Congressional Address

So on the 33rd day of his presidency Barack Obama has addressed a joint session of Congress and in Obama fashion it was a motivational speech for congress and all Americans. He has a way of empathizing with the needs of the people that makes him so personable that you want to hear what he has to say. He gave reassurance of the rebound of the economy and made sure that we understood that it was from years of mismanagement and that even though he is the president we as Americans all share the load and the responsibility. He also stressed that action is needed in Healthcare, education and energy and I believe that he made those points to remind us that he has not forgotten statements and promises made on the campaign trail. I am truly impressed with the speech and delivery. He is an awesome speaker. So in a tacky not rehearsed rebuttal the republicans recorded before the speech, but aired afterwards which made no sense to me but hey if they let it air it was a message in there for someone. The republican minority of the moment Governor Bobby Jindal gave a speech in which he stated that the republicans would be working with President Obama to grow the revenue but in their opinion the stimulus will only grow government, and than stated that he will not use the entire portion of the stimulus for his state only a portion. So to me it sounds like he is just being defiant, saying I am going to take some of the money but not all of it. WHATEVER!!! If it affects your state negatively you won’t have to worry because you won’t get re-elected. All polls state that Americans feel optimistic about the financial state and believe that President Obama is doing his best to turn things around. I have Hope and I believe in the change. COMMENTS

11 year old murderer?

Ok I try my best not to focus on the negative things in life but what in the world is happening when a preteen child premeditates murder? I was just sent a story about an 11 year old that shot his father’s pregnant girlfriend in the head while she slept. The little boy hid his shotgun which was a Christmas present under a blanket and walked down the steps in to her bedroom and shot her in the head. He than picked up the shot gun casing and discarded on his way to catch the school bus. I do not understand how this generation is so desensitized that they do not understand the value of life and the consequences of taking someone else’s life. He had this planned and knew what the outcome would be. This little boy has been trained on shooting weapons from a very young age so he understood that when you shoot something living that it will die. I wonder how his dad feels about this; he lost his girlfriend and an unborn child. My prayers go out to the family for the lost of the expecting mother the victim and the lost of such a young life that is now damaged in some aspects even though he committed the crime he is also a victim. He may go to jail and he may have lost the love of his Dad. So sad Comments Please

TAKING CHANCE

Happy Tuesday all, Today the HBO movie “Taking Chance” is on my mind. We have all had some experience with a lost of someone to the war in the Middle East. This movie goes into detail and shows it from a different point of view, it shows it from the view of the military escort and the entire experience on escorting the marines remains home. So many people who never even asked what he was doing knew and all gave condolences and shared in the experience like it was there loved one. The movie really touched me, but one part in particular that touched me was when he was on a layover and he ran into another marine who was an escort and they had small talk and the other escort said that his family was meeting him and when asked if he was related he said yes it was his brother. It was very touching and emotional for me. Not the fact of the person who passed which is a sad story in and of itself but how many who have been touched by the war in one way or another. People gave trinkets and cried as if they knew the deceased or had the experience recently. I can not explain why it touched me so deeply, but if you have HBO and hour and a half to spare I recommend this movie.

Sheila Dixon

Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon has expressed anger about not receiving recognition during the visit of Barack Obama when he visited Baltimore the weekend before the inauguration. The reporter states that when Obama visited Philadelphia he thanked the mayor of Philadelphia, but when in Baltimore he didn’t acknowledge the mayor of Baltimore, but not just the President but Governor Martin Omalley, and Congressman Elijah Cummings also decided not to give mention of her and she states that was a lonely part of the job. For those who do not know the Mayor is accused of corruption and has several indictments. So she should in my opinion understand why she was snubbed. Barack wasn’t even in office and did not want to be associated with any type of corruption so she should understand why, because if the tables were turned she would not have said his name. So she needs to focus on her city which is falling apart around her. She claims to have accomplished more than her predecessors. Well you were the city counsel president for much of that time and Umm in my eyes you didn’t do much then, when it should have counted. So dry your eyes put a band aid on your ego and run your City Mayor Dixon.

Michelle has Visitors

First Lady Michelle Obama has reached out to local DC schools to celebrate (Black History Month) I was corrected by my daughter yesterday it is now called Black Heritage Month. The White House Welcomed 180 students on February 18, 2009. They had the pleasure of listening to Admiral Stephen W. Rochon who is the White House’s Director of the Executive Residence and Chief Usher. Admiral Rochon has been in this position since 2007 appointed by George W. Bush.


The first lady spoke of potential and being able to be a success no matter what the position they hold. She spoke of the professionalism of the Admiral and his staff. The students also had the pleasure of listening to Honey on the Rock an all female acapella group. I love her style she is all for the people

RACIST MEDIA!!!!

