Why Can't We All Just Get Along?

Why can't we just along with each other?  If an Jewish man, a Muslim man, and a Christian man all stood with their toes in the shallow part of a lake, took their clothes off, and stood there, all they would be is three naked men. No more, no less. If a naked atheist was in the deep water drowning, they would do their best to save him. When you are naked among the naked, you are just a naked person.

America is divided on a whole slew of issues but we are far better off than some of our collective human beings. We don't have bombs dropping on our head and let's face it, our wars are never on our front lawn. Our wars are in other places, not here. The next time any right winged fanatic claim there is a war on religion in this country I am going to throw up. The word "war" should not be thrown around so easily. I am also saying this as it relates to women. It is the discrimination of women that this country needs to fix, but it is not a war. There is no "war" on religion in this country, unless you count the people who believe the world is only 6,000 years old. They are the ones shouting the loudest. Saying it doesn't make it true.

You want to see a war? Take your pick from about a dozen countries currently in the state of war. Too dangerous you say? Tell that to the Americans currently fighting in Afghanistan. Since quite a few of the soldier's there were little kids when 9/11 happened they must wonder just why the fuck we are still there. Former President Bush sent our military in to hunt down the people responsible for the terrorist attack on 9/11. I think we can safely say we got them. Some are in prison (somewhere, because we all know other counties take our political prisoners because they can torture them and we keep our hands clean), and the others are dead. If we stayed in Afghanistan another twenty years, it wouldn't matter. We can't change the world. We can't change another country's culture. We cannot mold another country to be an image of our country. The only thing we can do is act with kindness towards each other and teach each other tolerance.The rest is up to them.

I can't help but wonder what would happen if every warring country put their guns down for one day. One twenty four hour period where no one shoots at each other, no one sticks a bomb under a car, no planes fly overhead and drops bomb. What if we cross that invisible line and shake hands instead of firing bullets? What if we looked at each other and found one thing in common with our enemies? It could be the color of our eyes, the weary lines of fatigue on our faces, or the shoes on our feet.

If we cannot find one thing in common, then we take our clothes off and become naked. That's the way we all came into this world. We were born humble and needy. Our needs were met by our mothers and our humility was eroded as we grew. But it's a good start.

Put your toes in the water. Stop being so scared. Scrape up an extra ounce of courage, be brave and look at your enemy and see that he wants the same as you. Peace.

The New War in America: The War Against Stupidity

I have delved into the darker side of our country right from my dining room table. It is a shocking view of extremest beliefs, lies and conspiracy theories. It is a Facebook page.

Perhaps I was lulled into thinking the extreme right wing were just a bunch people with tea bags hanging from  their hats and often misspelled signs and flags wrapped around themselves. Fox News is tame compared to these people. Forget about all the noise of states who want to secede from our country. That's just something silly and useless. The enemy is not our government. The enemy is us.

I cannot comprehend the hate towards Muslims. They truly believe that President Obama is a Muslim and is ready to undermine the US Constitution. One person claims there are FEMA camps all over the United States and they are getting ready to come for you. Another person claims to have seen Muslims raping the late Christopher Stevens with a knife. Another claim's President Obama's wedding has secret Muslim code inscribed in it. Because I am a rational person, I have a very hard time understanding irrational people.

To be able to comment on this page I had to join. I think I upped their membership to forty six people. I don't know where the other forty people are because the conversations were basically between me and four people. I suspect one person is either their for the entertainment or he's fighting an uphill battle by stating the truth. It doesn't really matter, they are blind to the truth.

I am treated like a first grader. Every time I point out the obvious, someone comes back and says "no, that's not how it is." One person stated that if something happens to President Obama and Vice President Biden, then we will have "Killery" as President. I explained that is not what happens and went into the historical facts that led to Gerald Ford becoming President. No response. Maybe it was too difficult to understand. I have noticed many, many misspelled words.

The reason for hating all Muslims is because they are Islamic jihads. Yet, if one looks the word "Jihad" up in a thesaurus, a synonym is "evangelism". Wait a minute, isn't that supposed to be a Christian term? I mentioned that everybody does business with Muslims. I like the guys who run the 7-11 down the street. I like their family members who work there on weekends. I was told it's a ruse. They have to be polite in order to win you over. These guys won me over a long time ago because they are kind, funny and just plain nice. Many mornings when I used to stop in for a coffee on my way to work, there was an elderly man wiping up the coffee counters, making coffee and making sure the merchandise was lined up correctly. I jokingly asked one day if I could have his job when he quits. The owner told me he didn't get paid, he does it because he has nothing else to do. He did however, get all the food he needed for free. That's the American way. That's called looking out for each other. It's also called kindness. The guys at 7-11 don't want to kill me. They want me to come back more often.

