Michael Steele, RNC, WTF?!!!!!!

For links to above stories from The Huffington Post:
1) Voyeur
2) RNC Hypocrisy
3) Tone Deaf

Friday Funnies: Maxine's Senior Health Care Option

So you're a senior citizen and the government says,

“No health care for you!”

What do you do? 

Maxine's plan gives anyone 65 years or older a gun and 4 bullets. You are allowed to shoot 2 senators and 2 representatives.  Of course, this means you will be sent to prison where you will get 3 meals a day, a roof over your head, and all the health care you need! New teeth, no problem.  Need glasses, great.  New hip, knees, kidney, lungs, heart?  All covered.

And your kids can come and visit you as often as they do now.

Who will be paying for all of this?  The same government that just told you you’re too old for health care. Plus, because you are a prisoner, you don't have to pay income taxes any more.

IS THIS A GREAT COUNTRY OR WHAT?

Health Care Reform Bill: What Happens Now?

from AP:
A companion package making a series of changes sought by House Democrats to the larger bill, which already passed the Senate, was approved 220-211. The fix-it bill will now go to the Senate, where debate is expected to begin as early as Tuesday. Senate Democrats hope to approve it unchanged and send it directly to Obama, though Republicans intend to attempt parliamentary objections that could change the bill and require it to go back to the House.

Sen. John McCain said Monday morning that Democrats have not heard the last of the health care debate, and said he was repulsed by "all this euphoria going on."

Read the entire story.

In your face Teabaggers!

Health Care Reform Passes 219-212!!!

Shouts of "Yes we can!" heard on the floor.  Read all about it here.

Image below uploaded from The Huffington Post

Happy Vernal Equinox!

Images of Spring by Cole Scott Photography
In order as shown:  Violas (pansies) in morning dew, apple blossoms, tulips, dandelions, bee on a Cosmos,  Pinks (dianthus),  Easter lily

 

Mustang Sally

'68 Mustang  Seafoam green with black landau top

My dad bought a 1968 289 V8 Mustang brand spankin' new. She became my favorite car in the world although he did not buy it for me.  This was his racy little car, a departure from the Plymouth and Ford sedans he usually drove.  She was sea foam green with a black Landau top, two-tone bucket seats in pearlescent colors Ford called  Ivy Gold.  She was fully equipped with A/C, AM/FM radio, white walls and chrome wheel caps with the Mustang emblem on them.  She seated two comfortably in the front and two uncomfortably in the rear.  I usually crammed three in the rear as none of my girlfriends had cars so we took turns driving our parents'. We once made the six hour drive to Mammoth with five girls in the car plus our skis and poles inside down the middle between the bucket seats and our luggage crammed into the trunk, listening to Wolfman Jack on XETRA radio out of Mexico.

Dad always told me he'd never give me a car but he eventually gave me the Mustang.  It was many years later, 1974, before my final year of college.   I needed a car and he wanted a new one so I lucked out big time.  I kept this car until 1982 when I felt I had to sell it because I was putting over 500 miles p/w in sales in San Diego County.  At this point, we'd had her restored and she was a beautiful yellow with a new black top, all back interior and chrome wire wheels...way more sporty than the original colors.   Restoring a car not to original specs is a no no but I wanted something a little more sexy than seafoam green.   She was on her third or fourth engine by then.  We had the work done in South LA where alot of cars were restored, retro-fitted and such. They did her proud.  Great interior, looked terrific.

Letting her go was painful but I did not want to risk the wear and tear of high mileage.  I found a guy in his early twenties who was crazy about her and sold her for $3500, just $300 more than Dad originally paid.  I've never forgotten her and I still gaze at Mustangs with wonder whenever I see a classic.

Driving in cars with Boys or Whoever had one!

Growing up in the Sixties, we were all about cars:  muscle cars, surf wagons, VW, low riders and dune buggies.  That's what I remember.  Those who had the mechanical ability from taking shop or learning from their dad's, bought & fixed up  whatever they could afford and that made for some pretty spectacular restorations.
 
My husband had a '64 GTO.  Several of my close friends had Chevy Impalas low to the ground w/ hydraulics, one guy had an old rounded Chevy with bright red metal flake paint and the coolest tuck & roll you ever saw.  Those who saved their own money to buy a car bought a VW.  As I recall you could buy a new Bug for about $1200.

One high school boyfriend of mine had a dune buggy which was a blast!  We'd take it down to the beach, north of  Trancas, on  PCH and ride up and down big dunes.  The surfers had VW vans or station wagons.  The lucky ones found old Woodies and fixed them up.   The woodies were becoming scarce by the late Sixties.  They were already collectible and it became quite a sight to see one.  VW camper vans loaded with surfboards and teenagers are what I remember best.  By the early '70s they were the preferred mode of travel for anyone who surfed
or skiied.

 As a girl, I didn't need a car.  I bummed rides with my friends.  As a guy, you had to have a car.  L.A. is a big place and you could not expect to do much of anything w/o one as my husband so often points out.  It was great to drive the LA freeways in those days.  Traffic was only morning and afternoon drive, evenings were wide open.  We could be at the beach, in Westwood, in Hollywood or even at the airport in 45 minutes.  Try that now.

Guns in Public

We are currently in the midst of gun law change and  I am TOTALLY FREAKING OUT!  If I enter a store and see someone packing a gun in a holster, I'll be outta there so fast.  I hate guns.  I fear guns.  I fear people who feel the need, the entitlement, to carry them. 