Hello Readers, today Racism is on Troubles mind, The New York Post to be exact. How in this day and age can a publication not show any restraint and just place such a derogatory picture up and not assume that someone would be offended. I am almost in a state of confusion because we are raising our children to live a double sided life. We send our children to school and tell them all men are created equally but in the confines of our homes we say prejudice things about other races. Some people do not find the comic to be offensive and state that some are over reacting.
I have to disagree. For many years there was an association of African Americans and monkeys, apes, chimpanzees, and gorilla’s. I remember as a small child my great grandmother telling me stories of some of the hurtful and awful things that would be said to her. She was a nurse which was a huge accomplishment at that time she suffered through a lot for her love of people, she would tell stories of how some of her patients would ask her if she grew a tail at night and, that some of the patients were told these stories growing up and they believed them.
So for a publication in this day and age to print such a thing is not only offensive it is unacceptable. I think this is the first time I agreed with Al Sharpton about anything and that an annoying thought for me. For the future and for progress we need to come to some type of balance. The Post needs to apologize and rethink their purpose as an outlet of the media. Just my Opinion! I have attached the comic you be the judge.

Baltimore Schools

Happy Wednesday Everyone, Today the Baltimore City School system is on Trouble’s mind. Education is the responsibility of the parents and student and that is where the foundation and importance of education is laid. The school is where the child is educated and given advice on how to maintain good grades and the actual instruction is in the school building. There are many people included in this process teacher, administrators, guidance counselors and so forth. Again I want to reiterate that the initial foundation is laid at home. In Baltimore there has been a break in the chain of this process some are at home, but most are in the school system. The system is jacked up, a big mess no one knows what’s going on. You have children being transferred from one school to another with out the parents having any idea and there is no logical explanation. The children are running wild in the hallways and screaming in the cafeteria it is a Disaster. There seems to be no structure and a major loss of control. The powers that be seem to be sweeping the problems under the rug. No one wants to take responsibility or attempt to fix the problem; they rather place band aids on long term problems until something bad happens. The Mayor in Baltimore decided to visit one of the schools that have such problems. It is a shame and it sets a terrible precedent to only reward when there has been a tragedy. A student was stabbed outside of the school, and the mayor decided to meet with students and talk about job placement for them. As a parent I feel as though the school system should be handles the same way they handle the road side beautification, on the regular basis. They put up pretty flowers and bricks and murals to beautify Baltimore while school children are reading out of text books that were printed in the 80’s. The students only feel that they are a priority when the make a ruckus. That should never be the case. The local government should be held accountable so that they will then hold the school district accountable, because these young people will be holding important jobs and the wrong example is being set for them to carry in the real world. This problem needs to be fixed and fixed immediately……I know I just went on a RANT, but this is about what’s on my mind. Please Readers I would love to read your comments

The Performance

The arrangements performed at the BSO were the following .

Marin Alsop will lead the orchestra in A. Jack Thomas's Mirage: A Fantasy of the Desert and Gershwin's Porgy and Bess: A Symphonic Picture during the first half of the program, minus Glover. The selections chosen for the second half of the program present a wide range of rhythms for Glover's exhilarating choreography and improvisation. John Adams Lollapalooza brings a Latino flavor, Michael Daugherty's Desi introduces big band swing, Arturo Márquez's Danzon No. 2 infuses Afro-Cuban rhythms and Duke Ellington's "Vortex" (from The River) is the most intense piece, melding jazz and classical themes. To give Glover a chance to cool down, the Orchestra will perform James P. Johnson's Drums: A Symphonic Poem in between his two musical sets.

A. Jack Thomas: Mirage: A Fantasy of the DesertGershwin: Porgy and Bess: A Symphonic PictureJohn Adams: Lollapalooza*Michael Daugherty: Desi*James P. Johnson: Drums: A Symphonic PoemArturo Marquez: Danzon No. 2*Ellington: "Vortex" from The River*
*featuring Savion Glover

courtesy of The BSO press Release

Valentines Day Events

Happy Presidents Day to all!!!! Today I am going to recap my WONDERFUL weekend. I had the pleasure of taking in Jessica Holters Punany Poets in the district and I must say it was everything I expected. It had a very erotic tone and was very descriptive but what most may not have paid attention to was the actual recurring theme that was repeated constantly but not the main topic. The topic of safe sex and being protected was the underlying theme. They had several small skits a guitar player named uncle funky. 1 female who the object of attention during several pieces , female who danced as well as acted out 2 small skits and 3 male poets and 1 female poet. The vibe in the venue was 1 like you wont get in a lot of other venues it was perfect for this particular show. Than the crowd had their own small comedy act going on I sat in the peanut gallery with all the comments. They had their own comments and observations which they yelled out which added to the show in some aspects. I enjoyed the show and would attend again whenever they returned. I would suggest seeing with a mate.

On Valentines Day I had the pleasure of attending the BSO featuring Savion Glover. Which I have to say was an awesome experience. The BSO covered several pieces some I was familiar with an arrangement from Porgy and Bess and a few I have heard but could not name, and than there were several that I had never heard of but would love to own. The BSO is conducted by Marin Alsop who has a very large personality and it comes off when she is conducting. While watching her you know this is her art and her love she thoroughly enjoys the music and what she does. Savion is a true master of the art of tap dancing .I was amazed at his skill. He lets the music carry him and he loves what he does. He dances with a screw driver in his hand which was explained at the end in the Q&A session that its to tighten the taps on his shoes if they become loose.