About Obama's ring. Let's face it, you cannot believe everything on the internet. I was directed to an article explaining in great detail what is on Obama's ring. It was all very interesting but it was just one article on a right wing blog. I looked at it a little closer again. It was written by a Islamic Muslim. That's what he called himself. Right there on the blog. So I asked the question: Why do you site this source as credible when you obviously think every Muslim is an Islamic Muslim, the ones you hate so much? You can't have it both ways.

I guess that was the icing on the cake. I have heard nothing from this group since I asked that question. I don't need to find out if they kicked me out. I'm sure they did. I'm just sorry that I did not have the opportunity to tell them they are what's wrong in this country, not what's right. They are neanderthals who think we should go back to good old days but instead of going after African Americans, they can just insert the word "Muslim". Hate is not on the menu, but if you ask the chef, I'm sure he can cook it for you.

Love and Longing

I am an orphan. My parents are dead. It doesn't matter if I was forty-seven when my mother died and I was fifty-three when my father died. I'm still an orphan. At least it feels that way.

My head is filled with memories. What scares me most is that I will forget them. I never told my parents thank you, you did a good job, and even though I said I would never raise my kids like they raised my brother and I, I did. My parents deserve all the credit because they created me and they instilled a moral compass even before anyone knew what a moral compass was. They let me fail, but when I started to fall down, they held me up. When I was stupid they told me I was stupid. And they always said "someday you will understand." It took me a long time to figure that out, but one day I looked at myself in the mirror, my eyes puffy and red from crying about one of my kids. The face in the mirror said "do you understand now?" and I nodded yes.

I have always told my kids that the hardest thing in the world to do is be a parent. It is harder than marriage, harder than losing a job, harder than almost anything I can think of. I have passed on the secret message of "someday you will understand" to the mothers of my grandchildren.

It's almost Thanksgiving time. I spent last Thanksgiving with my father. He won't be here this year. It will be hard. It was difficult in the years after my mother died, but I always had Dad. He didn't give me any secret message before he died. There were no words of wisdom, no words of how outstanding his life had been, but the last time we spoke before he died he said "I love you." Those were the last words he ever said to me.
There was no secret message because that was the message. It's nice to hear people say "I love you." That's all anybody really wants to hear. But when you become an orphan, like me, you treasure those words. They are yours and you do not share them. Not in the same way.

Maybe next year I'll let go of feeling like an orphan. Maybe it will take me longer. Love and Longing are strange companions. They pop up when you least expect them. I am a pretty private person. I share with only a few people. But Love and Longing I hide. If I start crying in the grocery store, I don't care. If I start crying reading greeting cards in CVS, I don't care. No one knows me. No one cares. The best place in the world to let Love and Longing out is in the car. I make believe I have a wireless devise and someone somewhere is talking to me. No one is. I can cry. I can sob. I can throw things around and hurt no one. And when I'm done, I put Love and Longing back inside and become 'normal'.

If I happen to lose one of my unsuitable companions somewhere else, then I'll know I am doing better. You see, it doesn't matter how old you are, when you lose someone close, it hurts. It hurts for a long time. The world goes on but you see it differently. You become aware of your own mortality. You get angry and sad and hurt, all at the same time. You may have a meltdown, but that's ok. Your head tells you one thing but your heart says something else. Love and Longing are born in these hearts. The best you can do is adjust. The second best thing is to keep Love safe and get rid of Longing. Love lifts you up, Longing holds you down. You don't have to let go of anything, no matter what other people say. It's your loss, your grief, your heart. And remember this: someday you will understand.

HATE: The Foulest Four Letter Word

It is November, 2012. It is not November 1844. It is not November 1964.

America, it is time to dig a hole in the ground, put all your intolerance in that hole and bury it. Stop  embarrassing this country. Stop embarrassing yourselves. Wearing a badge of intolerance is no longer acceptable. We have put up with your shit for too long.

I have witnessed race riots, assassinations, horrible things said about and to gay people. I went to segregated schools. In my life I have seen the ugly side of America. Why in the world anyone would want to live that way again is beyond me. It was not our country's best moments.

