Senate Passes Questionable 850 Billion Dollar Bailout Package

I heard on CNN this evening that the cost of the bailout will be 850 billion dollars.  The only thing I have to say is vote them out.  According to about.com the Senators in the chart at the bottom of the post are up for reelection this year.   Please be proactive and tell your friends in their states not to vote for them and to give money and votes to the opposing campaign I will be donating a small amount to Guy Davis who is running against Saxby Chambliss the senatorial candidate in Georgia, I will follow up my donation with a vote.   With diebold voting machines we still are not sure that our votes are being counted but have faith.

When Webb of Virginia was up for reelection I made sure I called my homefolk in Southern Virginia and told them that Webb’s Democratic opponent participated in outsourcing.  Prior to this call they were on the other Democratic guy’s team.  However after I explained to them that this particular man’s business was outsourcing they changed who they planned to support.  Some of them had even volunteered for the campaign but immediately stopped volunteering after they received more information about the other candidate and passed the word.  The other candidate won Northern Virginia but lost factory based Southern and Eastern Virginia.   I say all of this to say that the  Senate can not be so arrogant with our support and ignore the will of the people. You can make a difference.   Call your family and friends and tell them to vote against this bill by voting the Senators out who voted for it.  There should be no safe seats. What Bush and Paulson did to the markets was terrible, they essentially played the role of a hedge fund operators by saying something about the market and making it true by fearing investors.  Personally the way the stock market is doing business by responding to fear is rather strange.  It seems pretty clear cut that computer modeling ought to be able to tell you how a company is actually doing.  Oh I forgot some companies are cooking the books so that no one really knows whats going on and Paulson plans to bail his friends out who are doing this by giving them money.  CALL YOUR FRIENDS AND HOMEFOLK!  TELL THEM TO EXPRESS THEIR ANGER WITH A VOTE AGAINST THE SENATORS BELOW!

In any event the list of Senators seeking reelection follows below.  I need to verify who voted for the bill and who did not but please, please, please if you know of individuals in the states that these Senators are from please tell them to vote these individuals out of office, even though Biden will probably be Vice President we need him voted out on the ballot.  Here is the list according to about.com As for Obama, is anyone really  believing that he would not have voted for the war, we are watching what he does and not what he says, furthermore does anyone doubt that he was the one who put in the provision to give ACORN money probably in the Rezco manner of give me some later or give me a high priced gift.  I am still trying to support a democrat for the presidency because the Republican tricks as illustrated by the Bushs’ are just totally outrageous, wasn’t the last Bank bailout when Bush Sr was VP or President.  They have robbing the American people down to a science, even now I’m pretty doubtful that eight years of a democratic presidency can help us recover from this Republican Administration.  Welcome to the Banana Republic of the U.S.

(The El Paso Times has a listing of the roll call vote and how each Senator Voted.)