He has this very relaxed body language while dancing not tense or even like he is remembering dance moves, but a very relaxed performance that is skilled. He came across as a master and while he performed Marin would look over her shoulder as he performed as to sneak a peak at his dancing which made the show even more entertaining, because she enjoyed his style of tap. The Meyerhoff is one of those things that I know exist but have not taken advantage of it and I feel shame because it is a beautiful building inside and a wonderful way to spend an evening. The show was wonderful with Savion and Marin receiving 2 standing ovations.

So now the show is over and they have a session of Q&A and that is when you realize that Marin has a very large personality. She has the personality that if you were to here that she had a talk show you would not be shocked. She was funny and personable. The Q&A session was great. Some had great questions and some not so great questions so it was worth staying behind the extra 25 -30 minutes her responses were worth it. I truly enjoyed my experience and would recommend seeing the BSO with Marin Alsop any day.
So I enjoyed my Valentines Day weekend I was able to experience new things and go to new places. If you have the chance to have either one of these experiences I would recommend them both.

The Day Of Love!!!!!

Since today is Valentines Day's I decided I would Blog on a saturday to talk about a love that has stood the test of time and lasted longer than most have lived.I read an article about Herbert and Zelmyra Fisher. Who have been married since May 13,1924, and if you are a little slow with math they have been married 84 years. Their granddaughter sent their information in to Guiness to see if that was a record., and it was they are the oldest living married couple. I enjoyed this article so much, I decided that I would share. Enjoy the article.
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!!!

A Craven County couple are in the Guinness World Records book.
The two did nothing outlandish such as sky-diving upside down, dancing for days, taking the longest lawn mower ride or having the most tattoos. No, Herbert and Zelmyra Fisher of the Brownsville community have been married for more than 84 years. That is a feat in itself. They have the world record of the longest marriage for a living couple. They can thank their granddaughter Iris Godette for getting the recognition. She submitted the information to the Guinness Book of Records.. The information was apparently checked by Guinness and a certificate was given to the couple. However, when you ask Herbert about the Guinness recognition, he just says, "Oh, Yeah?" The recognition has not changed their life. He still looks at her with love and concern, as she looks toward him as if he will give her strength and guidance. They have lived for more than 50 years in a house near the Coastal Carolina Regional Airport . They lived in James City before that but the land was purchased for apartments and the two moved.
Herbert was born June 10, 1905. His hearing is going but his mind is sharp. Zelmyra was born Dec. 10, 1907. She uses a walker to get around the house and yard. The two of them can still give their reasons for marrying on May 13, 1924.
"He was not mean; he was not a fighter," Zelmrya said. "He was quiet and kind. He was not much to look at but he was sweet."
Herbert said Zelmyra never gave him any trouble. "No! , no tro uble at all. We never argued, but we might have disagreed," he said.
Norma Godette, one of the couple's five children. said her parents have gotten along well through the years.
"One time, mama wanted to work. Daddy told her she could not work, that he could take care of the family. She slipped down to Cherry Point and got a job as a caretaker there," Godette said.
"Well, it was done; she got the job. I had to let it be," Herbert said.
Different religions did not tear the two apart. He is a member of Pilgrim Chapel Missionary Baptist Church . She is a member of Jones Chapel African Methodist E piscopal Zion Church . The churches are in James City , where they both grew up. For all of their married life they have attended their own churches. They go their own ways on Sunday morning.She reads the Bible daily. The two watch television together. "We separate when the baseball comes on," Zelmyra said.
Herbert loves baseball, especially the Atlanta Braves. He also enjoys golf, because one of his son-in-laws plays the game.
They have no secret or sage advice as to why their marriage has lasted so long. "I didn't know I would be married this long," Herbert said. "But I lived a nice holy life and go to church every Sunday.
"Yes sir, anything for her." Zelmyra said Herbert was the only boyfriend she ever had. "We got along good," she said. "There was no trouble." She said she is not tired of seeing him. "I didn't think I'd be married this long. He is quiet," she said. Zelmyra said her husband had no annoying habits. They both said they shared the title of "boss."
The two sit on the porch and as a train goes by they count the cars. They also watch the neighbors who walk by. "They were excellent parents," said Norma Godette. "We were poor, but we didn't do without a thing. If he had two cents he saved one cent."Herbert worked as a mechanic at the Coca-Cola Bottling Company in New Bern for 35 years.
He took a bicycle, caught a cab or had a neighbor drive him to work.
That hard work and savings put all five of the children through college.
Inside the house are plaques, letters of recognition, and awards that both the Fishers and their children received for accomplishments in civic duties and church. The house where they raised their children has two sitting rooms and three bedrooms. Now that the children are grown, the Fishers enjoy having a bedroom for each. Herbert Fisher can stay up until the last ball is thrown in the ball game he is watching. And he does. Herbert makes his bed each day and sweeps his floor.
He also checks on his wife as she rests. Between the rests, they enjoy their children, ten grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and nieces and nephews. Both say that if they had it to do over, they would not change their life.

article courtesy:sun journal
writer:francine sawyer

REMINDER

Ok Readers don’t forget to log onto http://www.whitehouse.gov/ to get an update on what’s going on with your government. We have to check these things periodically to stay abreast of the happenings. There is a BLOG and pictures there you can play catch up. They even have the text from his speeches up. So be in the KNOW!