Hate is a four letter word. The opposite of hate is Love, another four letter word. They are not interchangeable. You cannot say you love America but you hate some Americans. That makes you a hypocrite. You cannot call yourself a patriot unless you are willing to fight for everyone, not just some. You do not have to add to a conversation that you have gay friends, Black friends, Muslim friends, Hispanic friends. because if they were truly your friend, a person that you care deeply about, they would just be your friend. Friends don't need labels.

If you are uncomfortable about someone who is different from you, you might want to stand in front of the mirror and have a heart to heart conversation with yourself. Is it fear? Is it because of something you heard your parents say? Are you afraid you will lose friends if you become friends with this new person? Why do you feel the way you do? Get honest with yourself.

During one of America's darkest time, the Civil War, more men were killed than any other war we have ever fought. The loss of personal property was devastating. It was a war that pitted brother against brother, cousin against cousin, and brought our country to it's knees. Saying you want to secede from this country because the white guy didn't win the Presidency is unconscionable. It doesn't even make sense. He's only their for four more years; he's not a dictator for life. I grumbled through eight years of George W. Bush, I'm sure you can manage to get through the next forty-eight months. Women roared when a few old white guys thought they could define different levels of rape, but some of those same women have signed these silly petitions to have their state secede from the United States. Ladies, shame, shame, shame.

If Hate is to become America's new national past time, then I'll pass. My years on this earth are limited. I have already wasted too much time hating myself for things I didn't do, things I didn't say, things I cannot fix. Hate is a time consuming emotion. It can turn you into someone that others don't recognize. When you wear your hate on your sleeve, you distance the people who love you. It's hard thing to fix. If you gravitate towards other haters, how much do you really have in common? Probably not too much. It is true that sometimes love is not enough. Before we accept that, we reach into every corner of our soul to find some extra love to carry us over the bridge of despair. Hate isn't like that. When you start running out of hate, there's nothing left. You either replace it with love, or you leave yourself empty and wanting.  It's just not worth it, this thing called hate. It will never set you free. But it will kill you.


 

Climate Change? Society? Courage?

It's a cold rain falling
and I'm alone in the street
I used to hear dreams calling
but now all I hear is defeat
    it can't happen like this we are sure to lose
    if we can't help each other we'll have nothing to use

It's a cold rain falling
and I'll make my stand here
every helpless soul is calling
to be saved from their own fear
    we can't let this happen we have to hold on
     if we don't hear what they're saying all will be gone

It's a cold rain falling
but faith makes amends
I hear the stars calling
"it's the beginning, not the end."

Anonymous

You Want To Secede? Don't Let the Door Hit You In The Ass

Just when you thought the south was finally getting over the Civil War, they decide they want to Secede.

Well guess what. There will be no war. You want to become the country Previously Known as Part of the United States, go right ahead. We won't miss you. In fact, the rest of us will be better off. You can leave and take your problems with you, but you can't take our Federal Tax Money. Oh no, we paid it fair and square. You have to start from scratch.

The first thing the Rest of Us will do is put up one of those walls you are so fond of. It will be made of concrete and on top will be barbed wire and cameras so we can catch you trying to sneak back in to our country. Not gonna work, and we won't care what color you are, although we might grant political asylum to blacks and Hispanics, because they probably didn't want to leave the Land of Entitlement anyways.

The second thing we will do is set up a ballistic missile system pointing at the country Previously Known as Part of the United States. We know how you love your guns and we want you to take them with you. But you never know when someone might throw a Molotov cocktail over the fence. Let us be clear. We will retaliate.  You will need your guns to hunt for food because we are keeping all the food stamps. We have people who really need them. Since you hate our government so much, you can't have any of it.

I don't know how you are going to deal with education considering anyone who is educated has probably moved to New York by now. You can import flashcards from China and go from there. Just make sure you can count high enough to pay your bills. Oh, and your going to have to raise taxes. If you don't get that joke, you probably can't read.

We know a guy who says he's perfect for the job as your President. If you can persuade him to part with a little cash, he might help you get on your feet. He might not like the term "President" so much because it brings back bad memories, but King would work, and his wife will definitely love being called Queen. They will remind you somewhat of Ronald Reagan because they will be bringing horses with them. They just won't ride them like Reagan did because the King and Queen's horses dance!

