since I’m done with school – BAM! – I get slammed with more crap. God forbid I just be able to have just one full-time job like the rest of the world! Sorry, I realize I’m doing the “pity party” thing. Such is life, I guess. Yes, I will have some cheese with this wine – make it a sharp cheddar, please.

That’s all.