US Senate Seats Up For Re-Election Campaign 2008

Related Content • 2008 Elections • 2008 Presidential Election • Straw Poll: 2008 Presidential Election 3 October 2007 Summary One-third of the 100 Senate seats are up for election every two years; on 4 November 2008, voters will select 34 Senators (one special election). These senators will serve a six-year term from 3 January 2009 until 2 January 2015. The following chart reflects the potential that a seat might change parties in this election cycle; it is based on analysis from several election consultants. Analysis The November 2006 election gave Democrats a slim majority — 51-49 — because two Independents caucus with Democrats. In the event of a tie, the Vice President, a Republican, casts the deciding vote. Going into this election, the Democrats are at an advantage because most of the seats (22) are held by Republicans. Thus, they have fewer seats (12) to defend. Eight of the 33 are first-term Senators; only one of these is a Democrat. One, Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) was re-elected in 2002 after retiring in 2000. There is one special election, in Wyoming (which will elect two Senators in November). Five senators have announced retirement. Should Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) not be nominated for President, he will run for re-election. Tim Johnson (D-SD) is still recovering from brain surgery. Sen. Wayne Allard (R-CO, announced 1/15/2007) Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID, resignation announced then rescinded) Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM, announced 10/3/2007) Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE, announced 9/10/2007) Sen. John Warner (R-VA, announced 8/31/2007) The legend for the chart: Competitive: These races have the potential to become competitive. Toss-Up: These are uncertain or too close to call. Senate Seats Up For Election In 2008 State Incumbent Outlook 2002 Vote AL R Voted NO! 59% AK R Ted Stevens (1968 - ) He will be 85 in 2008; under corruption investigation. Considering a challenge: former Lt. Gov. Loren Leman and former state Senate President Mike Miller. 78% AR D Mark Pryor (2003 - ) Considered safe seat 54% CO R Retiring and Voted No! 51% DE D Joseph Biden (1973 - ) Considered safe seat; running for Vice President 58% GA R Saxby Chambliss (2003 - ) Considered safe seat 53% ID R Larry E. Craig (1991 - 2007) Resigned. Candidates: former US Rep. and Army Veteran Larry LaRocco (D) 65% IA D Tom Harkin (1985 - ) Considered safe seat 54% IL D Richard Durbin (1997 - ) Considered safe seat; senior senator 60% KS R Voted No! 83% KY R Mitch McConnell (1985 - ) Considered safe seat; senior senator and Senate Minority Leader. Seat targeted by DNC. 65% LA D Voted NO! Removed From List 52% ME R Susan Collins (1997 - ) State leans Republican. Candidates: Rep. Tom Allen (D-ME-1) voted against Iraq War 58% MA D John Kerry (1985 - ) Considered safe seat 80% MI D Carl Levin (1979 - ) Considered safe seat; senior senator 60% MN R Norm Coleman (2003 - ) State leans Republican. Candidates: author and former radio talk show host Al Franken (D) 50% MS R Thad Cochran (1979 - ) Considered safe seat 85% MT D Max Baucus (1978 - ) Considered safe seat 63% NJ D Frank R. Lautenberg (1982-2001, 2003-) Considered safe seat; he will be 84 in 2008. 54% NC R Voted No 54% NE R Chuck Hagel (1997 - ) Considered safe seat - has not declared; senior senator. Candidates: Attorney General Jon Bruning (R) 83% NH R John E. Sununu (2003 - ) State leans Republican. Candidates: Portsmouth’ Mayor Steve Marchand (D) Katrina Swett running as D 51% NM R Pete Domenici (1973 - ) Will not run; implicated in US Attorneys firings. 65% OK R Voted No! 57% OR R Gordon H. Smith (1997 - ) Other Senator a Democrat. Candidates: businessman Ty Pettit (D), Oregon House Speaker Jeff Merkley (D) and attorney Steve Novick (D) 56% RI D Jack Reed (1997 - ) Considered safe seat; senior senator 78% SC R Lindsey Graham (2003 - ) Considered safe seat. Candidates: businessman John J. Cina (R) 54% SD D Voted NO! 55% TN R Lamar Alexander (2003 - ) Considered safe seat; senior senator 54% TX R John Cornyn (2002 - ) Considered safe seat 55% VA R John W. Warner (1979 - 2008) Will not run. 83% WV D Jay Rockefeller IV (1985 - ) Considered safe seat 63% WY R Michael B. Enzi (1997 - ) Considered safe seat 73% WY R John Barrasso (2007) Appointed to fill seat of Craig Thomas (2007-2013), who died 4 June 2007. Special election. na

List of Articles and Blogs Offering Alternative plans to Paulson’s 700 Billion Dollar Bailout

The following resources are a list of alternative plans or suggestions to the 700 billion dollar bailout written about in news articles and/or blogged.

CNN Report No Bailout Here’s Plan B

Business Week: Alternatives to the Big Bailout

Pacific Business News: Abercrombie, Hirono Tout Alternative to Bailout Bill

NATIONAL BAILOUT: 3 Maryland representatives draft alternatives

The Hill: Bailout Alternative

CNBC: GOP Memebers Forging Alternative Bailout Plans

San Francisco Chronicle: Economic Experts Talk to Both Sides of Crisis

The Washington Post Federal Diary:  Effort To Skirt Contracting Rules Unnerve Feseral Workers

NPR: Finding Alternatives to the Bailout Plan

Washington Post: Alternatives Solutions Diverge From Administrations Approach

CQ Quarterly: Group of Democrats Says Alternative Bailout Plan Could Interest GOP Members

The Nation: The No Bailouts Act

The Problem is not the Message; It is the Messenger

I listened to congress today and many in congress seem to think that the American People do not know what’s going on.  Congress thinks that Americans are not listening to the fact that Small Businesses may not make payroll because their money market accounts are not FDIC insured and their banks may go out of business (take your money out know, it it’s in a non FDIC account, so this does not happen).  They do not know that we understand that parents may not be able to get student loans for their childrens’ educations’ (educational institutions should voluntarily defer payments until after the election is over, or the government should extend some of that obviously available 700 billion dollars to Federal Student Aid, I have yet to see a justifiable reason for giving Bush and Paulson a blank check with a maximum of 700 billion dollars).  In addition we understand that Banks are hesitant to lend to other banks because they are afraid they don’t have the money to pay them back.  Well if the banks don’t have any money they should not be asking for it and should not be trying to sell other banks a fake bill of goods.  A couple knows how much they can pay for a house, a bank knows how much money they can afford to borrow.  Banks should not borrow more then they can afford to pay. In this brief summation I have of the bailout situation and the reasons for giving Bush 700 billion dollars I hope I have shown some understanding of “What’s Going On”.

