Friday, September 26, 2008

From One Pissed Off Voter

I oppose the proposed bailout plan because we are supposed to be a free
market economy. That means if they make poor business decisions, they
take the consequences. If I don't pay my bills, my utilities get turned
off, or the bank takes my house. It is the same thing. Let the private
sector step up and invest in new was of funding. Let the visionaries
figure new financing tools. If you all don't know what went wrong,
throwing money at it won't fix the problem and if you do know what went
wrong you should have seen it coming. That is your job. Experts have
been warning FOR YEARS about some of this fallout. Why did you wait so
long? Too busy debating whether or not to change the name of french fries
to freedom fries? Too busy focusing on a war we should have never started
in the first place? All this game playing and now after suffering years
of financial problems you want the taxpayer, yet again to clean up your
messes. It is irresponsible and immoral. Get it together and stand up to
this President and his Administration of ignorance, greed and shame. I
know it isn't easy, but someone has to look out for the best interest of
the PEOPLE. Remember us? We are the ones who grant you your jobs and
were are very upset. I do not trust you, any of you, to take care of this
problem. All of you are either seeking unprecedented powers, worried
about your image in the press, trying to pander to your rich friends who
got us into this mess or are so myopic there is no way you could see any
other alternative than to increase the national debt to unbelievable
levels. I appeal to your sense of duty to THE PEOPLE. DO NOT give this
President and his henchmen the reigns again. The last two times we
allowed him to make decisions this sweeping we lived to regret it. Help
me to believe in our system of governance again. Help me to believe that
my voice counts for something. I will not forget and I do vote.

Sincerely,

Beth Medina

This letter went to the President, Secretary Paulson
Representative Issa, Senator Boxer, Senator Feinstein

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Bailout-Schmailout

For the last several days my ears have been ringing and my head swimming with all the talk of financial crisis. I don't mean to minimize, because I certainly see the magnitude of the problem, however, I am what you would call a nay-sayer. Someone has seriously been asleep at the wheel. While there is more than enough blame to go around, I am willing to accept my part. I leave it to K, all the financial "stuff", and take very little action unless requested of me. While I don't think we live outside our means, I could definitely be a little less impulsive in the shopping arena, I could also do a better job of budgeting and getting educated about our investments. For that I am heartily sorry and determined to change.

My mea culpa having been fulfilled, I am ready tear my hair out over the cluster-fuck that is Washington. As a collective group, those folks have the vision of a tick. A big FAT tick sucking the life out of the general public. Why, oh why, do we never seem to be ahead of the crisis? Why, oh why, does no one see the Reapper around the bend? Isn't that their effing job? I mean they spent weeks debating the value of changing the name of "french fries" to "freedon fries", yet they couldn't see that $$ was being too easily given. Even I, and I am NO financial genius, have been saying for years, that anyone with a pulse, not necessarily brain activity, but a pulse, could get a home loan. I also know that if the amounts in column A "incoming cash" and column B "outgoing cash to debt" don't match up you can't afford it. DUH!!!! Pretty simple math, not FUZZY at all. But alas, we have been focused on a war we should have never started, fighting over destroying more of our pristine environment rather than funding visionaries and trying to get records out of an Administration that has been more secretive than any in recent history. Good stuff! Meanwhile, the greed mongers were taking HUGE risks and bailing out of the plane before it crashed in their golden parachutes. The deregulation so beloved by the Republicans (and some Dems, to be fair) has come back to bite us in the ass. And what is their response, those deregulationists? We need more regulation. We need a bailout plan and it needs to happen yesterday. You guys, the taxpayers, get to foot the bill. My ass! In the real world if you fuck up on the job, there are repercussions. If I don't pay my mortgage, the bank takes my house. I say, take their penthouses, take their Mercedes, take their summer house in the Hamptons, take their job. Let the free market, which they so love, play out as it will. I know this also means that there will be really tough times ahead for all of us. There will be fall out. But damnit we are all culpable for living in the fantasy. The fantasy that "greed is good". Well Mr. Gecko, how ya feeling now, DICKHEAD!