The Starbucks statement of March 3rd made me aware of this shift in sentiment,

"We comply with local laws and statutes in all the communities we serve. In this case, 43 of the 50 U.S. states have open carry weapon laws..."

WTF?! Starbucks may feel they have to comply but they're taking the corporate easy way out by not making a stand.  If you believe in gun control, refuse to allow people packing pistols in your shop.  If you're a fan of the NRA, by all means, support those same pistol packers, welcome them with open arms. 

I guess my question is, if you can post a sign that says you "...maintain the right to refuse service to anyone without a shirt or shoes"  why can you not do the same with a gun?

At present, the Supreme Court is reviewing a Second Amendment case, McDonald vs Chicago, that will, most likely, further weaken gun control especially with the conservative make up of the court & a pro gun advocate like Justice Antonin Scalia.

Did you know 43 out of 50 states allow you to carry a gun in public.  Back to the days of yesteryear...when men were men and women couldn't vote or own property. Yeah, that's what I'm sayin'. 

Liz Cheney Gets Comeuppance from Kenneth Starr

Pinch me!   Mz Liz and her white sheeted gang from Keep America Safe are being criticized, strongly, by members of her own party!

Ken Starr, not a man I admire thanks to his relentless pursuit of Bill Clinton during his presidency said 
"They knew it was going to be controversial, but they deserve commendation,” Starr said of the Justice Department lawyers. “They do not deserve criticism at all... This was very unwise and really an out of bounds characterization and challenge to good, honorable lawyers."  more from Politico.

And, lest we forget...

"Four years ago, senior Bush administration officials fired nine diligent, competent, respected, Republican-appointed federal prosecutors because they were deemed insufficiently conservative to be trusted with such high office. It was a disgrace and the resulting scandal, which we now know as the U.S. Attorney scandal, set back the Justice Department for years.  Now another nine government laywers, this time Democrat-appointed ones, are under siegeby some of the very same conservative operatives who devoured their own in 2005 and 2006."     more from The Atlantic

Speaking of devouring, Stephen Colbert did this unwitting parody of one of the  original DOJ lawyers in the 2006 Attorney scandal.  He might as well re-run it today.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Neal Katyal
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Skate Expectations

Liz Cheney: The Apple Doesn't Fall Far From the Tree

Liz Cheney, daughter of Darth Vader, I mean, Dick Cheney, is being taken to task by members of her own party who see her group Keep America Safe (cough cough) as under handed, over-the-top, McCarthy like, etc.


Now that you've all had a chance to enjoy this bit of unvarnished, unbiased info from the aforesaid group, here's what the media reports.

from The Huffington Post :
The backlash is growing against Liz Cheney after she demonized Department of Justice attorneys as terrorist sympathizers for their past legal work defending Gitmo detainees -- and now it's coming from within deeply conservative legal circles.

from Daily Latest News :
Cheney’s efforts were called “vicious” and “unfounded”, by Author Paul Mirengoff, when she branded DOJ officials the “Al Qaeda 7″, in order to to criticize defense lawyers for doing work on behalf of Gitmo detainees. Mirengoff offered a sharp bawl out when reached on the phone, opposite to what Cheney has done to anti-communist crusades, which have been launched by Sen. Joseph McCarthy, it can still be worse than few assumptions made by Mc Carthy as per the assumptions validated by him as quoted by Mirengoff.

Cannot wait to hear what Stewart & Colbert have to say. 

lifted from one of my favorite blogs, The Political Carnival

Oscar Night

I'm watching the Oscars as I do every year since I can remember.  When I was little, I watched it because my mother watched it.  When I was a teenager and young woman, I watched it because I'd made sure to see all the movies beforehand and wanted to find out if my favorites won.

Now I just watch it for the clothes.

Battle of the Presidential Wannabes vs Battle of the Late Night Stars

Some pretty fascinating conversations going on after Sarah Palin's appearance on Leno vs Mitt Romney's on Letterman. Not only are the talking heads saying Palin trounced Romney for viewership but the media watchers are wondering if Leno will regain his crown as King of Late Night or is this just a bounce for his return to the "Tonight Show"?

The most interesting piece I've read about it comes from a Twitterer known as SymbolMan who was in the Leno audience for Sarah's debut as a stand up comedian. He says it was laughtracked, the audience was silent or jeerish (a new word I made up) and she was poorly received. For more on this visit The Political Carnival where I first read his take.  After he discusses the SFX of laughter for Sarah Palin he lambastes Leno for the sell out.  Makes for a compelling read.

Beware the Bogey Man According to the GOP

By now you've most likely heard about this.  The Power Point presentation of confidential Republican party strategy for campaign fundraising to fight the "evil empire".

For more on the dastardly dealings of the rampant Right and their plan to bring down the Obama administration, go here or here or here.

Why You Should Move Your Money!

I'm picking up the thread of another post I wrote for "Empty Nest Evolution", my other blog.  It concerns the Move Your Money movement.  CBS Sunday Morning produced an interesting feature today and I thought I'd follow up to see what's been happening to the movement since I first heard about it on ABC's World News Tonight.



My husband and I have moved the majority of our money to a credit union and a private financial institution.  We've encouraged our sons to move their money and I'm telling my friends and colleagues the same thing.  This feature covers the finer points of why you're better off in a smaller institution.