Space Crash

I remember being a little girl in school and hearing my science teacher tell me that satellites would never collide because they are never in the same orbit, and that the geniuses that put them in orbit had that situation under control. The odds were 1,000,000 to one. Well, Well, Well earlier this week if you were a gambler you would have struck it rich if you bet on a collision. A U.S. communication satellite collided with a Russian satellite that is no longer in use. The collision happened over Siberia earlier this week. So now the space agency is worried that this will trigger other collisions, because now they have debris floating around up there. With the safety of future space missions in question because they will feel like it will be an issue with space shuttles coming in contact with debris and causing a major collision. WOW with all that happening the U.S. don’t have money to be cleaning up space. They can’t keep down the street from the white house clean…..LOL

????????

So what do you do when you want to make the best of what you have? You put in a lot of effort, time, and mental energy to make it the best and each effort seems to be shot down, because it seems to lack in one way or another? Maybe the person that shoots it down thinks that they are giving constructive criticism, are they genuine or do they shoot you down to keep you under control? Maybe its s something they are not familiar with so it cant be right, it has to be wrong because if it were right they would understand. How do you give your all to something that now seems like it’s draining almost like you are wasting your time and because its dear to you, you persevere but how much longer are you going to do that? Will what you do ever really be appreciated or is it always going to get looked over as an attempt to win? Is this some kind of weird test? Is this a how loyal are you quiz? Just having a REALLY weird day and decided I would pass on some of the questions running through my mind.

Is It Ever Ok for a Man to Hit a Woman?

Happy Hump Day!!!! Well it’s been the topic on every gossip site as well as news and TV shows. The Chris Brown Rihanna Debacle. These two pop stars have a tween and Teen age following and even though it isn’t there job to be role models some look up to them ,So it brings about a more important topic, Is It Ever Ok for a Man to Hit a Woman? What kind of message does this send to the younger generation? Do we as mothers want our sons to think its Ok to beat up there girlfriends? Do we want our daughters being punching bags? Do we want our son’s girlfriends to hit them and provoke them to anger, and how do we advise our kids to deal with these very real situations? Well I for one never felt as though it is right for a man to hit a woman, but than in a conversation it was brought up by a woman that she has intentionally provoked her man to hit her. I instantly thought of my son, how do I advise him to 1 avoid a crazy chic like her and 2 if he ends up in that situation I pray he find a way out without beating her. So than it leads me to believe that in some situations the male is actually the victim. I have said some things in an argument that I knew would push buttons sans why I don’t argue anymore, not worth the energy. So I have all kinds of scenarios in my head some right some not so right. I NEED YOUR HELP on this one. WHAT DO YOU THINK? IS IT EVER OK FOR A MAN TO HIT A WOMAN? HMMMMMM I look forward to your comments

Valentines Day

Well now is the time of year when people are racing the clock to be in some form of relationship for this Saturday “Valentines Day”. It’s the day of LOVE people want to be hit by cupid’s arrow. Some others are feeling the crunch of financial situations with the economy and aren’t sure if they will be able to do anything for their significant other. Well my personal opinion is that true love is understanding so if you can’t give a physical gift there are so many other ways to show appreciation and give affection to your loved one. You can give a full body massage to help them relax from the stressful work week, you can run bath water for your loved one, and for some of the lazier folks let them come home to a clean house, maybe cook dinner for them. We have so fallen into materialistic things that when we cannot provide them we feel bad. But your true love may not need a gift. They may just need to be near you and have your undivided attention because material things are great, but those moments where you can think back on you and his/her smiling or just enjoying each others company are a better memory and relationship builder. I love gifts, flowers, chocolates and so forth, but if he can’t afford to buy me those things. All he has to do is give me some time, maybe go for a ride, watch a movie, or do what couples do. Because I love experiences I am a journal writer so experiences are always good and fun to document. So as far as Valentines goes its great to give your love something material but if you can’t give them a memorable experience. It will last longer

Hello Kitty and MAC

For all of the make up lovers like myself who also have a closeted or open love for HELLO KITTY now is the time. There has been a perfect union between MAC cosmetics and HELLO KITTY. The line launched today and it is absolutely beautiful they also have make up accessories with the HELLO KITTY and MAC log’s on them. They have some sheer colors as well as pretty lipsticks in shades of pink and eye shadows in wonderful hues so if make up is your thing logon to http://www.maccosmetics.com/whats_new/collection.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CAT1227 and purchase because they are all limited edition and for a limited time only and once they are they will gone forever.

In The Cinemas This Weekend!!!!

Well let’s talk movies. This weekend I had the pleasure of taking in 2 movies I was able to enjoy the movie “Taken” which stars Liam Neeson. This movie is all that I expected it to be. For those of you that enjoy a good action movie with crazy car chases and awesome hand to hand combat I urge you to go and see “Taken”. This man goes above and beyond the call of duty to find his daughter. I think what I liked best about the movie is that none of his stunts were to outlandish, like I could see someone performing those stunts. He made sure he accomplished finding his daughter and getting her home so for all you action people I strongly recommend “Taken”.


