Far Off The Map of Reality: Kill Pills
well,this is a new one and one that really stretches the imagination........apparently birth-control pills (and contraceptive devices) are listed with abortions as killers of the unborn!...thus the proliferation of "The Pill Kills" signs. Just how far off the map of reality these folks have strayed is yet to be determined,but according to their logic next it may be the sex act itself.....just thinking NOT to have sexual relations might be in the same category......."prevention kills" might become a new theme! Lord,help us all! We have truly passed thru the Looking Glass into topsy-turvy world!

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Dr. Killers=Taliban
Does anyone else find the murder of a doctor, who conducted a legal practice, not only sad but very,very scary?....and this is not an isolated case....there are too many groups whose ideologies and goals are more in line with the Taliban and other extremist groups as are their methods ...terror and murder! These people live among us,in our neighborhoods,and freely go about their business.....yet we are afraid of having some Gitmo prisoners locked up in maximum security prisons in the US.....where the hell is the sanity of that???

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Suds Makers:Pay Up
In the state I live in, the lack of funds/revenue has caused a huge deficit.....meaning more school closures, more teachers laid off, a decrease of social services and fewer law enforcement officers....and,the early release of many prisoners. Yet our elected officials,in their wisdom, have rejected the proposal to raise the tax on beer,wine and other spirits.......we have a large Micro-Brewing industry,in this state, yet these suds makers pay the same tax that they paid 30 years ago!!! It seems that the drinkers of these brews should be kept happy and not inconvenienced....illiterate,perhaps,but happy.

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Disappointment
Where ,oh ,where is our "fierce advocate" who promised to end "don't ask, don't tell???" Over 13,000 skilled people,including translators, have been ousted from the military....people we need...yet nothing is being done to change matters. During his first 6 months in office,Pres.Obama has done a good job of correcting the mistakes of the past,but on Civil Rights issues he is sadly lacking....guess the idea that he would be a different kind of leader, not just a politician was just too damned good to be true.

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Saber Rattling
The question making the rounds....did Pres.O's speech in Cairo "weaken America"?...how, in the name of sanity could any reasonable person ask! By speaking openly,without any posturing,he has made us appear to be what we claim to be...a free and open society. Those past chants of "we are #1" the saber rattling (to get our own way)and the bully-ing tactics have not endeared us to the rest of the world and has without a doubt, made us more enemies than friends.....remember the old saying....." you can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar".

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Jon Voight: Over the Top
re the recent tirades against our Prez.....calling for an end to his "reign of terror"(Jon Voight) is just a tad over the top! This President has only been in office 6 months.....where were those cries of outrage during the last 8 years altho I am not happy with some of his decisions /non-actions I believe that it is early days...and he should be given a chance to prove himself.before the traditional smear campaigning begins....egads,!give the guy a break!...



~ Comments by Skazski

Reptilian Fat Boy

With all the filth being spewed by Fat Boy and his cronies(didn't the FCC have rules about such language)...with the lies of a reptilian former vice president being repeated ad nauseum ( in hopes of avoiding charges of war crimes?) it is high time to take a break from all of this nastiness! Onward to the French Open! Adieu,mon amies.


~ Comments by "Skazski,"

On this day when we remember and honor those who have lost their lives in defense of our ideals/country....wouldn't it be a wonderful tribute if we,and every other nation in the world,decided that warfare was not only a terrible waste of lives but of resources? that each country decided that it would be better served by investing that energy to improving the lives of its citizens rather than sending them off to be killed.....and wouldn't the Gods of all people be more honored if their followers respected each others religions and actually followed their teachings? This should also be a day of repenting the wastefulness of mankind.

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here's another thought on Prop.8.....marriage was originally a social contract,written by men,that conveyed property/chattel to one party from another, often times for a price (women were considered as chattel) Religions stepped in,(eventually) and created ceremonies to sanctify those transactions.That church in California that fostered Prop.8, that organized the campaign to get it on the ballot went far beyond the "separation of church and state"...it became a public,political entity,forcing it's agenda on those who are having their civil rights denied them....for that they(church) should have their tax free status revoked for now they are clearly a political party, not just a religious organization!