With that said,  I have to say that inherently I do not have a problem with bailing out Wall Street.  I think after 911 Wall Street needs a lot of breaks but I have a great big objection to giving George Bush and Paulson 700 billion dollars.  If you want to know the depth of my feelings, if you’ve read 1984 and remember the five minute hate scene where the enemy comes on TV and everyone screams at the TV in pure hate and disgust, then you understand how since Bush has asked for the 700 billion dollars how I feel about him.  This last blackmail, this last debasement has just made me as an American feel so debased and taken advantage of.  It’s creating flashbacks, first flash back - hanging chads, a statement my “brother” is Governor of Florida he’s not going to let me lose.  I remember a browser I had “opera” that would automatically reload every several seconds that I looked at the whole night wondering what was going to happen as the numbers were constantly updated, then hanging chads, recounts, a helicopter following a Uhaul full of votes, and finally a Supreme Court Decision, the second flashback 911, i don’t know if Bush is behind 911 but the same black mail that’s happening now to get us to pass the 700 billion dollar bill is the same blackmail that went on to nullify the constitution and get the patriot bill passed, the unifying cry for the passing of the patriot act was never another 911,  the third flashback; Iraq, the UN told George Bush over and over that their were no weapons of mass destruction.  Instead I had to see a bustling Iraqi economy with cars, fruit stands, and people strolling down the streets, reduced to a pile of rubble with little orphan children, this does not even begin to take into consideration the dead American troops. Even with the Iraq war years later after it started we learned that the Bush administration had falsified documents and lied so that we could go into Iraq.  The fourth flashback is a failure to pass a bill that would have given children medical care.  This was horrifying to me that the president of the United States did not pass a bill to help children.  This is why when bush says that he’s concerned about people losing their jobs, making payroll, and the American people I know that he’s lying like hell.  He does not care for the American people he never has.  If he cared for the American people if we are really in crisis he would find a way where he nor his representatives would never touch the money he’s asking for.

Finally I say the problem is not the message.  Months ago while in the grocery store many people using their debit cards were not able to pay for our groceries because because for no reason our cards were declined.    I was at the self checkout and we were saying our cards have been declined.  There was a problem then and their probably is a problem now but please do not give Bush a blank check of 700 billion dollars, he’s only going to steal it.  Please Congress find a way to administrate everything from the government until Bush gets the Hell OUT.  It’s the messenger not the message.

“Got Jokes” I did not support the War! I made a mistake when I supported the War; YEah Right Paulson Gets A Historic 700 Billion Dollar Golden Parachute As he leaves office!

And he’s not even an economist; he majored in English in the college of Arts and Sciences very far from macro and micro economics.  Oh yeah he does have an MBA, the President of the United States probably thought this was enough of an “economic” qualification to make him Secretary of the Treasury. it’s not!  They school of economics is in the College of Arts and Sciences and MBA’a are in the school of business.  Take it from a Political Science person the school of business and the school of Arts and Sciences are Worlds away. It’s enough to have made him Secretary of Commerce but definitely not the Treasury.  From my point of view it looks like Pauslon needs to be fired or do what past market failures have done and

JUMP OFF OF A BUILDING

, instead of given 700 billion dollars and Bush needs to be impeached.

 

With that said according to a late night email and the Houston Chronicle; the democrats and George Bush have reached a historic deal to give 700 Billion Dollars to George BUSH and his ”homey” Paulson.  The timing could not be more perfect close to 90 days before Bush and Paulson will be out of Office.  I suppose the I should not have voted for the war democrats led by I would not have voted for the war Barack Obama,  will have to  follow in the steps of embattled and reelected Louisiana Representative Jefferson who was caught with $90,000 dollars worth of bribery money in his freezer and go somewhere and buy a deep freezer or 10 for the bribes they received in exchange for voting for the 700 billion dollar bailout bill. 

 

Finally why is everything failing because Bush and Paulson are making them fail.  They are lying, suddenly they say everything’s going to fail and it does.  I do not have the knowledge and the resources of the I voted for the war congress but I do have common sense and any man that has created a fight and a war with every oil producing country in the world and his business is oil is a criminal and anyone who gets behind him is naïve or a criminal too.  This has essentially been Obama’s argument but he was the first to jump on the bailout plan, he also managed to give money to his former employer ACORN in the bailout bill.  I suppose anyone who thinks he was not working during this time has been misled.  He did work on the bailout bill, because Acorn is getting at least a billion of the money (my speculation) and I suppose ACORN and other community organizations will be distributing tax payer money to your local congressional persons home freezers’. 

 

 

Trust Me they Are Destroying the Economy for 700 Billion Dollars, This is making me a believer that 911 was an inside job and congressional memebers were probably in on it too!