Next movie up is “Push”. I enjoyed the storyline behind “Push” it has a cast of some new faces and some familiar ones but the effects in this one was good. It was a crazy sci fi theme with mutants and an organization (The Division) trying to control them and a race against time to change the future to a pleasant one. I have to say the little girl in this film Dakota Fanning was hilarious and good in her role she made you feel her plight. It also had Mr Djimon Hounsou in the role as a bad guy which he was pretty convincing. Overall I enjoyed this movie and the rollercoaster of action and strange mutants and their powers. So I would also recommend this for an action pack journey through Hong Kong where the movie was based.

So overall I enjoyed my movie experience this weekend and would recommend the 2 movies I saw this weekend.

PINK SLIP PARTY!!!

Happy Monday Morning Readers I hope you all had a great weekend, I know I did. Well in my weekend of reading and catching up I read on the new way to network for people who have been laid off. They call them Pink Slip Parties. It’s where unemployed professionals and sympathizers, recruiting firms, and direct hire companies all meet and network people have made contact as well as been hired for new jobs to make it thru in this uneasy job market. The Pink Slip Party Phenomenon has exploded in cities like Chicago, Seattle, New York, Denver, Philadelphia and DC. They started on Wall Street for people who was let go from struggling firms and the word spread. So when you attend one of these parties they give you a color coded bracelet at the door which identifies you as a job seeker, recruiter, or admissions rep. The people who organize these events are saying that the number of job seekers has grown, but they have seen a lot of success. So this is the new craze. I applaud people for being creative in this time where conventional ways are not working. I wish every one who attends these parties the best of luck.

ITS FRIDAY!!!

Readers I hope that you all enjoy your weekend. I know plenty of news will happen this weekend and we will have plenty to discuss some funny some not so funny. So have a ball. SEE YA ON MONDAY

Solar Eclipse

I just wanted to share some pictures that were emailed to me. On January26, 2009 there was a partial solar eclipse. I think these Pics are gorgeous.

HEY DRUG DEALER!

Well if you ever been in a situation, where you wanted to rid your neighborhood of drug dealers here is nice idea from a homeowner in York PA. Just put a sign up advising that police won’t stop them from their illegal activities.Put it on your window, and if they bust it out put it on the wood you cover up the window with.

6+8=14

Good After noon all I know I skipped a day but had to attend a seminar so I wasn’t near a PC to update. The topic of discussion today will be one that I have tried to avoid, because I am a little irritated with it. On January 26, 2009 a mother of 6 gave birth to living octuplets and all 8 babies and their mom were healthy. So the media talked about this miracle and how it was a wonder that all were healthy. Than her personal business started to sift out to the media surely but slowly and started to make headlines. This woman who gave birth to 8 babies is already a mother of 6 children ages ranging 2-7 years of age so now this Woman has 14 children. I still decided not to say anything cause you never know what her financial situation looks like, and I figured she had to have some type of plan because the doctor told her they implanted 6 embryos so she was at least expecting to have at least 12 children. But having a plan was not even the case; this woman has not worked since 2000 and has been collecting disability insurance for a back injury that she claims has her in constant pain from a riot in a psych ward. So she can’t work but she carries 8 babies to term? I don’t understand. She is not married and lives with her parents in a three bedroom house. So NOW I have something to say, first I want to blame the fertility clinic for doing the procedure, every doctor involved for their greed and lack of ethics, than I want to blame her parents for not putting a stop to this foolishness and not trying to bring their daughter to her senses. Now 14 children 8 of which are newborn are going to have to suffer because someone did not speak up. She is a manic depressive who has bouts of depression and I promise you 8 newborn will not help this problem. Because when all 8 start crying and screaming and she can’t get them to quiet down she will spiral into a serious depression or suicide attempt. I wish I could stay at home blame an injury and not work must be nice. I actually want more for my children; I could not imagine what it will be like when college rolls around, maybe they can all play a sport I mean heck 6 boys can play basketball or football or who knows ……there is always community college. But you know what this is America and stupid people like her always get rewarded so she will have a sponsor and won’t have to pay for anything, and won’t have to get a job. Shucks maybe even a reality show (GOD KNOWS WE DON’T NEED ANOTHER ONE OF THESE). THIS HAS GOT TO BE A JOKE!!!!!

WHERE ARE YOU?

Google is about to release people tracker a new tool where you can locate people on the go. Its an upgrade to its mobile map. The new software is to be released today and it will enable people with mobile phones and other wireless devices to be located. They (Google) are worried about privacy issues as am I. Why should any and everyone be able to know where you are? That is almost scary. They (Google) are saying that the last location picked up by tracking service will be stored on the computer, but I think that is a tad bit to much. The system can track users in the continental US and 26 other countries. So yeah when you say your at the store these days you better be at the store. I wonder if you will be able to go back and track the last 5 places a person has been. I think this will be interesting. Big Brother is in Full Effect.

WHAT IN THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!

The mother of this church is singing to Beyonce's single ladies.I had to share with you all cause thisis HILARIOUS!!!!