I suppose you will get to keep all the roads and bridges you take with you, but if they start falling apart, you have to fix them. No more help from us. If a really bad storm blows your homes away, or if it snows so much your roofs collapse, we will make sure People Magazine covers the story. That's the least we can do. Maybe some kind souls will have a food drive and you can have all the cans of potatoes, mixed vegetables  and beets that have been sitting on our shelves for two years. Canned goods last for years and years. We learned that during the cold war.

I could go on and on. There are so many good reasons for you to stay with us, but since you are just pissed off because a certain black man, who already has a job, is married to his wife, has children who were born in wedlock is still President of the United States, then leave. Go. Go away. Good Luck. And don't let the door hit you in the ass. Just remember, you won't have Obamacare to fix your broken assbone.

It's Not Nice To Fool With Mother Nature

About a month ago I put an article on my Facebook page that scientists were predicting a cold snowy winter for the Northeast. Right now we have had a few days of what we consider beautiful weather for this time of year - it's in the 50's during the day. Today will be our last. Included in that obscure article was a warning about more extreme weather. Hurricane Sandy drove that point home barely two weeks later.

It used to be that scientists who predicted gloom and doom if we did not change our ways and stop abusing the planet were labeled as nuts. Now the nuts are the people who refuse to believe that we have indeed caused our own destiny by ignoring man made changes to the climate. The biggest nuts seem to reside in North Carolina who voted to no longer allow scientists to measure the rising levels of the ocean. Talk about burying your head in the sand. When the ocean overtakes the sand on the beach, it might be a good time to pull your heads out, if only just to save yourself.

I participated in this country's first earth day. Back then the goal was to clean up the trash, clean up the rivers and oceans and stop air pollution. I must say, those efforts worked. Our family has had a summer home on a small island in Casco Bay, Maine for generations. When I was a kid, the trash went in the ocean, the sewage went in the ocean and glass went in the ocean. The water was filthy. Some type of debris was always floating by, generally something plastic. The only upside to these practices that broken glass eventually turned up on rocky shorelines as "sea glass", which were different colored pieces of glass that had been tossed around in the ocean so much that they became beautiful small, smooth little artifacts that you collect, take home and put them in a jar as a display. You can't find sea glass anymore. It is a thing of the past.

But through the years things changed. Island people had to install septic tanks. They encouraged recycling. They even got a garbage truck with pickup once a week. The island is so small that you don't really have to have the trash out early in the morning, the truck drives by several times a day and if you missed after the first three runs, chances are you could catch in the next three runs. The only thing that can go into the ocean is your leftovers from dinner. Seagulls love leftovers.

It's going to get cold again. Last year we moaned and groaned about losing power because of a freak snowstorm at Halloween. It was cold, roads were often impassable, and we waited in long lines for gas. I look back now and think we got off easy. No one's house blew away or floated away. It was uncomfortable. I argued with the hospital about discharging my father to go home to a cold, dark house.  It seemed like a freak of nature. What followed was a snow less, warm winter. Nights were chilly but not bone freezing cold. In comparison, the winter of 2010-2011 was one of the snowiest  we ever had. You had to creep forward to see around a corner. The snow was piled so high in front of my home, I didn't see the road again until March. Roofs collapsed from the weight of all the snow. The sun would come out, soften it up ever so slightly and then it would freeze at night. All the piles of snow turned into ice. It was hard to walk the dogs; the snow was too deep even for my large golden retrievers. Two winters of record breakers is enough to convince me something is up.

Tornadoes in New England are not unheard of, but they do happen. They did happen. How many times have we watched F5 tornadoes destroy populated areas. It's no longer just a field in Kansas. They kill people. Last summer we had hurricane Irene. While she blew away the shores of Long Island Sound and cut power to millions in Connecticut, the rains moved north and flooded Vermont. When was the last time a hurricane decimated Vermont? How many states must burn all summer before we admit "yeah, we had something to do with that." Is 100 plus degree weather going to become the norm for our summers?

When the arctic ice melts, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand it makes the oceans larger and the land masses smaller. As the oceans encroach on the land, the water absorbs heat from the sun. The warmer the water, the more that water feeds low pressure systems that become hurricanes, nor'easters  and typhoons. Hot air over land heats up the surface that feeds the clouds of severe thunderstorms, hail storms and tornadoes.

