March 8, 2016

I had an abortion at 7 months pregnant in 1978.

It was after extensive consultation with my doctor and my husband. My husband drove me 6 hrs away to find a clinic that did them that late. We paid for a hotel room nearby.

Although I am sometimes sad about never having children I will never regret my decision. I feel grateful often that some medical people somewhere close enough for me to access, was willing to do what needed to be done. That kind of work had to be hard on them. They were compassionate, skilled and probably saved my life.

It was hard enough as it was. A torturous decision. Why..... WHY....... does anyone in government.......... anyone in the whole world...... think they have any right to make it even harder than it has to be. WHY would anyone demand that I be forced to carry until the actual moment of life threatening emergency takes place.... when the odds of me surviving would be so much less having lived in a very rural area? WHY add more expense, invasive ultrasounds and waiting periods to the agony already present in such a decision?

WHY - WHY - would anyone think they have a right to make a medically necessary procedure illegal.

You have no say. It's not your baby. It's not your body. You are not my doctor. The whole lot of you who think the ban is a fair compromise are so far in the wrong it's ridiculous.

I hope to God none of you ever face a decision like that.

March 4, 2016

Leaving the kids out of politics.

I can remember the pundits trashing a President's children (or the candidate) is Amy Carter and the trashers were pretty well put down. But it happened long before that.

Garfield's kids were "holy terrors". Truman threatened to punch a critic of his daughter in the nose. Lincolns boys were accused of running wild and peeing on the floor. When the monkey pic came out of Cruz's kids we had a collective fit. When someone trashed Obama's kids they were forced to resign. We refuse to tolerate either the bullying of the children, or the assumption a child's personality or choices reflects on the candidate.

But the flip side seems to be more acceptable. Admiring a candidate who has beautiful, intelligent and well behaved children. The assumption made the children are a reflection of the parent.

Looking at the adult children of a candidate to speak to the character of the candidate seems to get mixed reviews. When the adult kids campaign for the parent they are fair game IMHO. When they stay out of the fray I think they should be off limits. Good or bad.

And if we are going to decide Obama and Michelle are amazing people partly based on how wonderful their daughters are (ad they are wonderful) then I think it's fair game to wonder about the leadership skills of a candidate who's daughter wants to flick him away (Ted Cruz) or a candidate who's adult children are on the campaign trail and like to unwind at the end of a day by slicing open wildlife (Donald Trump).

Flame away.

February 20, 2016

I honestly don't care what they did 40-50 years ago.

if you guys were judging me based on who I was and what I did in 1960 something you'd probably not be so impressed either. You would hope someone who's been around that long would grow and improve over time but EVERYONE evolves in some way.

In 1960 something I was just as full of narrow minded prejudiced backwards thinking as the rest of my social group. Thank the gods my parents saw fit to bring an exchange student from Hong Kong into our house and into our school. It made a big difference. Once I got out of that town and away from home my true open, accepting and inquisitive nature really blossomed.

I would expect that and much more from someone who's been bumping around in DC for awhile.

February 15, 2016

My dreams of rainbow colored unicorn farts.

I was raised in the eastern hills of Kentucky on a 200 acre generational family farm near a dinky little town not even most Kentucky people ever heard of. We just got a stop sign last year.

I have a LOT of wing nutz in my family. Some even believe Obama killed Scalia and plans to start up a war on our soil so he'll never have to leave office. Otherwise sane, functional human beings. Obama the big black boggieman will live on in infamy with some of the racist jerks in my family. Nothing said or done will convince them. Alex Jones is a prophet.

But - nearly all of them are disgusted with the Republican party. A good many now agree Bush lied us into war. They agree the corporations and wall street is a menace. They are sick of DC politics that reward investors and speculators and punish actual work. It's their biggest issue this time out. Not guns, not gays, not abortions. Even racism is secondary. It is all about the economics. Even the healthcare debate is all about the economics.

They mostly like Trump but some of them, astonishingly, are listening to Bernie. Undecided, but listening. Most are in the anyone but Hillary camp, but they don't seem to mind Bernie "the commie socialist" to quote my sister in law.

And so we get to my fantasies of rainbow colored unicorn farts. Where we actually end up with a Trump vs Bernie general election. Turnout shoots up to 80% of registered voters and the lines of cars waiting to find a parking spot at the polling place go for miles. No matter how you slice it, it puts DC on notice the American people are pissed as all get out. Bernie wins. America wins.

You may now laugh or flame as is your pleasure.

February 7, 2016

Dear Hillary, you are wrong about the ACA.

In the last debate you said

With respect - you are wrong. Aside from the fact no one is talking about tearing it up and having nothing...... NOW is the time to have this contentious debate. People are suffering under the weight of sheer greed all along the line in providing medical care. '

People are suffering under the weight of the sheer greed at the top - period.

For the last 30+ years I've watched administration after administration sell out the workers of this country. Your husband was one of the Presidents who participated in the "race to the bottom". The intent may have been to benefit workers but the opposite has happened. Investors have done fine. Workers have suffered. Worldwide.

I understand you want us all to just behave and take whatever the elite decide to give us. NO I WILL NOT. I will yell and scream and bitch and moan and fight with my last breath if that is what it takes to get a government that represents "We the People." ,

February 6, 2016

I don't fucking care how much they paid her.