In My School of Thought Paulson Gets A Great Big F A three page document in exchange for 700 billion dollars

Every Time I think of how the country was asked to give 700 billion dollars to the Department of the Treasury from a three page letter I am incredulous.  As a Political Science Major who’s never worked in the field,  with extensive coursework in Public Policy, I know that if I had turned in 3 pages for any Policy Evaluation of an issue or Policy Solution, a three page prescription would have netted me a great big F.  I think the minimum for a decent grade not to mention 700 billion dollars was twenty pages.  As a former debater and a person with extensive experience with crafting public policy.  There is no way possible Paulson could have given any serious thought to why he needed 700 billion dollars with three pages.

As far as debate goes, you can’t even begin to debate adequately with three pages because your competition who has to be familiar with all basic aspects of the issue would tear you apart.  For instance if you were debating the overall aspect of the crashing economy.  You would have to know what industry’s were or would be affected, what would throw the country over the brink into a depression, what solutions were needed to solve the problem, statistics, justifications etc, all buttressed by noted authorities well respected in their field. Finally after the solutions were proposed there would be talk of cost.   The price of entry into debate is being able to SHIT, as one former debater coined it.  T - Topicality - Do you have the ability to even firmly grasp the over riding issues and what’s going on, I -Inherencey - What are the inherent barriers keeping the problem from being solved, ex.  Why is the U.S. facing a depression or in depression, and what is causing the depression?  H -Harm - What will happen if we don’t solve the problem?  this is one Secretary Paulson did get, he skipped immediately to pushing our country over the brink.  Finally in debate your solution is called S-Solvency which includes a policy prescription and solutions to the problem.  You will lose if you say give me 700 billion dollars and that solves the problem.  You have to have step by step solutions. I’m sorry to say but a three page letter for 700 billion dollars would get you laughed at.

AS far as formal training in policy drafting and making the same applies.   One wonders with such a large staff why Paulson would deliver a three page document in exchange for 700 billion dollars.  Don’t the American people pay the salaries of policy wonks at the Department of the Treasury to examine broad issues of the economy, and render proposed policies that will provide the solution.  Heck even a computer simulation predicted Hurricane Katrina at least five years prior to it’s happening.  I’m sure their is a computer that Paulson could have used to get some statistics for why he needed 700 billion dollars.  The problem here is that Paulson did not even try to make his robbing of the citizens look good.  Furthermore, I am even wondering if this is his jurisdiction, yes he’s supposed to keep the economy going, but the Department of Commerce is supposed to be the governmental liaison between Wall Street and Main Street.  You know I have only one thing to say, when I graduated from college I sent out hundred and hundreds of applications to government looking for a position as a policy analyst, no one hired me.  It is a little disappointing to see a three page policy proposal for 700 billion dollars.  I can’t even get a micro loan of $1000.00 without a business plan.

Then again just like the Iraq War.,  this situation is just friends helping friends and I believe what the callers of C-Span believe that once the deal is done the money is going to the Caymans and to Dubai.  This is essentially a buyout of Wall Street and they don’t have to put it back into the U.S. economy.  I have to admit that if someone bought my business for 700 billion dollars and I had a nightmare experience of employees faking documents, clients lying about their worth etc.  There is no “way” I would try to come back and do business with the same types of people again.  I would take my loan money to China, and to places where I know the people would pay me back and the people processing the loans were honest. After getting my share of the 700 billion dollars I would leave the country.  The crisis that we are in is because we hire people who ask for 700 billion dollars because of three pages of documentation and “get it” because they threaten us or because we like them.  This is not just a depression this is a disaster with a massively undereducated population that are not assets to the U.S. anymore.  The one thing that Bush did get sort of right was a focus on education, however the high drop out rate is not good for the economy so he sort of got it wrong too.  I heard a speech that Mc Cain gave in 2005 where he had already figured out that we had a crisis in the United States as indicated by his words, he said something like  the following I went and talked to the President of Ireland and I asked him how he had turned his country around from being a place that people were fleeing from to a place where people were flocking to, McCain went on to say that the president of Ireland said that he committed himself to the education of the populace.  I understand that with our Mobile society it is impossible for us to control how long and how children are educated but we must, the health of our country is at stake.

Finally, I suppose since the Secretary of the Treasury can ask for 700 billion dollars with three pages, I have a right to offer my own suggestions in a couple of paragraphs.  First of all I think something like the WPA should be established to give people jobs in this crisis, second of all I believe that Loans and maybe buyouts should be given to Wall Street to firms that go through an application process with heavy documentation “required”,  since Paulson has demonstrated that he could not be objective with his non bailout of Lehman Brothers and possibly Merrill Lynch (Does anyone want to do business with Lynch after being bought by the thieving bank Bank of America, I had three bank accounts prior to Bank of America with Bank Cards only, I never had an overdraft, I had a bank card with Bank of America also and in the first month of use they had managed to charge me over $150 in overdraft fees for an amount less than $25. and no I did not balance my accounts but I did what I did with every other account i  called for the balance and evidently the balance was wrong because Bank of America fleeced me with overdraft fees just from a bank card, so as far as that buy out goes, ordinary individuals need to stay as far away from the New Merrill Lynch as possible, banks 1000 times smaller than Bank of America could manage to accurately reflect my account balance but BofA could not) In any event Paulson has demonstrated in his refusal to give equal treatment to Lehman brothers and Merrill Lynch while in a credit crisis, that he does not have the fairness and judgment to administer 700 billion dollars.  If I were congress I would ask Banks and Investment institutions to create proposals with justifications and needs asking for the money and  expedite the loan or purchase of securities to a day if necessary.  I will repeat this one more time, I would in no way or no how give a man who asked for 700 billion dollars on three pages any money “never”.