Every weatherman tells you to prepare a storm kit. That's the best free advice you will ever get. Think about the worst thing that could happen, the very worst, and prepare. You don't have a basement? Build a storm cellar. You live in a cold region? You might want to invest in a generator. Buy batteries when they are on sale, not the day before you need them. Get flash lights or battery run lanterns. Invest in a radio. Keep gas in your car. And last of all, don't be surprised by what nature throws at you. When you're sitting in the dark with nothing to do, it's a good time to contemplate what you can do calm nature down.

Save the Last Toke For Me

I would hope that the legalization of pot in Washington and Colorado would make other states take a good look at their own laws about marijuana. Some might, but most won't. They don't want to stick their toes in the water. Something might bite.

The real winners in Washington and Colorado are the citizens of each state, but both states are predominantly white. While they both have minority populations, the legalization of pot will not have the same effect as say, a state like Mississippi. Incarceration for drug offences primarily affect minorities who are also primarily the victims of drug wars in cities. The amount of time and money and time dealing with youth and adults caught with small amounts of marijuana has resulted in several states to "decriminalize" marijuana. You get caught with small amounts, you get a ticket. No one gets arrested, put through the judicial system like a losing lottery number and the court can proceed with more serious crimes. This allows police officers forgo lengthy reporting, transporting offenders to police lockups, and basically go back to dealing with more important issues of their job. And don't laugh and say it's "eating donuts" because it isn't.

Imagine what would happen if marijuana was legal in all states. It would be sold and taxed. The taxes would be shared between the state and federal governments. Think about everyone you know, because even if you don't smoke a little weed now and then, you certainly know someone who does. If pot was legal and taxed, I bet we get that pesky deficit under control in no time.

People my age (and I'm middle aged) have no qualms about the fact they smoke pot. Let's face it, we've been doing it for at least thirty five years. Young enough to enjoy it and old enough to know its really not a big deal. Usually the biggest problems we face is keeping it secret from our kids. Yeah, we were the hypocrites that warned them about the dangers of drugs, and many of us have raised children who want absolutely nothing to do with drugs. They are shocked to learn that Mom and Dad have been sneaking around their backs, toking up whenever the coast was clear. As we age, though, the reasons for smoking pot changes. And those reasons have nothing to do with getting high.

Medical marijuana is available in many states. It is in mine. I'm just too embarrassed to bring up the issue with my doctor, but it is a conversation I will have to start sometime soon. I have a debilitating form of arthritis. My hands are deformed and it has spread to my knees and hips. I try to keep walking as much as I can, but it hurts. I have had nights when the pain keeps me awake and a few Tylenol just doesn't do much anymore. I cannot take any of the TNF drugs that can effectively put my disease into remission for six months to a year. I have an artificial heart valve, and even when I had a simple operation to have my appendix out a year and a half ago, I spent fourteen days in the hospital because of an infection. The number one goal of the doctors who treated me was to protect my heart. I'm not Dick Cheney; I just can't buy myself a new heart if this one gives out.  My options for pain management are limited. I do not want to go down the road of narcotic dependency. It's a slippery slope that can potently cause bigger problems that I don't want or need. That leaves only one option left, which is medical marijuana. Whew.

In the meantime, I hope Colorado and Washington's Grand Experiment works. I hope it takes drug dealers out the equation, or better yet, makes it easier for law enforcement to go after the dealers who ride high on selling addictive heroin and cocaine. There is help for heroin addicts and there is help for cocaine addicts.  Most times it is the lack of money or a lack of available merchandise that triggers an addict to seek help. I'm just guessing here, but I think I'm partly right.

In the meantime, to my sibling in Colorado, I may come visit sometime soon. Please save the last toke for me.

Religion and Government.....They Don't Mix Too Well

This past year has been the year of religion in politics, which is the one place religion does not belong. I don't know how the fact that Mitt Romney was a Mormon affected his loss in the Presidential election, but I'm going to a guess and say "not much". Most people do not know anything about the Mormon church, just like most people don't know much about being a Buddha. I find the Mormon religion strange, but you cannot deny the fact that they do help people all over the world.

There was no "war on religion". To find the reasoning behind that term it was like playing a maze game. You hit several dead ends until you finally found your way through. By the time you reached the end, you forgot what you were looking for.

Fox news and their angry staff have no clue about the people in this country. They repeatedly reported on the non-existent war on religion. They made the ride-wing religious Republicans foam at the mouth.  They don't get it that many of us turn them on for entertainment. Their parade of blondes is one of the funniest things I have ever seen. Michelle Malkin has an angry puss on her face and as a mother, it makes me want to scream, "stop making faces or your face will freeze that way!" Bill O'Reilly is pathetic and he always has been. I live in Connecticut and I remember just how pathetic he really was. He used to work for a local news station and someone got hold of a taped phone call he made to a prostitute, drunk and whining about how lonely he was. True story.