You can bet if I had the star power to get paid $157 Million a year to talk for 15 - 20 minutes every couple months then I'd do it in a heartbeat and not apologize for it. She shouldn't be asked to.

Here's my problem with this.

1. "I'm not establishment."

Yes you the fuck are. Own it. Market it. You are claiming you have the inside track to get shit done where Bernie can't. Ya, well, that means you are establishment. You've got people paying you a shitload to talk. Just market the fact you have a close relationship with big money guys and plan to use that for the common good. Quit your bullshit over this.

2. "I'll look into it."

Really? You plan to function as Commander in Chief with that lack of decisiveness? Bull effing shit. YOU are the kind of person not afraid to tell a Secret Service agent to fuck off when they've earned it. I have no doubt whatsoever you could practically rip the gonads off Vladimir. You are as tough a woman as I've ever heard of and I respect that about you. So stop with the crap.

Yes I understand part of the deal with politician is the BS. THEY need to understand that we are sick of it. Yes we do need someone capable of triangulating and outmaneuvering the bad actors in the world but you can't go around bullshitting the people you want to work for. Not on this kind of stuff. If you do, we won't believe we can trust you to do what you say you'll do.

And that is my problem with Hillary. For all her talents and potentials... and she has MANY.... I just don't trust her to come through for me and mine. I'll vote for her in the general if I have to because I think she'll hurt me less than the Republicans.

Not exactly the best endorsement.

January 21, 2016

How to buy my vote. (Rant warning)

My vote is indeed for sale but my vote is not cheap or easy. The rules apply whether you are running for a position that is local, state or federal.

All you have to do in convince me of 4 things.

* That you will keep your fingers off things in my life that are not government business.
* That your ideas are the ones that will solve problems at my kitchen table that can only be solved by government.
* That you are capable of getting those ideas implemented or at least move us considerably closer to achieving them.
* That you will actually get it done instead of bait as switch.


This isn't rocket science and should not even need to be said. Unfortunately every election cycle it seems every candidate and their assorted minions think it necessary to beat me over the head with death panels, scary brown people, how other candidates had a pimple on their butt in 1974 or how THEY are the only candidate that can save me from a killer asteroid that is right now barreling down on my house at 4 zillion miles an hour.

Instead why don't you spend you time on telling me what's in my food and water and how you'll keep it safe for me to eat and drink? (Flint MI anyone) Why don't you tell me the truth about the last financial crisis and the truth about the next one coming up and how you are going to keep the predators from screwing us all over again. Why don't you tell me how you are going to get the blood sucking vermin out of the health care industry. Why don't you tell me how you are going to convince the economic predators to lighten up and send a little of that wealth back to the bottom and middle for their own good and ours. Why don't you tell me how you'll keep the rapists and drug dealers out of the local park so I can go over there for an evening stroll without worrying about beating off shitheads. And while you are at it, tell me how you plan to make sure the local police don't shoot everything in a hoodie that moves.

Close rant.

January 20, 2016

So what would happen if the US quit exporting arms.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arms_industry

US and Russia are the biggest arms exporters but the US sales are nearly twice those of Russia. This doesn't even take into account weapons exported by Smith & Wesson or Colt.


Yes humans are a violent bunch and will remain so even if we stop fueling violence around the world for the sake of a quick buck.
These sales enshrine both the dollars from the sale and the fact these weapons are used to create the chaos necessary for economic predators to swoop in and control money and resources. Not to mention the contractors who are hired to go in after the wars and rebuild.

The US can do better when it comes to making money on manufacturing. We don't need to fill our pockets upon the deaths of people on the other side of the globe.


EDIT.... to provide clarity and correct typos. UGH.

January 20, 2016

What, you expected personal responsibility from a Republican?

ain't gonna happen...... no way.... no how....not ever.

The Republican party has spent decades telling people their problems are all someone else's fault. They blame unions. They blame minorities. They blame women. They blame the sick. They blame the poor. They blame people who don't even live in this country. They blame children. They even blame each other.

The only entity that ever escapes blame is whoever is shoving money into their pockets.

Part of the beast. Don't bother using up perfectly good anger on these folks. Just roll your eyes and move on. Save your energy for something more productive.

My humble advice.......

January 18, 2016

Attention span of the American people - a perspective

In 2007 / 2008 Obama kicked Kardashian, McCain and Palin all in search trends.

https://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=donald%20trump%2C%20bernie%20sanders%2C%20hillary%20clinton%2C%20kardashian%2C%20obama&geo=US&cmpt=q&tz=Etc%2FGMT%2B5

For the last 12 months Trump is the only one breaking through the Kardashians. The goal on our side is to get the attention of the American people generally.

https://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=obama%2C%20trump%2C%20hillary%20clinton%2C%20bernie%20sanders%2C%20kardashian&geo=US&date=today%2012-m&cmpt=q&tz=Etc%2FGMT%2B5


Hillary and Bernie have different paths to get the job done and have some fundamental differences on what can really be achieved. I would peg Hillary for being a little more on the side of serving her own interests over mine and peg Bernie for being a little more concerned with my interests than his. A lot of people disagree with me on Hillary and I'm cool with that. But the bottom line is either candidate WILL serve the American people on some level. You can bet your last dime that no one in the RNC gives a tinker's damn about anyone but themselves.