~ Comments by Skazski

Pelosi
The recent attacks on Speaker Pelosi and calls for her to be removed from office...by none other than morally bankrupt former Speaker Newt Gingrich...are blatant attempts to shift the spotlight from the misdeeds of the former administration ie. Dick Cheney and gang.For us elderly folk,who have long memories, her arguments about being "mislead" by the CIA comes as no surprise nor do they seem unreasonable.....just look to history..

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The Value of Newspapers
Even in these days of faxes,internet,etc.,there are many of us who do not have access ,or do not use computers.....ergo,most of our local news,accounts of community events,regional sports,and other items of interest are supplied by our newspapers.. TV gives us only brief selected items....and certainly no in-depth reporting on issues of importance nor can TV coverage begin to cover all of the communities in a region....what may be of interest to viewers in,say,Mountain Home,Ark., is of little meaning to viewers in Medford,Ore......enter the newspaper...it is so sad that so many of them are folding today...to me the written word has more impact than a 3 second sound byte.

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Protests at Notre Dame Hypocritical
this is an issue that continues to cause my blood pressure to rise.....the protesters at Notre Dame re: President Obama's speaking to the graduating class...."we do not believe in Killing,we believe in Life"...a noble statement, but just a tad hypocritical.....there was nary a peep when a former President was a speaker there....altho,when he was Governor of Texas,he condoned the execution of more prisoners than any previous Governor,or that he instigated a war that has killed and maimed thousands of souls.By the way,where were the cries of outrage when Humanitarian Aid was denied to thousands of starving Africans( children included) because information on birth control/family planning was included in that package.Once again,the "rights" of the unborn supersede those who have actually seen the light of day

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Terrorists: We Have Our Own
NIMBY....those governors who say they won't have "those terrorists" in maximum security prisons within their states sound as though those same terrorists would be strolling in their parks or having "slurpees" at the local 7-11. What about our homegrown terrorists who are currently incarcerated in our prisons? How often have any of them been seen out and about in our communities?Guantanamo has been a blight on our national honor since it opened.....to those Democrats who voted against funding for closing Gitmo...you are reverting to the Demos of old....never mind doing what is right,do only what is politically advantageous.

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Armed Citizens
With so very many of our citizens armed to the teeth with every kind of armament(with the exception of heavy artillery),why be concerned about the transfer of Gitmo prisoners to the States?In a country where people shoot each other every day,for no reason at all,if I were a terrorist I would be shaking in my boots at the thought of being transferred here.

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Obama
What the hell!!!..."indefinite,prolonged detention" those words out of the mouth of President Obama!....what happened to vowing to uphold the Constitution,Mr. President???You are sounding more and more like George Bush!Detaining those might pose a threat but cannot be prosecuted due to lack of evidence? Are we going to be employing mind readers to suss out the bad guys? Seems like someone has been watching too much TV.

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~ Comments by Skazski

Arlen Specter
re Arlen Specter....the Democrats need this man like they need the plague....he left his own party(GOP) because he didn't think that he could win reelection as a Republican....not because he changed his attitudes/values ideology. He proved this by voting against the bill that would have given those home owners who needed a break with the banks/mortgage holders..If the Democratic Party had a lick of sense they would not back his campaign for reelection nor would they trust him on any vote that involves the Banking Industry.`

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Texas: "Buh-Bye!"
So the Great State of Texas wants to withdraw from the U.S.A.....Yahoo and Yippee! The "new country of Texas" could become the home for all of those old die-hard Republicans and Far Right loonies who repeatedly vote down anything that smacks of gun control,humanitarian acts or civil liberties. Perhaps a fence could be built around this "new" country to keep out undesireables...passport/visa needed,Since Texas ,at present, gets more funds back from taxes than any other state it would be interesting to see how Texas would fare as an independent entity during hurricane season for example.... ,given their philosophy on big government and Federal "hand outs",etc.

