Palin's New Hair Style

I notice that Palin has a new hair style, one that covers her ears... just in time for this week's coming debate... could it be that she will wear a wire so that someone more knowledgable can feed her the correct answers?

Hmmmm, I wonder...

I Want A Bailout

Yes, I believe a bailout is in order. For me. I have been very good with my finances. Certainly, I have more debt than I want to have, because I have an elusive offspring living his elusive life at university in Scotland. It's expensive. But I have not missed any bill payments, and I have only been late one day on one credit card in the last decade...and that was because I was out of the country when the bill came due. But I think I should get a bailout. I won't be greedy. I don't need $700 billion. I don't need a million either. Heck, I don't even need $100k. I mean, of course a million or $100K would be nice, but really, I think $50,000 would do nicely. It would pay off my credit cards, the rest of the BAT (big-ass-truck) and the last of the elusive offspring's tuition. All that would remain would be the mortgage. I can handle that. And the the income that was freed up by the bailout would allow me to invest further in the economy. I'd be happy to invest. It would be nice. I could invest in new clothes. A new computer would be nice. I'd like a maid service. Bailing me out would help create jobs. I wouldn't mind investing in jewelry...yes, I could invest very nicely.

Why shouldn't the government go directly to the people who have the debt and bail them out? I mean, it makes sense to me. Why bail out the banks and Wall Street when you can go directly to the little guy?

I want a bailout.

Silly Treadmill Cats

OK, so yesterday's video was just too depressing. Let's have a funny one now.



The amazing thing is that neither of these cats was forced to walk on the treadmill. They wanted to walk on it. They kept coming back to it. It was a challenge to them. Silly kitties.

Palin's Savage Killing of Wolves

I don't think I have to say anything other than this sort of thing upsets me more than her stand on abortion (especially in cases of incest and rape), her vindictiveness to those who oppose her, her stand on the war in Iraq, her inexperience, need I say more? And it's not just because of my blog name. I am not necessarily anti-hunting per se. That other stuff is political. This is outrageous. Completely and utterly outrageous. My blood boils.

Political Hypocrisy

I have been wanting to write about how I feel about this year's election, but it is just so damned depressing that I can't seem to write my feelings. I am so frustrated with the Palin/McCain ticket. I don't know what happened to McCain since 2000, but he's not at all the same guy. Not that I would have voted for him if he WAS the same guy...just that I wouldn't be so terrified as I am now if he were to get elected. His "maverick" and thoughtless choice of Palin as his running mate is a slap in the face, and a good example of a total lack of judgement. It was his first opportunity to show some sound decision-making and leadership, and he chose Hockey Mom. I wonder if he had any idea that she would upstage him so thoroughly. When you see them these days, you begin to wonder which one of them is the candidate and which one is the running mate. Which is why I call them Palin/McCain.

I get really tired of the hypocrisy. A few years ago, a knee-jerk Republican colleague said she did not like Bill Clinton...that she could never vote for a man who cheated on his wife (of course, she is married to a man who cheated on his first and second wife, but forget that because he's not the president...thank goodness). And yet, this year she will vote for a man who not only cheated on his wife, but left her because she was disfigured in a terrible car accident (he has admitted this was probably a mistake), only to immediately turn around and marry a multi-millionaire that he called a very nasty name in front of reporters. Lovely man. But for many years now, I have thought it my bound duty and my husband's to get out and cancel this colleague's vote and her husband's... In fact, every time I finalize my vote, I feel very smug about it, knowing that I have done my bound duty.

Anyway, I am including here wonderful piece makes me very glad that I left the Republican party to become a Democrat way back when. But I am such a luddite that I can't figure out how to attach it without making it PART of my entry. So, here it is in its entirety.

Subject: Different outlooks

If you're a minority and you're selected for a job over more qualified candidates you're a "token hire."
If you're a conservative and you're selected for a job over more qualified candidates you're a "game changer."

Black teen pregnancies? A "crisis" in black America.
White teen pregnancies? A "blessed event."

If you grow up in Hawaii you're "exotic."
Grow up in Alaska eating moose burgers, you're the quintessential "American story."

Similarly, if you name your kid Barack you're "unpatriotic."
Name your kid Track, you're "colorful."

