I did it for eight years. I sat and listened to all the Bush bashing(not that he didn't deserve a lot of it), the cries of "neo-con"( a ridiculous term as true "cons" have never detered from their core beliefs as libs have moved from JFKs ideals of self sacrafice to the entitlement generation of today), the double standard of denouncing republicans in office who fell victims to their flesh as they defended democrats who did the very same things.

I have watched as un and misinformed liberals paraded their opinions as fact and tried to out shout anyone who disagreed with them. I have listened to them call me names as if they were in Jr. High, listened as people who I am certain have a lower IQ than I call me stupid. I have listened to people who know nothing about me call me "priveleged" and and "elitist", and through it all I remained true to myself, never taking the bait and lowering myself to their level. I am pretty satisfield with myself for that.

Well, now the shoe is on the other foot. I will get to be the one calling into question the acts of a new administration. To hound, harangue and decry every decision made outside my comfort zone. I will do it in my usual tactful and grown up manner. No personal attacks, no namecalling, no raspberries and no neener-neeners, but rest assured that I will call the liberals on the carpet everytime I get the chance.

Gentlemen, prepare to defend yourselves.

Marie Cocco seems to be one of those people who will never get it. Well, not as long as it involves Bush, or anyone else she doesn't like. I guess she feels he should've denounced himself, claimed all of America's woes were his fault and his alone and asked for America's forgiveness. That he should've just gushed self recrimination rather than answer the questions as HE saw fit. Hey, marie, would you like to sit in front of a camera and list YOUR faults to America?

As to things he said that SHE thought he should regret:

Dead or Alive:  Nobody had a problem with that at the time. It wasn't until the peaceniks and do-gooders started sniveling that people got their panties in a bunch. Fighting a war through public opinion didn't work in Vietnam and it hasn't worked in the war on terror. If everyone would just stop whining about collateral damage, bin-Laden would be dead or captured.

Mission Accomplished: It was! Our mission was to destroy the Iraqi military machine so that it could not wage war or threaten the region and to depose a brutal regime. DONE! Mission accomplished. The mission was NOT stop terrorism or fight insurgencies as was the case after Sadaam was gone.

She believes he shoul;d have pandered to the masses by taking the blame and expressing regret for the financial position many people are in today. Why should he? Does she wwant congress and thge Americans who chose not to pay attention to what they were signing to feel remorse as well? If so, she certainly didn't say so.

I am glad Bush is gone. His view of conservatism diverged from mine when he created the D.H.S. rather than just making the FBI and the CIA play nice. That being said, I don't think he owes America an apology any more than any other president who has made poor decisions. I make them all the time and all I am trying to run is my own home! No, they take the most powewrful office in the world and try to do the best they can do with what they have to work with, including their human side, If it worked out they were heroes, if not, they were villians.

I say let them go home in peace and stop pointing back, as humans are wont to do, and start focusing on the present before it's too late to do anything about the future.

THEN who will she blame?

Poor Rob Badewitz. The D.A.'s office has decided not to prosecute Ken Mettler for his part in their scuffle. I don't hear Rob whining about not being prosecuted for HIS part either. Well, maybe that wimp will keep his wits about him next time. If you decide to harass another person, if you decide to step things up a notch, you'd better be prepared to accept the consequences of your actions..Like getting your [edt.] kicked

I have said before, and I say again; the first amendment does not give you the right to invade my personal space. It does not give you the right to put your hands on me or throw things or spit at me. It only gives you the right to say what you will concerning an issue without fear of persecution or prosecution.

If you get in my face or put a hand on me, I will take action. I won't stomp your head in or beat you sensless, but I will knock you into the middle of next week, and I will not be prosecuted. All I have to say is that I was afraid you were going to attack me and I defended myself.  

People should be very aware of with whom they are dealing before they assume they are protected from injury in any case. You never know when someone may snap and really hurt you no matter the penalty and there isn't always going to be a cop, or anyone else, who will be able to protect you, especially when you such an obvious wimp. A real man would just take his lumps and be about his business.  Say your piece and leave it at that.

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I cant believe it! Oh, what am I saying. Of course I can! The number of black Americans who believe Obama's election is somehow going to make their lives better is astounding! I mean, I understand the general elation, but that should be more a matter of change in attitudes than in expectations. I have a feeling that a large number of folks are in for a sharp slap of reality.

I knew from the moment I heard about what would eventually become Prop. 8 that it would succeed. Not because I am a hater or a homophobe, but because I am a realist. I understand the view of traditionalists and tradition is a difficult thing to put aside. Whether or not it would be right or wrong to put it aside is not the issue, I am simply stating a fact. No matter how vocal the minority against Prop. 8 were, they were still outnumbered by the traditionalists. The fact that  many of them were democrats and liberals is not really surprising. Not ALL Christians are conservatives and not all conservatives were for this proposition.!

I also knew that once it did succeed, it would be attacked and an attempt to overturn it would ensue. Not because I am a defeatist, but again, because I am a realist. This is not the first time the vocal minority has sought to use their outrage to overcome the "will of the people." Had Prop. 8 failed, you can bet that group would be shouting "The people have spoken", and I would agree with them even though I am opposed to them, but the fact that the people wound up not speaking in their favor has never stopped them from ignoring the will of the people.

I actually agree that the will of the people should be the final word, but those in the vocal minority don't really feel that way. They only believe in the will of the people who agree with them. If you disagree with them you are a bigot, a hatemonger, intolerant, and a host of other nasty names.

Well, I disagree. I hate no one, but like or not, I have the right to disagree with people and their positions based on my personal feelings. That does not make me intolerant, it simply makes me an individual. I don't base my feelings on the ideas or ideals of others. I don't attend church so I don't base them on the effects of some sermon. I just know how I feel in my heart. I own that and I don't have to defend it to anyone and nobody needs to defend their feelings to me, just don't call me names or label me because we disagree.