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Obama: What Change?
another day,another back step from our President......waffling on the withdrawing of troops from Iraq,the timely closing of Guantanimo,the continuation of Bush's policy of warrant less wire taps,etc.,and now the reversal of"transparency". pix relating to illegal/immoral torture. Now,today,out the window went the pledge to put a stop to "don't ask,don't tell." Where is this change you promised us,Mr.President?You say that all of this is on the advice of the "CIA and the Generals"Who is really running this country, Mr.Obama? If memory serves,the C.I.A. is not the most reputable(or reliable) outfit in our government....remember Nicaragua?just one example of their mistakes.

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The Orally Flatulent, or Thank God for the Tennis Channel
Oh,Dear Heaven!....what a mess,this week,on TV..."who knew what and when" who's lying about briefings, will Kate continue on? should Miss California keep her title? will that orally flatulent, overweight "entertainer" continue to destroy the Republican Party?.....and the list goes on......thank God for the Tennis Channel! without it I would have lost my mind!

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Weird Beliefs: Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, CIA . . .
just one more reason why we should be more careful about the people we send to Washington as our Representatives and Senators......the idea, put forth by Rep.Boehner,et al.,that the CIA "might lie to others but they would not lie to Congress" is not just laughable it is akin to a child's belief in the Tooth Fairy or the Easter Bunny! Do these elected officials read (anything but the Comics and Sports pages)? Can they pass a standard I.Q. test? Do they have any knowledge of history? the law or the Constitution?Do any of these talking heads know anything about the history of the CIA???!!!

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Auto Industry in a Looking Glass World
What did I miss here? Wasn't the point of that automotive "loan" meant to encourage said industry to retool production and produce more efficiently functioning cars.....not to put thousands more people out of work,such as .....auto dealers and their employees.....if someone buys a dealer franchise,pays for the cars from the manufacturer pays his support staff and pays for their health insurance....how does closing those dealerships benefit the car makers? The dealer and his employees are tax payers who contributed to that "loan"....how does this help anyone? The only ones to profit from this Looking Glass world would be the German,Japanese and Korean car makers.




~ Comments by "Skazski," aka Regan's mom.

A Collection of Posts: Guns, God, and More. . .

here is something else that baffles me......WHY do politicians, of every party,feel it necessary to mention God at every possible opportunity? This is unheard of in most of the civilized nations around the world.....even though they are every bit as religious,Church attending,and God-loving as we profess to be......could it be that others consider religion to be a private , spiritual matter not to be used as a "battle flag"??.....just wondering`

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here is something else to consider....why does the NRA continue to mislead the public about assault weapons??No citizen of this country has the need for such armament,not for personal safety and certainly not for hunting.....remember a few years ago when the LAPD had to go to gun stores to get those weapons because they were being out gunned by some bank robbers?Banning such weapons has nothing to do with hunting rifles or hand guns for personal protection......and just look at the "Drug wars" that are being fought ,not just in the country next door to us,but along our borders....and where are these weapons being smuggled from? from us!Our politicians must forget the NRA and it's lobbyists and really crack down on the manufacture and sales of these weapons....there is no rational excuse to do other-wise.

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Holy Smokes!....the tax on cigarettes has just gone up another$1 plus....that's on top of whatever individual states choose to tax....in some places that amounts to over $9 per pack.....while I applaud President Obama's reasons for the increase ,could we have a bit of equity here? When will he announce an increase in the tax on alcohol? Guess we will have to do what we did in WWII...relearn to roll our own...with my arthritic old hands that will be lots of fun!

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Viva Espana.....at least one country has the moral/ethical guts to call out the Bush administration on torture/war crimes....too bad it wasn't us...you know, the nation that " reveres" the Constitution that extols "freedom" and "human rights"...it is a shame that President Obama has chosen to be a politician rather than uphold that Constitution.

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Conspiracy theory # who knows......the most secretive Veep of all time has an underground network of operatives( who are loyal to him and the GOP) in the Pentagon, Intelligence agencies and other government offices....and fronting the operation are such public personalities as Limbaugh Gingrich Glen Beck etc.,...and their mission is to overthrow the present Administration......it is said that in every rumor there is a kernel of truth....hmmmm....isn't it odd that we have been hearing more from him in the past few weeks than we did when he was actually in office??