Finally I mentioned McCain, I have to mention Obama too, Obama  has showed great judgment in saying no, they can wait a little while longer, he also showed great judgment in actually consulting experts as in plural on the subject. I think our failure in leadership has come about because our leaders believe that they ought to know everything and do not consult or respect the knowledge of others.  As for Mc Cain he showed great judgment in suspending his campaign to work on this issue.  Evidently, he clued Obama in to the fact that he had to stay too, because CNN and Fox are reporting that Obama has not left Capital Hill.  I think even the suggestion that Mc Cain is trying to grandstand politically is ludicrous.   He has been a Senator for a very long time and several laws have his name on them.  He wants to be involved and objective politicians on both sides wanted him to be Involved. Kudos to both men!

Status Georgia: Economic Crisis “Updated”

The Price of gas in my Georgia Neighborhood is $4.09 a gallon.  We are running out of gas and the Governor is asking citizens not to top off their gas tanks and to make short trips.  The only type of gas we have is unleaded.  I am getting a little scared almost like I’m living in a third world country.    However I’m still feeling like we’re being blackmailed by Bush and he’s trying to get his 700 billion dollar bonus check.

I have just spoken with my neighbor and she told me that the police had to be called last night at Quick Trip because people were trying to get gas before the pumps ran out of gas.  She said they were blocking each other in and getting in front of each other.  She said that her young daughter became afraid because their car was blocked in by other cars and they  could not get out out of the gas station.  She also said something about individuals who can not leave their house because the gas stations near their homes are out of gas.

Sleepers “Wake Up” Wall Street Does not Have the Money! YOU CAN NOT SEND WALL STREET TO JAIL

It’s pretty basic:

You buy a new house for $300,000 30% of the proceeds probably get’s divided between the Realtor and the mortgage person and the builder get’s the other 70%.  HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLO Wall Street does not have the money they counted on the consumers to pay their debts, they did give consumers loans who were not qualified fo get them but this was for a little or a lot of commission but by no means the cost of a house.

There were unscrupulous people who would then buy the house for $500 once it was repossessed fix it up and sell it for $300,000 again and again and again.  The sellers are the people with the money, and they can be anyone from a bank to a builder to an individual to your brother or even your momma.  Wall Street just guaranteed the loans, they were supposed to check someones credit and say they were a good risk.  They failed to do this because someone wanted a commission.  WAKE UP Wall Street absolutely positively does not have the money! Maybe you should look towards borrowers who knowingly lied about income , to get into a house they could not afford. I went to an event and a mortgage person got up and said they don’t check your income just say you had a business and put what you made and your loan will be approved.

Jacks In The Boxes Put them in the Box Put Them in the Box and Super and Crazy Glue the Lid Down

Lately there has been a swirling controversy around old school rap versus new school hip hop.  There have been several mispoken words, and false memories by the old rap artists and their fans that I find troubling.  I am by no means an expert but consider myself a member of popular culture.  I was alive when the rap group Sugar Hill came out and I am alive now.  Then again music lasted a lot longer several years ago so just because I know about Sugar Hill that does not mean I was alive for the debut.  

In any event I first became vaguely aware that there was a problem this summer while participating in a family reunion.  I was responsible for the music and had planned a seventies throw back celebration.  My seventies were ChakaKhan, Sister Sledge, A Taste of Honey, The Bee Gees, Earth Wind and Fire, and some others but I think my descriptions are vivid enough to indicate what type of old school party I planned.  I am sorry old school rappers I had no intention of touching that time of the old school rap reign, characterized by a culture of teenage pregnancies and drive by shootings.   I think the very thought of hearing over two minutes of Planet Rock was enough to make me puke.  I was not a rap fan and did not even like anything remotely like rap until the early nineties where rap for me changed to HIp Hop with the advent of Digital Underground.  So our old school celebration was definitely going to be pre-eighties becuaset he music I did like during the eighties was Prince and his Court:  Mazerati, Sheila E, Vanity, Vanity 6, and others music that I definitely did not want to hear with family members. 