Had Prop. 8 failed, I would have accepted it. No hard feelings, no namecalling or regrets and no call to overturn the will of the people. The decision of the election would have been sufficient. I wonder if the vocal minority will ever truly believe in the will of the people when that will doesn't line up with them?

I really haven't felt very political lately. I know who I am voting for and nothing I read here or see in the news is going to change my mind. I know why I am voting for my candidate and why I am not voting for the other guy. I know how I am voting on what measures and why and I am not confused about anything. I vote with what I believe in my heart to be the best course for America, the state and my county and city in the long run, not necessarliy what I believe is best for me, individually, right now.

I may state an emotional opinion, but I don't vote, argue or debate with my emotions; I do it with facts. I make certain that I have done a reality check before forging ahead in disagreement. Granted, there are some topics, such as Gay marriage, that are hard to "fact out". These are arguments I tend to avoid because they are based on personal beliefs on both sides and there is no real logicial way to argue them and I despise illogical arguments.

That being said, I just read a post about how the tax system works in America and it got me to thinking about the "plight of the poor". How liberals tend to look at the poor as victims of the system. In a way they are, but not in the way most people see it. The system has taught the last two generations that they don't need to strive to rise above anything because the government will see to their needs at the expense of others. The only thing most poor people are victims of is their own inability to make good decisions.

I have watched these "victims" for years in the course of perforfming my duties at work. The railroad gives the the opportunity, whether or not I like it, to observe scads of poor and homeless "victims" up close and personal. These people can't pay rent or afford food, but they can afford cigarettes, dope and beer. They hold up signs stating they will work for food, but they are actually counting on the fact that that you would rather just give them a few bucks than have them come to your house and mow your lawn then sit at your table and eat. Be honest; how many of you would want some scroungy stranger scoping out your place or in the same house with your family. We know it and so do they. Being poor doesn't make you stupid. Take ten of these people up and see how many actually say yes. 

The poor stay poor for a reason. They have no desire to make teh changes needed to move up and out of their position. There are the few who do make that climb, but you will never hear them crowing to help those who won't make that change because they have a personal understanding of that lifestyle, and believe me, it IS a lifestyle. I personally know poor people who will never be able to rise above their "plight" because they want to smoke pot. They can't get a good paying job because they don't believe anyone has the right to tell them they can't get high. They don't want to get up at the crack of dawn to go to work and they don't want to be held accountable for anything. They just want to be left alone. They don't want the government telling them what they can and can't do, but they want the government to help them survive. 

These people aren't victims, they are volunteers and now the liberal candidtate for president want's ME to subsidize their laziness and inablility to function as productive members of society with my hard earned money. No, I don't make over 250K a year, but if you do a reality check, you know that is irrelevant. Taxing the rich will always trickle down to the middle class. It always has and it always will. I have worked at the same company since 1979. I have made many adjustments to my life and thought process during that time to make sure I kept that job. The "victims" in theranks of the poor, for the most part, simply refuse to make those adjustments because nobody is forcing them to do so.

Now I am not talking about those on hard times who are only asking for a little help to shore them up until they get on their feet. I don't mind that at all, but when I am told I will be made to help those who refuse to help themselves(except to my tax dollars), it pisses me off, and when I get pissed, I feel the need to tell everyone about it. The only difference between that and me being taxed any higher is that YOU don't have to read my stuff anymore!

An article I read recently spoke of how so many people's "Golden Years" are really not so golden. It talked about the problems facing retiring and aging Americans such as finances and illnesses afflicting many people as they age. Arthritis, Alzheimers, strokes, etc. and pointing out the fact that while people are living longer on average today, their quality of life is rarely what they imagined as they scripmed, saved and sacraficed in their youth and middle age. They pinned their dreams of relaxing, traveling and growing old in comfort with a loved one only, in many cases, to be slapped with the reality of an aging body and mind and economic factors they could never have imagined.

I have been boycotting Bank of America since they decided to hand out credit cards to undocumented persons. It was a ridiculous idea ideastically(to me anyway)but actually a sound business move well worth the risk to BofA. I'm no financial genius(just have a peek at my bank account), but I believe they figured that the percentage of people who might never repay the $500(the card limit)and those who would pay, at least some of it back, measured against the business they would aquire by pandering to the documented persons(let's be honest, 99% of undocumented persons are Mexicans or Central Americans)who may then move to Bof A from WaMu or whoever they banked with.  Whatever, I was still pissed.

I see now that BofA will modify thousands of its mortgage loans to help people keep their homes in the face of todays crisis. Some will have principal slashed, others will have to pay only interest for ten years and so on. I like it. Kind of reminds of John Deere not repossesing one piece of farm equipment during the depression. Granted, it was a marketing technique, but it worked. Many farmers will pay more for a Deere to remain laoyal to a company that was loyal to them. I'm sure BofA is emplying the same strategy and I am sure it will pay off.

I still won't bank with or engage in financial business with BofA(for other reasons), but maybe i'll start using their ATM's again

2008 has been a terrible year for me. I can't remember a year when so many things have gone so wrong in so many areas. Financially, emotionall, physically, work, people; it really has been a bad year and there is still a good chunk of it left!

I can't believe how one sided, narrowminded, inflammatory and uninformed some people are. I don't know if some of these folks really believe what they are saying or if it is just blind hatred that drives their opinions, blanking out the part of their brain that harbors common sense and rationality. I mean there are actually people out there who believe the looming economic crisis is a Bush scam to draw attention from the war! Read my lips people..No matter what happens, he is gone, history, vamoosed! This crisis is no sham and those who believe it is are in for a rude awakening over the next few years.