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When the Constitution was being drafted "the Right to Bear Arms" referred to the right of householders to keep firearms in order to have a militia....a civilian army....to fight off any external forces such as an invading army.I think it unreal that our ancestors were sanctioning gangs of teenagers waging wars on the streets( Bloods v. Crips )assassination of leaders whose dreams were considered dangerous(Dr.King,for one) or disgruntled ex employees shooting up a place of work or mentally ill misfits slaughtering their classmates/spouses/families.This "Wild West" mentality has been a curse on us far too long.It is time for serious, unemotional discourse on the dangers of guns and responsibilities of gun control.

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What has this world come to??? after seeing some of those loonies on UTube ranting about the need to stockpile guns NOW ("before President Obama bans weapons") makes me more than just a little afraid....just the thought of those nut cases being armed is enough to make me want to go out and buy a gun.....for protection against them.... .What the hell happened to common sense??

Bring it on!

Any port in a storm??....if, after thirty years, the "super rich" must pay their FAIR share of taxes, if Universal Health care is on the horizon, if the Banking and Securities businesses are now subject to greater regulation and control, if all of the above fall into the category of "socialism"...then I say...bring it on!

Stem Cell Opposition

I just cannot fathom the so-called logic of those who oppose stem cell research.....on one hand they proclaim that such research goes against God's will....yet they condone keeping people alive by artificial methods....who, if according to "God's will" would otherwise be dead, or by organ transplants extending the lives of those would also die,etc., etc.,...how do they suppose those life-saving measures came about? does the word RESEARCH ring any bells?? Are not intelligence and imagination and creativity gifts from the Lord to us that we may bring about the betterment of mankind?




~ Comments by Skazski

Gormless Obstructionists

F***ing unreal!!!Outrage doesn't begin to describe the feelings I experienced upon seeing the report that our officials in Washington want a pay raise....those poor politicians only get $174,000 per year...and an excellent health care package,plus who knows what other perks! At a time when unemployment figures are the highest in years,when the economy is tanking, when businesses are folding and people are losing their homes......these gormless obstructionists,who are fighting the President at every step, think that they are worth more money is nothing short of criminal! Maybe they should get out of Washington and go home......see how their constituents are trying to eke out a living!


~ Comments by Skazski

"Seperation of Church and State? " Ha!

Here's another funny story......the Catholic Church in Connecticut is trying to fend off a bill that would put a lay oversight board to manage the Church's funds....saying that it would violate the "separation of church and state".....who are they kidding?! The RC has been meddling in politics for years...i.e.,Roe v.Wade, stem cell research,Gay rights,etc.,etc.......separation of church and state?Ha!

Enough Time?

re:"Is Obama doing too much?"....nonsense!,it's more a question of do we have enough time to clean up this mess before the Ship of State sinks like the Titanic.....the iceberg being the GOP and the Bush administration.




~ Comments by Skazski

Gonifs in the AIG

Just a thought......if Pres. Obama can't stop those criminal, outrageous bonuses at AIG.....why can't the new "owners"(the tax payers) who control 80% of the company oust the top tier of management for incompetence....and fine them, say,one year's salary, for gross negligence??? IN the present economic climate there should be problem in replacing those gonifs..


~ Comments by Skazski

Thank You!

I am amazed by the responses to these "musings"...it is so gratifying to get your input....and to know that I am not alone here, howling in the wilderness....thank you.

~ Comments by Skazski

The Grand Poobah

Goody!Goody! the circus is in town....in the center ring we have the overblown, bombastic clown,Rush Limbaugh...surrounded by the GOP tumblers falling all over themselves to remain in his good graces! God forbid that they say anything to offend his sensibilities.....never mind that every time the Grand Poobah opens his mouth he offends every sane person within earshot!