As we began the second phase of the reunion which would lead into the seventies celebration we had family members sing and then the little baby dancers came on, I mean between the ages of two and eight.  They requested HIP HOP and they were awesome to watch.  I was so impressed.  We eventually got to some line dances the Slide and the Cupid Shuffle.  However after the Cupid Shuffle we began to run into some extreme generational problems.  The DJ wanted to play blues and of course I said, “What are you playing?  The kids were requesting Hip Hop and we were trying to get something everyone could live with.  Finally we had to cede to the youngest members of the family when they nicely said play something from 2008.  I suppose the DJ did not get the message because a group of at least ten little kids started jumping all over the dance floor doing flips and flops hollering 2008 2008 2008 and some even said 2009.  Our reunion theme was set, we would not be hearing anything prior to 2008.  Our dance floor turned from a dance floor to a stage, those young adults and children  put on a show greater than any Broadway show.  I’ve been to high priced fundraisers that could not rival what I saw to the tune of 2008 hip hop music.  My mother told me later that a very old member of the family and I mean old told her, I sure did like that music.  Is that OK?  My mother said yes it’s OK to like Hip Hop. 

I thought the children hollering 2008 2009 was just a thing until I was listening to talk radio and I heard the host talk about old school rap, and how good it was and how those were the good old days and he went into a long tirade on how hip hop ws so awful now.  As I said in a previous paragraph old school rap for me always made me think of teenage pregnancy and drive by shootings and when I thought of pregnant teenagers it was teens at the age of twelve so I was literally flipping out when I heard someone referring to those days as the good old days.  I’m thinking to myself that I know I did not listen to old school rap but I do listen to some hip hop now and have the hip hop stations as presets on the radio and if I hear anything that I don’t like or think my children should not hear [like the discussions of lollipops] I change the station.   I tried to call the station to express my disbelief and set the record straight that those old school rap days were not the good old days, those were the days women did not listen to rap unless they had on long shorts,  a team shirt, tennis shoes, and socks on.  Honestly women who wore normal clothes did not listen to rap and we thought women who listened to that stuff were gay, and they were Queen Latifah just married a woman. 

Old School Rap outside of Sugar Hill was just not a cultural revolution in my life.  I will admit that it did lay a foundation for hip hop but it is not hip hop and for old school rappers to call their music Hip Hop is absolutely postivley ridiculous. It’s rap period. 

The problem of rap versus hip hop was compounded for me when I went to the Dekalb County Blues and Jazz Festival for I think two days straight.  It was awesome!  There was music from all generes.  There was even a white guy there who played the “Star Spangled Banner” like Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock.  Suddenly the MC of the event introduced the winner of the youth talent show.  He was a Hip Hopper and too me he was awesome he was throwing in various instrumental genres, rock, soul, R&B.  He was totally awesome. When it was over I screamed and hollered and clapped.  I looked around I was one of a few clapping.  I looked around and noticed that the people around me were just a little bit but not a lot older than me and did not like that song.  I felt embarassed and sat down. 

I stayed and had a good time.  I stayed until after Whodini who was a pretty good DJ he bagan with reggae and hyped up the crowd and that was good. Some point prior to his coming on some rapper had come on and called his old school rap hip hop.  The one thing I did know about these generes from only being a member of popular culture is rap is not hip hop.  Oh Lord I thought he’s out of touch!  In any event suddenly the place started to fill up with men, packs of men, more men, more men more men what “any” Southern girl will tell you that we like.  Suddenly the people on stage began to rap, I felt ten years old again, I felt claustrophobic.  I had to get out of there, I did not even bother to take my chair or my cooler they could have it and walked out.  I was not a rap fan then and I am not an old school fan now I thought.  My brain started to holler 2008 2008 2008, heck even 2009.  I hurried to my car amped up Amy Winehouse singing ”Put it in the Box” “Put it in the Box”, and to this day I’m mad at whoever turned the crank on the Jack in the Box that made old School Rap attempt to make a comeback at the Festival.    The only thing I have to say is Put Them in the Box, crazy glue the Lid, put them in a time capsule and shoot them to outer space.   HA HA

I have an older friend who was like a sister to me when I was younger she brought me a Laquer music box from Japan that plays Sukiyaki by  a Taste of Honey when I was 10, bought me my first designer jeans and really was a mentor to me, she and her mother.  However the name she hollers now and I know she has to be at least 47 is “Luda”.  I did not even know this was a nick name for Ludicrous until she made a visit to my house, from her home in  Southern California and during some discussion I don’t know what we were talking about hollered Luda, I wish I could get his phone number.  Luda had better watch out her youngest child is three and her oldest 23. 

I was prompted to write this because the same talk show host insists the days of old school rap were the good old days.  I want to emphasize that those years were not the good old days.  They were not the good old days because those were the days of HIV and AIDS.  Those were not the good old days because it was normal for a twelve year old girl to get pregnant.  Those were not the good old days because all we could hear on the news was information about Drive By Shootings.  Those were not the Good Old Days because Crack Babies were being born at record numbers.   These are the greatest and greater days.  These are the Rainmaker Days. It’s Rainen. I’m make it rain in the club now.