The frosting that topped the cake was Rick Santorum. He really carried things a bit too far. It's one thing to try and make religion a part of politics, but it got downright creepy when he told the story of bringing home the baby that was aborted to save his wife's life. If his children need therapy later on in life, that experience might be a good place to start.

The first President that actually brought religion into the White House was Jimmy Carter. He was an Evangelical Christian from Georgia and he started his day with praying. He just said that praying was a part of his life. OK. Nothing wrong with that, because it started and ended there. He didn't try to convert the country, his staff, or anyone else. I suspect that President Obama has his moments of asking God for things. He probably did the night the raid on bin Laden compound was happening. He's not an atheist, because coming from an atheist I know one when I see one. If I was President, the first thing I would do is remove the words "In God We Trust" from all US currency. Obama's not going to do that.

Most of our Founding Father's didn't seem to have a glowing respect for religion. Perhaps the idea of the whole reason they were here because their predecessors had fled England for religious freedom and it was still fresh in their minds. They made it very clear that government and religion didn't mix. They created a vague Constitutions  and a vague Bill of Rights, probably hoping both would survive the next hundred years. I wonder what they would think today. We are one of the few nations in this world who respect and use a document written two hundred years ago to guide us. No one throws it out and says "let's write a new one."

Say what you want, but stop throwing Jesus and God at us and saying it's Freedom of Religion. Your religious freedom means you can worship in any church you want; and some us can chose not to practice any religion. It doesn't mean we love this country any less, it just means we love it without piety.

The Election is Over - It's Time to Get to Work

The world is still spinning in the right direction, gravity holds our feet to the ground, and President Obama is our President for the next four years. To all of you who predicted four years ago that America as we know it was supposed to end sometime before November 6, 2012, you were wrong. Get over it.

We are still a Republic, we are still the greatest nation in the world, and we have the potential to be greater than greatest. We will become a nation of people who no longer have to worry about health insurance. All the dire predictions of doctors quitting, hospitals closing, and the government going broke by providing "free health care" (which they already do, by the way, for the poorest families with children) have been proven false. Doctors prefer people with health insurance. There is only so many Medicaid patients they can take before it becomes a negative on their balance sheet. Many patients have no idea what debt doctors carry on their backs, how much it cost them to reach their dream of becoming a doctor. They don't become doctors to get rich, they become doctors because they think they can make a difference in the world. That's it, plain and simple. Having health insurance will save people's lives. Preventative care is the answer to emergency care. Check back in twenty years and see if I am right.

Right wing Republicans are blaming the reelection of Obama on the moochers and the greedy who want free stuff from the government. Keep up that rhetoric and you might as well go jump off the "fiscal cliff." Lemmings do that sort of thing too. It's not just the poor who voted for Obama, it was the young, the old, the sane, the crazy, and everyone who got dizzy trying to keep up with Mitt Romney's changing views. Not to mention those of us who were insulted not only by his "47%" remarks, but every single bold face lie he told with a smirk on his face as if he was the only one in on the joke. It's time to push Romney into the past and face the problems of today.

The highest earners of this country can certainly pay more taxes. Many, many of them have no problem with that. Mitt Romney might, but he's in a class by himself, so he doesn't count. He has more fun hiding his money than actually paying taxes with it. I do too. I put a few bucks in a book for an emergency, keep my change in a leftover margarine container, and every now and then I check under the sofa cushions to see what's hiding in those money sucking pockets of pens, lost remotes and dog hair. It's not like Obama is asking higher earning Americans, himself included, to pay 90% of their earnings to the government, he's just asking them to pay a percentage equal or above a middle class family paying 35% of their $70,000 joint earning to Uncle Sam. I don't quite buy into the whole capital gains lower tax bracket either. The argument is that the capital gains have already been taxed before they were an actual capital gain. But if someone like me buys a new car, I have to pay sales tax with my money that has already been taxed by the Federal and State government. I have to pay federal and state taxes on the gas I put in that car that I have already paid on a Federal and State income tax. It's a tax merry go round. I can't complain, I spent thirty years being a tax collector. While I had to keep my tax gripes to myself, I certainly heard people and their tax gripes. It was generally more unpleasant than pleasant.