If you spend 3 years as a community organizer growing your organization from a staff of 1 to 13 and your budget from $70,000 to $400,000, then become the first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new African American voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, then spend nearly 8 more years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, becoming chairman of the state Senate's Health and Human Services committee, then spend nearly 4 years in the United States Senate representing a state of nearly 13 million people, sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran's Affairs committees, you are woefully inexperienced.

If you spend 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people, then spend 20 months as the governor of a state with 650,000 people, then you've got the most executive experience of anyone on either ticket, are the Commander in Chief of the Alaska military and are well qualified to lead the nation should you be called upon to do so because your state is the closest state to Russia.

If you are a Democratic male candidate who is popular with millions of people you are an "arrogant celebrity".
If you are a popular Republican female candidate you are "energizing the base".

If you are a younger male candidate who thinks for himself and makes his own decisions you are "presumptuous".
If you are an older male candidate who makes last minute decisions you refuse to explain, you are a "shoot from the hip" maverick.

If you are a candidate with a Harvard law degree you are "an elitist-out of touch" with the real America.
if you are a legacy (dad and granddad were admirals) graduate of Annapolis, with multiple disciplinary infractions
you are a hero.

If you manage a multi-million dollar nationwide campaign, you are an "empty suit."
If you are a part time mayor of a town of 7000 people, you are an "experienced executive."

If you go to a south side Chicago church, your beliefs are "extremist."
If you believe in creationism and don't believe global warming is man made, you are "strongly principled."

If you kill an endangered species (Polar bears) or shoot wolves from an airplane, you're an excellent hunter.
If you have an abortion (even in cases of incest and rape and the mother's health) you’re not a Christian but a murderer.

If you teach abstinence only in sex education, you get teen parents.
If you teach responsible age appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.

Post Script to "Everyone in my Family is OK"

Finally, yesterday afternoon I talked to my brother. He and my mom are fine. They are without power and a part of their fence blew away, but they are ok. There was no water damage. My brother says he tried to reach me several times, but was unable to because of phone problems. He said at one point his cell phone died and he had to charge it in his truck. I asked if he had tried using Mom’s cellphone. No, it wasn’t charged. It wasn’t charged? Why not? She never uses it, so they didn’t bother to charge it.

See what I mean? Dumb and dumber…

Everyone in my Family is OK

I have heard from everyone except my mom and brother. But one of my sisters got a voice mail from my brother saying they were ok, but were having phone trouble. The sister and brother in law in Galveston had some water damage and debris, but things are looking up. Their power is back on, but the fresh water situation is not good. Fortunately, they prepared by putting aside a lot of potable water before hand. It turns out they are on higher ground than I realized before. My other sister and brother-in-law had tree damage, and their power went out, but they are ok, too. And my sister (Girl from Texas) is fine. Her house withstood the storm, and her power came back yesterday. She went through the storm alone.

Everyone in my family is ok.

Officially Worried Now

I'm getting really worried about my family in Houston. One of my husband's sisters lives in Galveston with her husband and a menagerie of animals. They won't leave because of the animals. I think they should just pack all the damned animals into their truck and leave. Worry later. Go. Just go. Now. This is going to be really bad for Galveston. The west part of the island is already flooded and the surge hasn't gotten there yet. The surge is projected to be 20-30 feet depending on location.

My sister (Girl From Texas) is probably going to be ok, but I am worried about her, too. I can no longer call anyone there using my cellphone because there is too much cell traffic now.

I'm worried about my mom and brother because of their proximity to the San Jacinto River, which will flood when 12 inches of water fall in less than 12 hours. And the water will have no where to go (because of Ike) except into the neighborhoods, including theirs. I have the Weather Channel on, and can't get any work done. Jim Cantore has stressed that there will be record flooding from Ike. He repeated that for emphasis.

I have a bad feeling about this. A really bad feeling.