What I refuse to do is give them anymore of my power. I refuse to let them scare me so much that I totally hand over the reigns. If there is going to be some government intervention it should be well thought out and detailed. NOT the three page vagueness that Paulson is peddling. I find it interesting that the guy who wants to get all the power was just 6 years ago a power broker at Goldman Sachs, if he couldn't see this coming he is either blind, stupid, or was too busy getting rich. Nevertheless, why should I believe him now? You know who I trust? I trust my very wise, highly educated, extremely fair husband. He is against this bailout too. So for those of you who know us, K the Pragmatic, is NOT in favor of a bailout. So, it isn't just me being full of piss and vinegar. I just happen to have a big mouth.

BTW, here is a link to an article I really like @ the bailout plan:

Why Paulson is Wrong.


HAPPY READING!!!

Saturday, September 20, 2008

A Neighborhood of CRACKHEADS!

AKA, where I live. I suppose it is truly me who is unhinged because I actually believe in common courtesy AND we actually read the HOA docs before we signed our savings away on our home. Some of you, dear readers, have heard my complaints about my hood on several occasions. So, it should come as no surprise that I would eventually post something on this blog. Since it is my bitch session and my therapist is on vacation until after next week, I better get it off my chest, lest I start driving my car into some of my neighbors' living rooms laughing hysterically and screaming wild epithets.

When we first looked at our home in September of 2005, we arrived on a Saturday morning. I thought to myself, "I am not so sure I want to live in a gated community". The liberal in me thought it very bourgeois to have to buzz people in through security gates and have super secret codes for entry. I loved the layout of the house and the neighborhood seems quiet and calm. We looked at the house again a few weeks later and things still appeared relatively normal. We put in an offer, Karl negotiated the heck out of it and we moved in the day after Thanksgiving 2005.

Since then, the bubble of peaceful, quiet, well-kept and serene has burst! We now have to deal with dogs that bark incessantly, jackasses who think the street is their own personal used car lot, parents who allow their children to run amok and draw pictures of male genitalia on the tot play structure walls and a majority of folks who never bothered to read the Rules and Regs of our fair community. I was stupid enough to accept a position on the Board, which has only served to make me privy to even more idiocy. Now, I know I should just breath. "Relax, relate, release" as Whitley would say (A Different World, HELLO!). But damn, it gets irritating. Who puts their dog out at 4 am when they know the dog barks at the wind? Who takes their radio to the pool and blasts their music as if everyone around, but them, is deaf? What kind of idiot sits in the hot tub next to a sign that says "No smoking" and lites up? My neighbors, that's who. I HATE STUPID, INCONSIDERATE, SELFISH FUCK WADS!!!!

Please, feel free to commiserate. Tell me how right I am and what a-holes I live around. Tell me I am a victim of socially inept mouth-breathers. Just let me have my pity party. I will eventually snap out of it and realize I am becoming the scary old lady who yells at people from behind her curtained windows and owns 15 cats, all of whom eat off her dinner plate, before its too late.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Lisa Sylvester is a Ding Dong!

Who is Lisa Sylvester, you are asking? She is one of the talking heads on CNN otherwise known as a newscaster. I turned on CNN during what was supposed to be a discussion about how the 2 candidates running for President are going to solve the latest financial crisis on Wall Street. LS was slamming Obama's spokesperson saying that Obama refuses to give any specifics. The spokesperson then said he disagreed with her and began to outline a 6 point detailed plan that Obama outlined in MARCH. As he is explaining the plan, she totally shuts him down and says, "sorry, we are out of time". What an idiot! Don't ask the effing question or in this case make the accusation, unless you want the answer. Typical! God forbid we actually allow the people to hear a complete answer to a question. You wanted detail, Ding Dong, he was trying to give detail. Since we clearly can't rely on CNN to give it to us, here is an article that will point you in the direction of Obama's plan.

http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/stumper/archive/2008/09/17/on-wall-street-obama-is-all-wonk-and-mccain-is-all-words.aspx

http://my.barackobama.com/page/-/Press/Obama%20fin%20market%20plan%20091608%20FINAL.pdf

Happy reading!!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

C'mon People!!!