Salary Cuts for CEO's

Another News topic that has the water cooler buzzing this morning is the fact that president Obama wants to put a cap on the over paid executives pay, at least those that reached out to the government for corporate welfare. Those CEO’s will be capped at $500.000, I know what your thinking, do you know what I could do with 500.000 yeah me to, but 500.000 is a salary cut. Most of those CEO’s make 7 digits so for them their salary will be cut in half. Well I mean it could be worst they could get busted down to the salary of their executive assistant or something so they better not whine, as a matter of the fact when the company you work for is in financial crisis and you make 7 digits you should expect to loose some of that salary. And I mean as it was so nicely stated why should you be rewarded for failure? Also severance packages for executives who leave failing firms are also going to be eliminated so if you jump ship before it sinks you wont be getting a golden life boat to sail off in. I applaud this action cause if you are for the people we want you to prove it and this is a good start.

President Obama discuss Tom Daschle

Good Morning Readers! Today is a day of plenty of news. Well my first post is about The President recognizing he made a mistake in appointing Tom Daschle. He admitted to making a mistake in choosing him and apologized. The President was also questioned about his choice for the number 2 person at the pentagon. My Lynn being a former lobbyist for defense contracting firm Raytheon they asked if it were a proper choice. The president didn’t dance around questions he answered them and advised that he has thousands of people to appoint and that he is setting a standard for himself that no other president has set. And with that they moved on to discuss the stimulus package.

What follows is a partial transcript of CBS News anchor Katie Couric's interview with the president

Katie Couric: Mr. President, I wanted to start by asking you: Tom Daschle withdrew his name this afternoon, you issued a statement saying, quote, you accept his decision with "sadness and regret." Did you try to talk him out of it?President Barack Obama: Well, you know we had a conversation and obviously that conversation's private, but, uh, it's frustrating for me and it's something that I take responsibility for. Tom, I think, is an outstanding individual. I am absolutely convinced that he would've been the best person to help shepherd through what's going to be a very difficult process to get health care for American families.
But as he said yesterday, he made a mistake and a pretty big one when it came to these taxes. He didn't offer excuses and I don't think there is an excuse and what became apparent was that not only could this be a distraction, but I don't want my administration to be sending a message that there are two sets of rules: one for prominent people and one for ordinary folks who have to pay their taxes everyday. I think that we're going to move forward, learn from our mistakes. I will learn from mine and we still have this pressing problem of millions of people who are either losing their health care or can't afford the health care they've got and … I'm going to make sure we get a team in place to solve that problem.Couric: Questions have been raised about a number of your choices. Bill Richardson, Tim Geithner, now Tom Daschle. Then less than two hours before Tom Daschle bowed out, your pick for chief performance officer and deputy director of OMB dropped out because of her personal tax issues. Is there something wrong with your vetting process?Obama: Well, I, you know, don't think there's something wrong with the vetting process. I think that what happened, certainly, let's just take Tom as an example. I made a judgment that he was the best person possible for the job. I was very eager to make sure that we can deliver on a commitment that I have to deliver healthcare for the American people. I think I messed up. I screwed up in not recognizing the perception that even though this is an honest mistake, I believe, on Tom's part, that, you know, ordinary people are out there paying taxes every day and whether it's an intentional mistake or not, it was sending the wrong signal. So again, this was something that was my fault. I continue to consider Tom Daschle an outstanding public servant, uh, and what we're going to do now is make sure we get somebody confirmed and start moving forward.Couric: Meanwhile, a former lobbyist for the defense contracting firm Raytheon is slated to be the No. 2 person at the Pentagon. During the course of the campaign, you spoke passionately about ethics reform and against lobbyists. So what happened? It gives people the impression you talk the talk during the campaign, but now you're in office and you're not walking the walk.Obama: On this one … I'll disagree. Oon the other one, I think we screwed up. On this one, we've got the highest lobbyist … standards in terms of former lobbyists or people who want to influence the government being involved in our administration - the highest standard that's ever been set up. And I'm appointing thousands of people. Now, what I said in appointing Mr. Lynn was that this … along with maybe a handful, maybe three or four positions, may end up being so unique that we are going to make an exception.That doesn't obviate the fact that we are setting a standard that no other president has ever met. And it's the right standard. So, again, I've got thousands of appointments here. In this particular job, what we have to have is somebody who understands the procurement process, by statute has to understand not only government, but also how industry operates, and so we made one exception. But that does not negate the over-arching approach that we're taking on this thing which no other administration's ever taken.Couric: You don't think it's a slippery slope...Obama: No, I...Couric: You make one exception, one two three four five, multiple?Obama: No I think when you have thousands of people that you're appointing, as long as we disclose it. We're upfront which is exactly what we did, I mean, I came out and said we're making an exception here, so people didn't discover it. We weren't trying to sneak anything by anybody. I think the American people understand that we are moving in a new direction. It's not going to be perfect. There are going to be bumps and fits and starts on this thing. But as long as I stay focused on them and putting them back to work, making sure that they have health insurance, making sure their kids can afford college, cleaning up attitudes around here, including making sure that when I screw up that I'm taking responsibility for it. I think that people will feel that three or four or five years down the road that you know we set a new course.Couric: Lets talk about the stimulus package, which I think is what you really wanted to focus on today.Obama: Right. Well, this is the problem when you make these self-inflicted wounds, you end up being distracted really from the people's business.Couric: You met last night here at the White House with the Democratic leadership of the House and Senate. And word has it you were pretty blunt with them. What did you tell them?Obama: Well here's what I said. We have to act. We have to act now. We have to act in a way that is responsible and we have to make sure that our overarching focus is on putting people back to work. Marking sure small businesses can stay open. And the package that passed out of the House I think in a lot of ways has been unfairly maligned. If you look at the overarching package, it's got no earmarks in it.That's something that not even the current critics can say about budgets they had passed over the last 8 years. Most of the money is either going directly to families in the form of unemployment insurance or making sure that they've got health insurance if they've lost their job. Or it's designed to spark the economy by creating jobs in green technologies, in health care - making sure that we've got information technology system that drives down costs, that we're going to be training thousands of teachers across the country in math and science and investing in science and technology.So, what's happened, and this is what tends to happen in this town is people have plucked out this program or that program that doesn't look particularly simulative, the contraceptives issue being a primary example. If you add all that stuff up, it accounts from less than 1 percent of the overall package. Now that doesn't mean that the package can't improve and that's what I said to the leadership last night, "Let's improve it. Let's make this a package that is big enough for the moment, and is really focused on the American people." But I also wanna make sure that people don't get some notion which I think has been systematically promoted out there that this is full of silly spending 'cause it's not.Couric: Sen. Mitch McConnell said over the weekend that surely you're privately embarrassed by some of the product that came out of the house version and let me just mention some of the spending in this package: $6.2 billion for home weatherization, $100 million for children to learn green construction, $50 million for port modernization water and wastewater infrastructure needs in Guam, $50 million for the NEA, the National Endowment for the Arts. Even if some of these are a legitimate use of taxpayer dollars, Mr. President, why are they included in this bill designed to jumpstart the economy and create jobs right now?Obama: Lets take that example. I'm stunned that Mitch McConnell use this as an example.Couric: We actually got these examples, so you can't necessarily blame himObama: Well, let's think about it. We're going to weatherize homes, that immediately puts people back to work and we're going to train people who are out of work, including young people, to do the weatherization. As a consequence of weatherization, our energy bills go down and we reduce our dependence on foreign oil. What would be a more effective stimulus package than that? I mean, you're getting a threefer. Not only are you immediately putting people back to work but you're also saving families on your energy bills and you're laying the groundwork for long term energy independence. That's exactly the kind of program that we should be funding.Now, I think a more legitimate criticism that some people have leveled is while not all this money is going to be spending out right away. We're trying to balance the need for quick spending with the need for laying the groundwork for long term economic growth. And in some cases, some of the major energy plans or projects we have, some of the infrastructure projects that we have that are out there it may take three or four years to get all the money spent as opposed to the first year or two. now 75 percent of the money is spent in the first two years, 25 percent will be spent a little bit after that, that's where there are areas that we could potentially improve it and if Mitch McConnell or Harry Reid or anybody has a better idea of how to do it i'm happy to accept those ideas.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

