... we were on the slippery slope to The Great Depression V2.0. Seems something happened to change that... or slow it down.

We were in the Titanic, going over Niagara Falls... and somehow, we didn't hit bottom... and the bow has turned to point up. We don't have much momentum, yet, but at least we didn't shatter on the rocks below!

What I'm seeing now is DUers who got married (voted for Obama) thinking they were going to change him, and didn't pay attention to what he was telling them during the courtship.

He told us it was going to take a couple of years to see the kind of change he was after. I'm seeing people in my neighborhood going to work on infrastructure projects, I'm seeing people being hired to temp jobs after being out of work for a long time (some companies seem to fear the commitment of regular employees in this financial climate, but at least there's some work for a few people), and I'm seeing a lot more work that needs to be done. There are no quick fixes to any of this. Obama said this. I heard him. I believed him. It seems as true today as it did then.

I was late to the Obama train, so perhaps I was paying closer attention than those who were swept up in the magic... see my sigline.

In DUers and DU as a whole. There has been so much whining, moaning, and groaning lately, I'd begun to think that most DUers had lost faith in good that comes from taking the high road and doing the right thing. It seemed to me that many here were insistent that Obama be as brutally greedy and selfish as the last administration. That broke my heart. I don't want to be associated with people who are so negative that they feel the end justifies the means. I don't want Obama to be anything like Bush and his cronies. This poll helped me to see that I'm not as alone as I thought I was.

From my POV, BushCo set the US on course to go over the Niagara Falls in an oceanliner... that we haven't crashed onto the rocks below is a miracle. That gives me faith that the current administration is doing something right. We don't have Obama's perspective, nor do we have his sources of intelligence.

This doesn't mean I agree with everything Obama has done or said. I think there are areas where he can be a lot tougher, but I think this first year of his first term really needed to be a laying of groundwork, a foundation of doing the right thing by at least attempting to get ALL of the people together on issues. I don't expect years 2 through 4 to be anything like year one... and universe willing, his next four years will be even better. If he doesn't try, we have no high ground whatsoever. Slow and cautious is ok by me... year one.

I pray to no one, however. I do put thoughts and hopes and dreams out to the universe. If there is a benevolent great spirit out there, I'm sure she will forgive me my naivete in such matters. I was raised a Fundy... out 30 years, and still recovering

"And the worst part about it is that we're still in denial — we still think this is some kind of unfortunate accident, not something that was created by the group of psychopaths on Wall Street whom we allowed to gang-rape the American Dream."

Far too many players are claiming ignorance. The ratings agencies are in on this too... Standard & Poor's, Moody's, AM Best, all of them. The talk is "these investment vehicles were so convoluted, no one understood them!" Claiming you are stupid is no excuse. If those at the top who allowed these vehicles to float didn't understand them, they are far too incompetent to hold the positions they hold, and the salaries they demand. And if they let them go on, knowing they themselves didn't understand them, they are double stupid. And the ratings agencies are triple stupid for continuing to rate AIG and other companies with credit default swap and sub-prime loan exposure with their highest ratings... until the cat was out of the bag.

Sorry, all you fucking greedy bastards, stupid is no excuse. You blew it. This is the ultimate FUBAR.

But there isn't quite enough pressure yet to make it whistle? That's the sound I hear right now.

Transparency. President Barack Hussein Obama has turned the lights back on in Washington DC, and with that one action, cockroaches are scurrying and vampires hissing. The lights are on, and there is nowhere to hide. It will take a few days to get our eyes to focus in this newfound light, but once it does we will be seeing demons everywhere. Once the light has shone down upon them, they must be vanquished.

I cannot fathom these things coming to light without triggering prosecutions. The truth, the light, and the way. It's not just for Jesus anymore

I'm willing to let the whole argument, and history, go. I'm willing to forget how Christianity laid waste to dozens of cultures, how they enslaved American Indians and Mexicans to build their missions. I'll even let go of the fact that they raised me up in their church, allowed me to have my own music ministry, then smacked me down because "that rock and roll beat comes straight from the depths of hell" even though they taught me that God works in mysterious ways. And I'll forget how my pastor had an affair with a woman in the church, and how his wife tried to commit suicide. Silly humans. It's no wonder I'm now agnostic.