~ Comments by Skazski

Junk TV

Part tres;....this is an old one.....it used to be called the "dumbing down" of America. The only thing that has changed in the ensuing decades is the addition of
"Reality Shows" and the lewder use of language. On our TV screens we have programs that are called situation comedies that are filled with references to body parts (with their functions ) in the crudest terms held together by scripts that a half-bright 10 year old could write.....shows that are devoted to young, brainless pretty people who have no visible talent, other than to pose for the camera. Many, many shows that teach us how to cook (while cursing a blue streak), how to deal with a cheating spouse or how to get one, how to lose weight or how to make a fool of oneself in front of millions. In recent weeks more air-time was given to the upcoming Super Bowl (what should happen/what could happen) than was given to coverage of Iraq, not to mention an actor's tirade complete with F bombs,...this went on for 3 days! Granted in these trying times there is a need for levity and escapism......but a sense of proportion,please! The fall-out from this endless diet of crap is that programs that are different, employ good actors and are well written fall by the wayside.

Smokers Need A Place

Lastly,the "Demonization" of smokers. While tobacco is still legal in this country and smokers pay a higher tax than consumers of alcohol they are treated as pariahs. Without going into all the evils that are laid at tobacco's doorstep...that is a choice of the individual....to smoke, or not. Why then, can't smokers have establishments of their own? With the advancements made in ventilation systems...that should be a possibility.

Sour Repugs?

What in the hell is up with those Republicans?? Could it be that they are still miffed that Obama won the election and that he is so popular not only here but world wide? The GOP is acting like a spoiled bunch of 2 year olds! True, it has been only 30 days but it is high time they got over it and remember that they are in Washington to serve the whole country not their own personal agendas. It is quite clear that the Reps. aren't going to accept Pres. Obama's overtures of bi-partisanship so it is time for him to stop "playing nice" ...before they get too full of themselves, and high time the Dems.to show strength and not concede to those sore losers!





~ Comments by "Skazski," aka Regan's mom.

Too Much Idealism?

Open hand or closed fist? Obama's "outreach to the Right" has so far been a dud....who in the world is advising him? Here is an idea...select the best qualified person (preferably not a politician) for the job, vet him inside and out and then announce the candidate. In order to "hit the ground running" the Prez and his advisers were a tad hasty and a lot idealistic in those choices....and forget Bi-Partisan politics.




~ Comments by "Skazski," aka Regan's mom.

The Old Regime's War Crimes; New Regime's Blind Eye

These are very questionable times...not just concerning the economic disaster, the awful unemployment statistics and the tragic loss of homes, but the very real possibility that the Obama Administration will not investigate nor prosecute the previous Administration for war crimes.....are they more afraid of offending the Republicans rather than upholding the Constitution? "Looking forward " is all very fine and noble but...if you don't look to the Past, you are bound to make the same dastardly mistakes.




~ Comments by "Skazski," aka Regan's mom.

Blackwater

Why in the name of all that's holy is Blackwater still being awarded contracts (by us) in Iraq (who want them out)? With their criminal and negligent record there, how is this going to help relations between the two countries? Seems like an odd way of going about it...oops! sorry, meant "XE"..guess the name change makes it all better..





~ Comments by Skazski

Incitment to Violence

Freedom of speech vs. Incitement to violence;...the appalling cartoon in last week's New York Post and (would-be president) A.Keyes' statements that Obama is not our legal President ("not born in the U.S.")and has communistic tendencies ....and "must be stopped" are guarantied rights afforded everyone...that doesn't mean that discretion should be ignored! There are many crack-pots at large in our land...and some fanatics/ crazies who just might see all of this as a green light to commit an unspeakable act of violence....just look at our history!

~ Comments by Skazski

Righ to Lifers:Baby, You're on Your Own

part dos: The sanctimony of "Right-to Lifers" a case in point...in Italy a woman, who had been in a vegetative state for 17 years finally had her feeding tubes removed...despite the efforts to stop that action,by the Pope and government.....very much like a case here in the U.S. They (the RtL) spoke of "God's will"....yet it was man/science that extended those lives....when left to God, those people died....weren't we playing "God" by keeping them artificially alive? Our previous government deprived people/ children of much needed Aid if it included any mention of birth control/family planning. Children here at home are being brought up in substandard environments and inadequate nutrition... where are the marches of protest?? We send our young men and women off to war to be killed or maimed in body and in spirit, yet fail to fund the cost of health care/ rehabilitation. It seems that the "sanctity of life" only spans the time from conception to birth....after that,baby, you are on your own.