“Hill”ary Clinton “Female” Male Chauvinist Theme Song: Crazy In Love ,

I had to think clearly on how I would craft my words to indicate that after learning that Hillary Clinton refused to appear at a rally with Sarah Palin, that I thought that Hillary Clinton was being chauvinistic towards Sarah Palin.  Hillary’s behavior  indicates that she wants no part of the  baking, dinner cooking, baby having, dish washing segment of women.  While I suppose Hillary Clinton defines a chauvinist as a man that expects a woman to cook and clean and have babies and wear skirts.  Others may define a chauvinist as a person who fails to appreciate cooking, child bearing, dresses, and the beauty of being a woman, and the fact that women have just as much power in heels, perfume, and a dress as men have in any power play they may think of.  Hillary would fall in the second category of folks.  Hillary Clinton through her treatment of Palin has indicated that she has no respect and appreciation for a woman being a woman, and her definition of equality is a woman in pants.  It is ironic that many of the women never actually picked up on Hillary Clinton’s scorn of regular women until Sarah Palin came along.  We with the exception of the majority of  black women [who suffer more from chauvinism and just bad treatment from their men more then any other group] were willing to support Hillary no matter what our backgrounds.  However Hillary showed her scorn of that support when she refused to attend the same event as a regular woman chosen to be the VP for the Republican party.  As women we were disgusted and angered by the jokes regarding Hillary Clinton’s pants and her male like attitude.  We thought that these jokes were aimed at Hillary just because she wanted to touch the the moon and the sky.  However with Hillary’s treatment of Palin we were shocked to realize that Hillary really thought like a man so much so to be a chauvinist towards women who baked cookies.

Arrange Palin’s last name in a different way and you get Plain, “plain old woman” with the hopes of a woman, the feelings of a woman, and the willingness to risk like the American Spirit.  The thing that most women really admire about Sarah Palin is that she was able to transcend the elitist garbage put out my women like Hillary that just because you actually love and want to be with your husband, that you don’t mind cooking dinner, that you are willing to put on a short skirt and makeup, that you actually have lots of sex as indicated by your five children, you can still be somebody in life, and have aspirations.  Unlike the democrats, the Republicans did not say oops being a normal woman is a mess up, lets put our hope in the youth, you’ve messed your life up.  The Republicans said bring it on, if you’re up to the job let’s do it.

Many people have indicated that Hillary Clinton is working so hard for Barack Obama becuase she hopes to win if he loses the next round.  Unfortunately, Clinton in her refusal to appear at a rally that Palin attended indicates that “no” she does not really want to be president because she does not want to represent all of us.  Hillary is essentially saying louder than any words that she does not embrace the diversity of women out there no matter who or what they represent.  I think the electorate is smart enough to realize that just because Hillary Clinton attends a rally with Sarah Palin this does not indicate an endorsement.  Hillary Clinton had the opportunity to say that American stood strong on an issue no matter what their political party and instead chose to renege on an agreement because she did not want to be seen with Sarah Palin.

There are many issues and events that I believe Hillary Clinton should have pulled back on that would have showed her solidarity with women and would have stood as an example to all women that we are not door mats and should be respected but instead she’s made herself a door mat and has created a Theme Song for herself that’s Beyounces “Got Me Feeling Crazy Right Now” . The refrain is:

“Got me lookin so crazy right now
Your love’s got me lookin so crazy right now
(your love)
Got me lookin so crazy right now your touch’s
Got me lookin so crazy right now
(your touch)

While normal women accept that all women have problems and subscribe that no woman should be judged or looked down upon. and continued to support Hillary, myself included.  She returned the favour by snubbing a women that more women relate to than they do to Hillary Clinton.  The majority of us want children, the majority of us want a husband that at least appears loyal, and most of us if we do have a loyal husband want more than one child.  We subscribe to Fairy Tales, and Rags to Riches and while Hillary has achieved a lot more than most and has even been the ultimate Princess, the First Lady.  I think the majority of us are more like Princes DI we are not going to stand for the *&%T, and our not going to stick around for fame and glory at the expense of our feelings, and our self respect.  Unfortunately, Hillary Clinton has not subscribed to that philosophy and has made herself a perpetual door mat.