Yikes, it's Ike

My family lives in Houston, and I'm a bit concerned. My sister will probably be high and dry in her 1920s duplex, which is in a higher part of Houston (if you can imagine flat Houston having a "higher" area). But my brother and mom live in an area that floods. And they are not leaving. They plan to stay. I suggested that they should make sure they have plenty of fresh water and food that doesn't have to be cooked. My brother told me they would "make their own water" which does not mean what you think it means. It means they have a water filter. An electric water filter. They have an electric stove, too. I think my brother believes they will sit out the storm watching television and popping popcorn. In an electric microwave oven.

Sometimes I think my mom and brother are Dumb and Dumber. I gave them these nicknames a few weeks ago, when my brother started talking politics. He said that Obama didn't want to allow offshore drilling and that would ruin business for petroleum landmen in Texas. I thought he was joking...but he wasn't. "Not allowing offshore drilling will ruin business for landmen? Huh?" If anything, I would think Texas landmen would want drilling to occur on land, not offshore, so they could get the leases and drilling rights to the oil. I really don't understand him. He thinks Obama is going to raise everyone's taxes because he saw it on a McCain ad. He thinks Obama is a secret muslim because he heard it from someone. He doesn't read the newspapers. I can't even write what my mother thinks. Thus, the nicknames. Then, when my sister told me about some other dumb thing my brother said, I told her about the nicknames. She laughed. Later that night, she called me and said: "OK, so, which one is Dumb and which one is Dumber?"

You probably think I dislike my mom and brother. To the contrary, I love them very much. You might think that I am rude to them. I'm not. Well, maybe sometimes, when they say really stupid things. I have told my brother that he owes it to the rest of the country to educate himself before making ridiculous pronouncements. In the alternative, he and my mom should do everyone a favor and stay home on election day. Sometimes, they are more than a bit frustrating. The thing that bothers me most is that they may be representative of the majority of this country. Terrifying thought.

Anyway, I'll update the Ike situation later. And the dumbness situation too, maybe.

Life on the High Seas

Well, ok, so it's not really the high seas. But when our anniversary came around two weeks ago, H asked me what I wanted. I said "Let's not get each other something. Let's get something for US together. Or for the house." We both liked that idea, but a couple of days later, H says he's gotten something for us and he hopes I like it. He won't tell me what it is, but it's for us. The morning of our anniversary, I hear him outside banging on the BAT (big-assed truck) and I look out to see him putting the racks on it (we use them for such things as sheetrock and two-by-fours and the like, you know, for the house. But I knew he wasn't getting something for the house). I went outside and walked up to him and said "Just tell me it's not kayaks..." He knows I'm not ready for a kayak just yet. I love canoeing but I'm just not ready for a kayak. Someday. Not yet. "No, it's a canoe. We're going to pick it up now."

Yippee! A canoe! One of our first dates was a canoe ride on Summerville Lake in Texas. That was a lot of years ago! And I absolutely loved it. Then, throughout the years, we'd occasionally go canoeing with the elusive one. Then, he and the elusive one did a 10-day canoe trip in Canada, complete with backpacks, tents, and portage experience. We always wanted our own canoe, but there were other things that took the money then.

He found this one on Craig's list...a 14-foot Mad River Canoe. A little heavy...about 80 pounds. But not expensive. We picked up the canoe, went to lunch, then headed out to Mason Neck for our very first ride in our new canoe. We were only out on the water about 45 minutes to an hour. We saw several osprey and a bald eagle (being chased by a gull!), And you know the sound the eagle makes in the movies? It sounds so cool in real life! The water was calm, but I was very tired when we pulled the canoe out of the water. Despite the sunblock, I got a little too much sun...not a good idea for a red head. But I absolutely loved it. I expected my arms to be sore, but it was my neck that ached. I still loved it. I wanted to go out again the next day, but we already had plans.

So, this morning, we drove up to River Bend, above Great Falls. We paddled up river for about an hour, even trying our ability against some tough water. We decided to portage at one point...I'm not going to want to do too much of that with this canoe. Dang! It's heavy and awkward.
Then we came back down river. It took half the time. I worked much harder this week. I need to find a really strong sunblock, and a wide-brimmed hat. I've been using a painter's hat and it's not protecting my face well enough.

I feel great! I love this canoe! Can't wait for next weekend. Somebody suggested Burke Lake. I could go back to River Bend again and again, it's so beautiful. Maybe I'm ready for a kayak after all!