Let's wait and see what happens. Perhaps the fact that regardless of how much gridlock was caused in Congress buy doing everything in the Republicans power to make Barack Obama a one term president, it didn't work and it is no longer a valid excuse to do nothing. If they continue to do nothing, after 2014 they will have every opportunity to do nothing at all, but it will be on their dime, not ours. I would hope that some people in Congress can see the lesson that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie showed this country last week: He loved and cared about the people of his state more than he hated the President. He did the job he was elected to do and when the President asked what he needed, he told him honestly and thanked him. Yes, Governor Christie is a large man, but it's very clear that he has a larger heart. I dare you to tell me what is wrong with that.

SEX, SEX, SEX.....

The Republican Party wants to regulate abortion and contraception. In other words, they want to regulate sex. This must be the key to Romney's statement that he will create 12 million jobs in the next four years.The majority of those jobs will go to women. In order for this to work, Romney has stated that he will release all binders full of women because they have to get out there and fill those 12 million jobs. In his effort to cut taxes, you won't have to pay a sex tax. Just make sure you have cash. The business will be deregulated. No more driving by corners slowly with the excuse of looking for a pay phone. Women can stand anywhere and hold up a sign stating their services and prices.

If your twelve year old daughter gets raped, and becomes pregnant, don't worry. By the time they figure out whether or not it was a legitimate rape, that little rape baby will be feverishly trying to figure out who their father is. The argument that the child was a "gift from God" will fall on deaf ears. Kids are smarter than adults give them credit for, and that "gift from God" will figure out that the gift bestowed upon their mother was really a gift from hell.

Men will love this. They don't want another mouth to feed, so they will stop having sex with their wives and girlfriends and head out of town to find one of the newly employed women who will have sex with them. Men won't have to worry about whether abortion is legal or not because, hey, it's not their problem anymore. They can leave a tip if they were satisfied with their service. If the service as so-so, leave a plastic coat hanger. If the service was superb leave a metal coat hanger.

The right-wing Christian Conservatives will shout from the tallest building that they won the war on women, but men will have to find a safe place to stash their sex money. The toolbox is a great location because women don't  know how to open a tool box. Women don't know the difference between a screwdriver and a pair of pliers, but they might pick up a few pointers from "This Old House."  Besides, they are too busy doing women things. What men don't know is that their wives are ecstatic that they no longer have to have sex every Saturday night and they can pop open a bottle of champagne every time their husbands or boyfriends go out for a pack of cigarettes and return hours later with the excuse they forgot they quit smoking twenty years ago.

In conclusion, always remember this: be careful what you wish for because it might just bite you in the ass.

Hurricane, Tornadoes and Fires, Oh My!

Hurricane Sandy came blasting in and blasted out. In her wake she left destruction that most of us will only see in our lifetime. She devastated the coasts of Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Millions of people are without power. Unlike a hurricane that usually shows up in August or September when the air is relatively warm, Sandy pulled in cold air making it a frosty hurricane. West Virginia is still digging out from a few feet of snow, dragged in by Sandy.

I live in Connecticut. We had hurricane Irene last year which actually was mild compared to the Halloween snow storm that paralyzed Connecticut and southern parts of Massachusetts. When Sandy was forecasted  we knew what to do. That's not saying the other states didn't. There is only so much you can do when facing a double barrel shotgun.

These freak storms are not seeming so freakish any more. They are becoming what is known as "extreme weather". And extreme weather should no longer surprise anyone. It's been predicted for years, but maybe only a few of us news nerds ever really paid attention. This past summer, the Arctic lost the most ice it has ever lost since record keeping began. Greenland melted. The ocean is warmer. Warmer water breeds gigantic hurricanes. This past year we have witnessed horrible tornadoes. Floods and droughts. Alaska was literally buried in snow. Yeah, they get a lot of snow up there, but what do you do when the snow is higher than your house? There were times in the past few summers where it seemed like half of the country was on  fire. This past summer, hundreds of heat records were broken. We became a shake and bake country.

We, human beings, are to blame. We used to be a nation of one car families. Now it is not uncommon to have not just two cars, but three or four. That's a big difference from the 1960's. In the last fifty years, we had ignored climate scientists and meteorologists who have tried and tried explain to all of humanity that we are on a collision course with nature. To put it bluntly, we deserve all that has been dumped on us.  In the 1970's there was a commercial that had a line we all used to laugh about. I think it was about either shampoo or margarine. The commercial ended with a shot of a lady dressed up in leaves and bark and a headful of flowers (did I mention it was in the 70's?) Her last line in the commercial was "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature." Indeed.