~ Comments by "Skazski," aka Regan's mom.

Here's Hoping
Politics as usual vs. the common good.......despite Pres. Obama's (and his platform) victory....the Republicans cling to their elitists' policies, and to hell with the rest of the country.....I hope that the Democrats develop a back bone and the spunk to fight back and not cave in as usual.

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Unholy Mess
Some one once said that to be involved in politics one needed a strong stomach....I don't understand this unholy mess but just watching the news brings on a severe attack of nausea! If the average citizen can't see what the hell is going on (in Congress) without wanting to throw something at the TV set....that person is in a coma!!

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Boehner: Join the Comedy Club Circuit!
Welcome to Oz.....it would be funny if it wasn't so sad. The very same Republicans who for the past 8 years played starring roles in bringing this economical mess to fruition are now saying "wait! we have a better plan but it will take a bit longer to put together"....may I respectfully suggest that Rep. Boehner quit his day job and go on the Comedy Club circuit ?!

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Cut Republicans Salaries
What am I missing here ?....no more Savings account,no pension, no home, no job....and a tax cut helps me how??? here's an idle thought....just suppose the Republican Congress were to have their salaries (and perks) cut to equal those of the average workers for six months....how do you think they would vote?

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Oregon Cuts
Today , in our state........Tax Cuts=Budget Cuts=Human Services Cuts,school closures, and cuts to the Highway Patrol....among other services. In one's home, or the state or the Nation.....if funds don't come in....money can"t go out.....like it or not, taxes are a necessary evil.

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Is Obama Naive?
while I applaud Pres. Obama's philosophy of non- partisan politics....I fear that he is being stunningly naive...remember what Chamberlain's appeasement accomplished?!

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Too Young To Know?
My stars and garters!!...did my ears deceive me? ...a leader of the free world admitting to making a mistake!!! after the b---s--- of the past 8 years I am like, totally in shock.....what is the world coming to ?

Guess who said "government never built anything of importance"....that's right...the new Chairman of the GOP.....I reckon that he's too young to remember the WPA and all those highways,etc.,that they built.

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What an interesting concept.......by imposing a salary cap on those CEOs of failed financial enterprises (who received bail out funds)...a terrible drain of "talent" would occur....are they referring to those exceptional " talents " who were the engineers of this gawd awful financial mess? I wonder how they can maintain a straight face while uttering such a con!!

One thing is absolutely certain.....no matter which path we choose to go forward , we will most certainly fail if we stay on this same,sorry road. This is a new century, a new world and the time for a new way of thinking.

Since we have the attention span of a flea.....here's a thought......why not keep a list of those Senators and Representatives who vote against the "Stimulus Bill" and keep that list at hand when reelection time comes around....one good turn deserves another.

Quick , Renfrew , the stake.....although the Puppet has gone the Ventriloquist remains behind to spew forth his Mantras of fear and the elimination of our civil rights.

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Dress Code
Dress Code for the Oval Office.....good grief! are we still in school? how trivial can we get? correct me if I'm wrong , but isn't the character of the man behind the desk more important than his wardrobe? you would think that we learned our lesson after the fiasco of the past 8 years....enough!

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Hand-outs vs. Bail-outs
Hand-outs vs. Bail-outs.....remember back in the day all that foo-fa-rah about
"Welfare Moms" and the Welfare Syndrome that a certain political Party ranted against ? One "class" of people were singled out as being irresponsible , living on the government dole (with no inclination to work) ...in other words a "drain on society"....today we also have a class of people who are being rewarded for being irresponsible,greedy, and with no sense of wrong-doing... yet the sense of outrage and demeaning comments is oddly muted this time around.....I guess it all depends on which "class" you fall into......or political Party.