Because I am tired of hearing that Obama isn't providing any specifics about his tax policy, even though you can go directly to Obama's website for the information, I have decided to post some info here for the folks who read this blog. That way if anyone you know can't figure out how to seek the information for himself/herself, perhaps they are unclear about how to operate a computer, do a google search, etc., you can forward the sites directly to them or print out the information.

I do, of course, realize that many of the folks who say he(Obama) isn't giving specifics don't really want to know and even if they read it will likely refuse to believe it for some strange reason. Here is the stuff I found:

http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/ObamaBlueprintForChange.pdf

http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/UploadedPDF/411693_CandidateTaxPlans.pdf

http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/taxes.asp

My little contribution to setting the record straight.

While I am on that topic, I watched several interviews with various reps from the McCain/Palin ticket in which they kept repeating that Obama is going to raise taxes. The only way they can really believe that is a fair and correct statement is if 1) they can't read or 2) they only care about people who make over $250,000.00 a year, since they will indeed see all the tax breaks they have gotten during the Bush/Cheney years (affectionately known as the Tweedle-dee & Tweedle-dumbass Administration in my home) disappear. Shame on them! They certainly know they are misrepresenting the facts, just as they did with the disgusting accusation that Obama wants to teach sex education to kindergartners. Simmer down, sister!

Feel free to post any reports I might have missed, however, do not share any youtube, soundbite bullshit that gives me nothing concrete or I will hex you with one of my liberal, witchy, kick ass curses that will make hair grow out of your years and give you halitosis. Fair warning!!

Monday, September 15, 2008

The Florida Federation of MYOPIC Republican Women

So, yeah, I have been having a running email commentary with the lovely ladies of the FFRW. In case you were unaware, they have been calling for a boycott of Oprah because she has decided not to interview Sarah Palin until after the election. As I understand it, not from Ms. O herself, but from reports, she decided long ago that since she was personally and publicly backing a candidate, she was not going to use her show as a political platform for either party. I thought that was a wise decision especially since I was fit to be tied after she interviewed Maria & Arnold just before the CA gov. recall and election. I feel that this time she has it right. If she can't be fair and balanced, she should be responsible. This brings me to the Sunshine Ladies!

After seeing an "interview" with the fearless leader of FFRW in which she decried Oprah and demanded that people boycott her show and magazine I wrote her and the other officers a little letter:

On 15 Sep 2008 at 9:45, Beth Medina wrote:

Good morning ladies,

I am writing today,not as a member of your organization or your party, but as a concerned WOMAN.
I was very disturbed to hear a report that you are calling for boycott of Oprah Winfrey and her magazine because she SUPPOSEDLY snubbed a request to interview Sarah Palin. Ms. Winfrey has offered to have Gov. Palin on the show after the election season has concluded. She seems to be offering a very fair alternative since she had already decided long ago not to use her show as a platform for the election, on either side. It is extremely disingenuous and irresponsible of you as a group to be spreading half-truths and promoting a very negative movement toward a person who has done a decidedly fair thing by not using her worldwide audience to promote the candidate of her choice. She has shown great wisdom and fairness. Your group is showing neither and I find it very sad that you are so blinded by party politics that you can't see with any clarity whatsoever that Ms. Winfrey has made a sound decision. It is your group that is doing a disservice to women, make no mistake about that.
Sincerely,

Beth Medina

to which they responded:

On Mon, 9/15/08, AGM656@bellsouth.net wrote:

From: AGM656@bellsouth.net
Subject: Re: Oprah
To: LindaIvellGOP@aol.com, CindyFGraves@aol.com, carolynbooth@earthlink.net, agm656@bellsouth.net, Mstra68337@aol.com, bethmedina@sbcglobal.net
Date: Monday, September 15, 2008, 10:16 AM

Dear Ms. Medina:
Thank you so much for your letter.
The fact is, Oprah has built a media empire based on the concept of "empowering women". Declining to host what may be the first woman Vice President of the United States flies in the face of that concept.
Additionally, Oprah already has made her show a political showcase - for Barack Obama. She had him on twice. The last time was in October, 2006, before he announced for President, true enough. The trouble in, that when she had him on on that occasion, they did discuss his run for the Presidency. Further, she specifically asked him to make the formal announcement on her show.
Once a show goes "political", is it not fair to give both sides equal time?
Regards,

Ana Gomez-Mallada, esq. Secretary FFRW

and then I emailed:

As I stated in my letter, you are making a political issue where there is none. Ms. Winfrey decided long ago that she would not be using her show as a political forum. Your organization is making an issue where there is none. Ms. Winfrey has said that she is happy to have Gov. Palin on her show after the election. If your true concern is in empowering women, why is that a problem? What you really want is to advocate a certain political agenda and since you have a female running for office you are using the argument of "empowering women" to try and push your own political agenda. I find that to be irresponsible. You are trying to force Ms. Winfrey, who has made an otherwise fair decision, to bend to your will for political purposes, not to empower women. Your organization is doing a disservice to all women by pursuing your own agenda using a false argument. It is like saying that women and men are equal and should be treated thus and then complaining that you don't get special treatment. You can't have it both ways. But, in the end, you got your CNN coverage and an otherwise little known organization got its 15 minutes of fame. You don't care that overall you have taken a swipe at the integrity of the womens' movement, because it was never really about that for you. What a shame.

They responded by sending me a number of youtube videos about how Sarah Palin is fiscally conservative (a Fox News report) and another video about which was a montage of Obama statements taken out of context. Yeah, they are worried about empowering women. No politics here.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

The Republican Convention. What a snooze!

So I am not even going to feign objectivity. While I am no longer a registered Democrat, I must say they do put on a better convention. While I am not professing to have watched the Dem convention in it's entirety, I must say their music was MUCH better than the Whiteys, oops I mean Republicans. And as far I have seen the only person of color is the black saxophonist playing jazz for the old white folks in the audience. Granted the cameras did pan to few young people, but by and large it was like a convention of albinos of the old and fat variety. Sorry, if I have offended any albinos out there!

Oh my gosh! I have just cited 2, count them, 2 black men who appear to be delegates. Thank God! That must mean they, the Republican, are not prejudiced at all. See they have a couple of black delegates.

This brings me to my rant. If I hear one more pundit say the Democrats have to tread lightly with Sarah Palin because they don't want come across as sexist, my head is going to explode. Wouldn't it be LESS sexist if they actually treated her as they would any other candidate. I mean her own party choosing her was sexist in and of itself, but come on, shouldn't she be ready for the fight? What I can't for the life of me understand is why with all the very qualified female Republicans McCain chose this particular neophyte. It seems he was blindfolded and played pin the elephant on the vice president. Furthermore, to even suggest that those "Hillary" supporters who were so angered when she was passed over would vote for Palin just because she is a woman is ludicrous and insulting. I don't care if she is a "hockey mom" or even that she is supposedly a reformer. I don't agree with her stand on many, many issues and I would not consider voting for her or MCain for that matter.
Another thing about this campaign that is chapping my ass is when they use the term "intellectually pretentious" when referring to Barack Obama. What the fuck! Since when is it a BAD thing to have a leader that is intelligent. We just spent the last 8 year with one of the biggest dumb shits on the planet as our President and that didn't go too well folks! God forbid we elect someone who is discerning and nuanced. Oh, silly me, it really is more important that he/she be able to burp the ABCs.