I shudder to think what kind of world we will have in fifty years. I won't be here, but my children and grandchildren will. The world will have to figure out what to do because this problem does not exclusively belong to the United States. Japan is still recovering from the earthquake and Tsunami that hit their northeast coast one and a half years ago.. Hundreds of thousands of people can never go back to their homes because of radiation. They survived what Mother Nature threw at them, but not what mankind blew at them. Western Europe and the Scandinavian countries are far ahead of us by imposing strict standards for carbon emissions and they have been recycling long before we had figured out the term "recycling" had nothing to do with bicycles.

Deregulation is not the answer, it is the problem. Fracking for natural gas causes earthquakes. That is a fact. So far, the fracking earthquakes have been small, but the more fracking that is done at the expense of other problems like water pollution, and air pollution, who knows when the planet will shake in one gigantic fit of anger. Capturing wind for alternative energy is a benign stamp on earth. At first there will be bird casualties, but birds are very smart. They can adapt to their environment so much easier than humans can. Solar power hurts no one and nothing. We have the resources to expand wind and solar energy, but do we have the willpower? It's difficult to do when a few uber wealthy have made their fortune in power plants and will do anything to make sure they will remain wealthy. Americans, the average Joes and Janes, who put their bodies and brains together for the greater good can do anything. It's time to stand together or we will perish alone. I am betting on humans, after all, we now all know what Mars looks like.

Vote Vote and Vote

I wish people would pay this much attention to local elections, where turnout is usually a dismal 25% - 30%. Local elected officials make decisions that literally affect your wallet. While I am a staunch Democrat, I usually split my vote based on previous voting records of the incumbents and any personal contact I have had with the candidates. Party lines tend to blend together in local elections, but whatever party wins the majority, you can bet your last dollar it will affect you personally.

 That said, this is one election where every vote counts. Look at who you want to represent you in Congress. Congress is local. Whoever represents your Congressional district will be voting in the House on your behalf. The Senate is local too.  You only have two Senators to  represent your State. It matters who you send to the Senate.

 The Presidential race is between two very different men; one that can easily articulate what his vision is for the next four years, and one who has yet to articulate anything. Yesterday, if you closed your eyes and listened, you would swear you heard Obama's plan coming out of his opponent's mouth.  But as a person who watched every single Republican debate, it was clear that some candidates did have a vision, as nutty as some of their ideas were, they could articulate their reasons for running for the highest office in this country. One man could not and did not articulate much of anything. Now he's running for President.

 The men who dropped out early were the only two men who were Republican moderates. One can make the assumption they recognized  the 2012 Republican debates were turning into a real life circus and their messages were drowned in a sea of right winged rhetoric and arguments about who really was the most conservative in a bunch of bananas that were rotting away before our very eyes. I will give credit where credit is due: Rick "oops" Perry didn't bite when Romney bet him $10,000 about a line in Romney's book. Perry just looked at him with an incredulous look on his face. Rick Santorum stuck to his guns, not matter how nutty he sounded. Michelle Bachmann did herself in by relating some far fetched idea that a vaccination caused mental retardation. Herman Caine, who no one took seriously anyway, imploded because one claim of sexual harassment turned into several. Ron Paul, in a league of his own, stood true to the Libertarian point of view. You may not like his ideas, but he never wavered or changed his mind about anything. And Newt Gingrich, carrying enough baggage to fill up three debate halls, called out Romney for what he really is - a liar.   

Before you vote on Tuesday, think hard about who want to represent you in Congress. Do you want women in binders, or do you want women to continue to have the freedom to make their own choices about the most personal aspects of their lives?  Do you want a Congressman who will fight for 100% of Americans or just the few at the top of our economic social structure? Do you want someone who will push away all this noise about rape, abortion and contraceptive issues or one who will embrace it as the Most Important Issues our country faces? Your vote for the Senate could be a vote for more gridlock in Washington, or it could be a vote for someone who actually wants to get back to business.

The President of 2013 will set policy for the next four years. It can be a policy of a steady course guided by a cool head, thoughtful and sustainable goals, or it could be the "trust me" policy. You decide. Me, I'm sticking with the Black man in the White House.