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Smiley-Faced McCain
Where's the change?....no wonder Sen."tax cuts" McC. is looking so relaxed and smiley-faced these days......he must be thanking his lucky star every night that he wasn't the one to inherit this mess! Now he can sit back and fire pot shots at his rival all the while accusing him of not being "bi-partisan" God only knows I am not against the elderly,but isn't it time we get rid of these old f---s ?!

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Why I'm An Angry Old Woman

I have a friend who scolds me for concentrating on politics (and related issues) so here goes....why I am an angry old woman....Part Uno; the hypocrisy of our society...a Gold Medalist was pictured taking a hit from a bong...heaven protect us! such a hue and cry of outrage! one would have thought that this (very) young man had pissed on the Pope! what nonsense....if he had been shown tossing back Tequila shots few eyebrows would have been raised. You say that pot is not only illegal but a mood alerter? well, what about coffee, beer,hard liquor and prescription drugs?? never mind the cases of manslaughter, child and/or spousal abuse, hours lost from the workplace due to "hang-overs" or accidents caused by the same..legal and socially acceptable substances and ..we haven't even touched on the monetary costs to the body and wallet. I am not an advocate for marijuana , but I do strongly object to this double standard..."weed,bad/ booze O.K."





~ Comments by "Skazski," aka Regan's mom.

O Frabjous Day

O , Frabjous Day !......what an astonishing and inspirational event.....the feelings of joy and hope were palpable to those of us who watched the ceremonies at home and listened to the radio at work....." Farewell night , welcome day"

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Some times its hard to be an optimist.......Republicans ( Conservative ) are still up to their old obstructive tricks , putting their political aspirations ahead of the welfare of the country.....guess the " winds of change " have blown right over their heads.!

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Conspiracy theories leave me cold...but an unpleasant thought came to me while watching the news.....could the delay over the confirmation of the new AG appointee be due to the GOP wanting assurance that there will be no " war crimes " investigation/ action taken by this Administration against the previous one? President Obama has said that he only wants to "look forward not to the past ".....yet by saying that he tacitly condones those criminal acts and could set a precedent for future Administrations. This is a very thorny situation and not bound to be popular with " Main Street "......Pres. Obama can try to repair the damage done to our Constitution and to the erosion of our civil liberties without ruffling too many feathers....but this war crimes issue concerns not only America but the whole world.

Palestinians vs. Israelis

For those of us who had such high hopes for a new cast of characters and a new way of doing business in Washington....we got Clinton retreads....in this huge country were there no other capable , intelligent people to fill these jobs? I fear that being " all inclusive" there will be so many arguments between those different factions that nothing will be accomplished and it will be back to the same old quagmire of inaction.

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re Palestinians vs. Israelis....can we put aside our old prejudices for a moment? When one group of people are subjected to daily harassment , kept in a state of abject poverty and forced to live in an environment that echoes the Stalags of another era....is it not any wonder that a deep sense of resentment and anger exists? these conditions provided a perfect breeding ground for terrorist groups to thrive....just perhaps , if Israel had been a more com passionate e neighbor some of this enmity could have been averted and Hamas would not have become so powerful and popular. There is plenty of blame to be shared , by both sides and , sadly , no sense of morality , humanity or integrity.. This attitude ( of Israel ) that " we are stronger than you and we will smash you " is not likely to inspire any Arab with a sense of awe or to cause a sudden burst of affection among the warring factions....remember the old saying....you can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar?...shalom

To state the obvious....between Black and White there are many shades of Grey....one can be empathetic to the plight of the victims of wars without condoning the perpetrators of those wars.ideally people would look at a situation from all points of view before leaping , blindly , to a judgement...I think that is one of our greatest faults in dealing with most of our problems.

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Not only am I old but not terribly bright .....my daughter is visiting me this week-end and showed me how to access " comments " on the mirror blog......thank you , Ray for your input, and Lesley and others who have taken the trouble to respond.


~ Comments by "Skazski," aka Regan's mom.