WHAT DO YA THINK?

To all my reader I appreciate all the hits I know that you are reading, but why aren’t you commenting? I need some comments. Agree, Disagree, I want to know what you are thinking. Click the word comment under the post and let me know what you think.

Rebounding Economy?!?!?

Now I am trying to understand how the economy can rebound if the stimulus only aids the special interests of politicians. I understand why the GOP says it is wasteful and how will America rebound and be a financial power if we finance foolishness! we as the American people are the ones affected by this. We have to be more vocal and hold all politicians accountable for their actions. I think I am a tad bit irritated by this. Check this list out.

$2 billion earmark to re-start FutureGen, a near-zero emissions coal power plant in Illinois that the Department of Energy defunded last year because it said the project was inefficient.
• A $246 million tax break for Hollywood movie producers to buy motion picture film.
• $650 million for the digital television converter box coupon program.
• $88 million for the Coast Guard to design a new polar icebreaker (arctic ship).
• $448 million for constructing the Department of Homeland Security headquarters.
• $248 million for furniture at the new Homeland Security headquarters.
• $600 million to buy hybrid vehicles for federal employees.
• $400 million for the Centers for Disease Control to screen and prevent STD's.
• $1.4 billion for rural waste disposal programs.
• $125 million for the Washington sewer system.
• $150 million for Smithsonian museum facilities.
• $1 billion for the 2010 Census, which has a projected cost overrun of $3 billion.
• $75 million for "smoking cessation activities."
• $200 million for public computer centers at community colleges.
• $75 million for salaries of employees at the FBI.
• $25 million for tribal alcohol and substance abuse reduction.
• $500 million for flood reduction projects on the Mississippi River.
• $10 million to inspect canals in urban areas.
• $6 billion to turn federal buildings into "green" buildings.
• $500 million for state and local fire stations.
• $650 million for wildland fire management on forest service lands.
• $1.2 billion for "youth activities," including youth summer job programs.
• $88 million for renovating the headquarters of the Public Health Service.
• $412 million for CDC buildings and property.
• $500 million for building and repairing National Institutes of Health facilities in Bethesda, Maryland.
• $160 million for "paid volunteers" at the Corporation for National and Community Service.
• $5.5 million for "energy efficiency initiatives" at the Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration.
• $850 million for Amtrak.
• $100 million for reducing the hazard of lead-based paint.
• $75 million to construct a "security training" facility for State Department Security officers when they can be trained at existing facilities of other agencies.
• $110 million to the Farm Service Agency to upgrade computer systems.
• $200 million in funding for the lease of alternative energy vehicles for use on military installations