Won't you help me Mr. Jesus, won't you help me if you can. When you see this world we live in, do you still believe in Man? ~ Black Sabbath

But all that aside, I'll stop telling my views on the subject when others stop trying to force me to believe, to accept, and to honor their beliefs. To make laws, change laws, or to amend our Constitution based on a religious belief of ANY religion, is just wrong. No one is forcing Christians to have abortions or to marry gay people, yet they feel it's their duty to make sure everyone adheres to their beliefs in this regard. God gave us free will, and they think they are better or smarter than God so they are going to force his laws upon us all. Bullshit. The whole reason for us being here, according to THEIR Bible, is for us to come to God's ways on our own, of our own free will, or not come at all. They want to take away a lot of choices... God given or otherwise. And it's wrong, wrong, wrong!


Thrill of it All

Inclination of direction, walk the turned and twisted rift
With the children of creation futuristic dreams we sift
Clutching violently we whisper with a liquefying cry
Any deadly final answers that are surely doomed to die
Won't you help me Mr. Jesus, won't you tell me if you can?
When you see this world we live in, do you still believe in Man?
If my songs become my freedom, and my freedom turns to gold
Then I'll ask the final question, if the answer could be sold
Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it
'Cause I've got no reason to lie, yeah
Forget your problems that don't even exist
And I'll show you a way to get high, oh yeah
Oh yeah!
So come along, you know you matter to me
Remember freedom is not hard to find, yeah
Time to stop all your messing around
Don't you think that I know my own mind, oh yeah
Oh yeah!
Why can't you believe, it's not here to perceive
Do you always have to be told, yeah
For you have been taught that if your mind has been bought
Life's entire answer was sold, oh yeah
Oh yeah!



Again, everything you ever needed to know about life can be found in the rock and in the roll.

1961 Buick Electra


1972 Monte Carlo


1969 Dodge Coronet Wagon


1972 Cadillac Coupe de Ville


1973 International Harvester Travellall


1991 Chrysler New Yorker


1994 Chevy Blazer


2003 Mazda Protege

The myths believed... the history forgotten... this is exactly why we are where we are today. We keep repeating the same stupid mistakes and we refuse to learn a damn thing.

All that said...

McCain's service and all the horrors to which he was subjected have brought him to where he is today. We are talking about "hiring" a man who will wield a hell of a lot of power in the world. Lives will hang in balance in his hands and on his words. McCain is plain worn out, mentally and physically. Without getting into grueling details, the man is just not fit. Period.

One cannot compromise on the truth without being hypocritical and disingenuous. One cannot compromise on the truth due to fear of what others will say without being hypocritical and disingenuous. One cannot embellish or detract from the truth without these things either. We have to ask ourselves what is more important. Shielding the ignorant minds of those who would speak ill of truth, or speaking truth. I choose to err, if it is to err, on the side of the latter.

Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

(1) recognizes the Christian faith as one of the great MANY religions of the world and should be given no more or less credence than any other religion, and no more or less than as to Atheists;

(2) expresses continued acknowledgment of all religions, including Christians in the United States and worldwide, as an individual right that should not be forced upon anyone;

(3) acknowledges the international religious and historical inaccuracies of Christmas and the Christian faith;

(4) acknowledges and supports the role played by Christians and Christianity in the founding of the United States and in the formation of the western civilization, in as much as the founding fathers wanted to be sure no government could force religion upon them, or keep them from religion;

(5) rejects bigotry and persecution directed against Christians, and by Christians, both in the United States and worldwide; and

(6) expresses its deepest respect to all people with or without faith, including American Christians, American Atheists, and Christians and all people with or without faith, including Atheists, throughout the world.

Without my changes, this is total bullshit.