We all know what she went through with Bill in the Arkansas Governors mansion, what is it they say he would pretend to go for a jog, and have the Arkansas State Troopers meet him and escort him to a sexual encounter, and let’s not mention Monica and others.  All of this is still OK, this is her personal life and it is nobody’s business what happens in her personal life, but in the least she should have announced a public separation from Bill for just a little while but instead she stuck around and who knows maybe it was worth it and maybe it wasn’t but the message she sent out by sticking with such a man is not a message I want my children to receive.   While this is enough to give Hillary the ultimate door mat status.  I think anything Bill did to Hillary can not come close to how she has been treated by the democratic party.  Michigan actually gave Obama the undecided votes which comprised of votes for Edwards, Richardson, and anyone else, as well as the write in vote, as well as gave him extra votes based on Exit Polls. “EXIT POLLS”  THEY TOOK HER DELEGATES AWAY BASED ON AN EXIT POLL.  In addition Hillary was promised a roll call vote at the convention and it was never given, “NEVER GIVEN”.  There are probably a lot more transgressions I can think of perpetrated against Hillary Clinton by the Democratic Party.  Yet Dear Old Hillary is now campaigning for Barack Obama and refusing to appear with the Republican female VP.  THIS IS A DOORMAT AND NOT THE WAY TO GET MY VOTE NEXT TIME>  I WOULD HAVE BEEN SO MUCH MORE APPRECIATIVE OF HILLARY, IF SHE WOULD HAVE JUST DROPPED FROM THE SCENE.  I think the lesson that Hillary must learn is no matter what social class, no matter what educational level or income that a woman owes herself self respect first and self respect does not have a look, it  has a feeling deep inside of a woman that everyone recognizes.

While Hillary Clinton refuses to be seen publicly with a woman that exemplifies the old perfume  commercial “Enjoli”  everyone over thirty may remember the “Enjoli Lyrics:

“I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan. And never let you forget you’re a man. Because I’m a woman, Enjoli”

Hillary keeps campaigning for a man and a party that used back alley tactics to take away her chances of being president and refused to make her VP because he and they were not strong enough to do it.  Whether Obama wins or loses, I will now think of Hillary Clinton in the light of the lyrics in “Crazy in Love”.

Got me looking so crazy, my baby
I’m not myself lately
I’m foolish, I don’t do this
I’ve been playing myself
Baby I don’t care
Cause your love got the best of me
And baby you’re making a fool of me
You got me sprung and I don’t care who sees
Cause baby you got me so crazy

Did I hear the Word Draft or am I Over Analyzing McCain?

Every time I hear Mc Cain speak for any length, I hear words coming out of his mouth that I know are quite wrong.  Mc Cains constant talk of war mongering and expanding the Armed Services when hardly anyone is volunteering now gives me pause.  How are you going to expand the armed forces when no one is volunteering, oh I know implement a draft.  I have a son who is twelve I do not want him drafted into the military.  If he chooses to join fine!

For the first six months of Barack Obama’s campaign his message was simply, I will bring the troops back home and I did not vote for the war.  With this message he became the front runner in the Democratic primary and eventually recieved the nomination to be the democratic nominee for president.  Is Mc Cain aware of any of this?  Is Mc Cain aware that a record number of people voted in the democratic primary and will vote in the general election not for him.  Mc Cains platform or lack of one is leading me to believe that the Republicans don’t believe tricks are for kids and have some voting tricks planned.

 At this point I can’t even see the most ardent racist voting for more of the same of what we just had.  I don’t think that most people have failed to realize that all of the wars and the trouble that America has been sticking it’s  nose in lately  has been in oil, drug, or both producing regions.  Georgia is an oil producing region and at the time of the conflict Americans were drilling for oil there.  Personally I prescribe to the precept that natural resources ought to belong to the region first and everyone else second.   The United States is most likely involved in the Georgian conflict because they want their natural resources.  Again all of these little wars that have been started since the Bush presidency have been essentially because of oil.  I am extremely disappointed that though Mc Cain is not from Texas he is turning out to be an oil man.  Furthermore his choice of an oil woman as a VP candidate solidifies this view.  

I saw a really nice interview done with McCain in 2005.  He seemed like a really nice man with great ideas for education and the enviornment.  Unfortunately these great ideas are sorely missing from his platform.  I am honestly  wondering if he’s senile or what.

As for Sarah Palin, I tuned into the Charles Gibson interview and honestly felt that Charles Gibsons questions were a little harsh and unfair.  I have never heard of a Bush model of Foreign Policy being spoken of before, I have heard the words “the Bush policy of preemptive strikes”.  For Sarah Palin’s part she did ask for clarification and Charles Gibson did not give it.  This was a high tech lynching of Sarah Palin and I can guarantee this if the media continues to go after Palin like this.  Mc Cain will win.  Did I tell you how I ended up voting for Bush the last time I believe, I walked in undecided, definitely not intending to vote for Nader, but all the same I wanted to see his name.  I had heard that the dems had went on a campaign to get his name off of the ballot because they felt he took votes away from them.  When I looked at my ballot they had successfully taken him off of my ballot, I therefore initiated my protest vote by voting for Bush.  If things continue they way they are with Sarah Palin, I might have to vote for Sarah Palin to show my disgust with the way she’s being treated.