While I was getting ready for work this am I heard something that I found very interesting on the news, there is a college professor at Towson University who has some interesting criminal charges. His name Leonard Munyakazi has appeared on an Interpol wanted list for crimes against humanity and genocide. He is accused of committing mass murder in his country of origin Rwanda in 1994. The faculty and student interviews didn’t show any major signs of surprise; as a matter of fact he has made several statements about the situation in Rwanda that raised an alarm, the college is very aware of the statements and didn’t seemed concerned until now. He is there in a program called Scholar Rescue Fund, an organization that gives temporary jobs at us colleges to threatened minds… whatever that means. Now due to allegations he won’t be teaching this semester due to the allegations and won’t return until the investigation is over. Professor Munyakazi professes his innocence and denies being involved, but says that this is punishment for speaking against the Rwandan governments accounts of the conflict. This is interesting I will be following this one because I am actually curious as to how this wok out. ALL COMMENTS WELCOME

SWATTING

I was informed of a dangerous game that some teenagers play and they are using internet based phone to play it. Its called Swatting, when a call is made from an internet base phone service. The 911 call centers are not equipped to deal with these phone calls so they have to accept the word of the caller on their location. So in some instances the victims are in their beds asleep when police kick in their doors drag them out of bed and arrest them. Some people have been held for as long as 2 days in jail until it is realized that they are innocent. Some victims have suffered police brutality and have been assaulted in jail by inmates. There needs to be a major overhaul of the 911 system but from some reports there is no sense of urgency. They feel as though they handle more REAL emergencies than hoax calls. I guess police will have to roll up on someone’s home that carries a weapon who is trying to protect their home, and when police kill them I guess it will get fixed. I guess the community will have to speak up to have this fixed cause it would be a traumatic event for me to wake up to police kicking my door in cause a teenager is stoned on marijuana and did not have anything better to do. Just more evidence that we need to be more active in our local government, because this should not be acceptable under any circumstances. I would appreciate comments click on the bottom and tell me what you think. I also included a link tone of the stories about SWATTING. http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-technology/20090202/TEC.911.Swatting/

OH MY!!!!!

Well yesterday during the Super Bowl some viewers in Arizona got to see more than a football. Apparently some viewers were given a 10 second flash of Porn. ….I guess the person didn’t quite like the performance of “The Boss” Bruce Springsteen and needed to see a little more of a Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake kind of performance. Well I know some people were upset because it aired during the Cardinal’s touch down. The Cable provider apologized and says that they are investigating where the signal came from.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/02/super.bowl.porn/index.html

Polifacts

Well, well, well I have just been given the link to a website that is keeping up with all promises made all promised kept all compromises and actions for our new president Barack Obama. It has analyst and polls and it is just like the 1st 100 days website but it has more animation and comparisons on it. I wanted to share going to do my part to help reader stay abreast of their Government and what happening. Take a look http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/

HAPPY MONDAY

HAPPY MONDAY ALL!!!! This weekend seemed to be one of those that flew by; it also was a weekend that had plenty of events. Well for some the largest story is that of the Pittsburgh Steelers winning their 6th super bowl. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH Congrats to those fanatical fans who were running around screaming I told ya so. But I will say that for a young team from the parts of the game I did watch they played a good game and almost won so better luck next time.


The second largest story of the day is that of Michael Phelps being photographed Smoking on some Ganja. Now I find this hilarious, and let me tell you why. Mr. Phelps is not new to negative spotlight, he has been arrested for DUI before so why would a little weed be too far behind it. What does make me curious as to why he allowed himself to be photographed? I know we live in the day and age of no privacy with camera and video phones so I know he is aware of that also so why didn’t he wait to puff, puff, pass until he was in a safe and secure place. I am not mad that he smoked I am mad that he did it in public to get caught now his lively hood is on the line. I read that an athlete who is caught using drugs can not participate in Olympics for 4 years so I want to know how this will play out. SO now I am waiting for those announcements from sponsors who will be using their morals clause to get out of the endorsement deals. I hope he learns from this and that he will keep his questionable activities in his home.


Also in the spotlight is former Maryland Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele winning the republican national committee chairmanship. It is proof that it’s not just a new day for democrats but that the Republican Party has also realized that it’s all about qualification. Mr. Steele says he is thankful for the new seat and looks forward to leading his party; He also wants to take the tarnish off of the republican shine. He has plan that is written out in blue print I am impressed. He seems to be very intelligent and ready for the task he has, he even wrote that he knows the people no longer trust the Republican Party so they now have to regain the trust of the American people. He also stated that he is excited with the members of his party for not supporting President Obama on the stimulus plan, so it seems they will be giving him a battle all the way .Good Luck to you Mr. Steele you have your work cut out for you.