State of the Disunion

i haven't been blogging as much as i would like. i think of things i'd like to write often, but do not have the time or a handy computer when it happens. Sometimes i write on paper, but it doesn't flow as well then, nor does it usually find its way here.

i am so tired of writing about what other people have said or written. Don't get me wrong, i love reading books and watching movies, then talking about it, or writing fanfiction, but i'm beginning to wonder if i will ever have and original enough thought to write my own books or articles. i actually have two ideas for a story right now, not to mention ideas for modern day fairy tales (though i'm not sure those would be worth my time), but both of them would require a lot of research. i don't have time to research, i need to write a 5-8 page on Hamlet within the next two weeks. Plus i have a new job, which is great for the wallet, but not so great for studying or playing WoW or writing.

Speaking of which, i need to study right now, never mind the myriad of things i would like to write about at the moment. Twilight starts tomorrow, i really, really want to see it (got to let Hollywood know that geeks like me are interested in anti-feminist films based on fantasy books), but with my annotated bibliography for Hamlet is due Tuesday, so i'm not sure that i'll have the time. Anyways, back to the books i guess.

Re: my modern day fairy tale

This isn't really what i was aiming for, but my story had to be within the guidelines of the assignment. i really wanted to write that Sleeping Beauty's attendants were in suspended animation or cryo-freeze in a spaceship, or something to that affect. I was also intrigued by the fact that her prince raped her in the original, she has twins, and one of the babies sucks her finger, dislodging the flax from under her nail. In a modern story none of these women would settle for these men or vice versa. Are we too picky today? Cuz my perception is that all these protagonists are a bunch of selfish idiots when all is said and done.

Twilight, in my opinion, is in a way a modern telling of Beauty and the Beast, not that it follows the storyline exactly, but it has the same concepts. Tbh, in my story i wanted to make the female the one in the fat suit, and the "beauty" actually be a hunky guy, but i felt that the multiples birth via fertility drugs. Actually, only two babies seems a bit unlikely, 3-5 sounds more precise, but i didn't have the room to flesh out so many characters in 5 pages, so loosely combined two stories for each character. Aurora was meant to be Sleeping Beauty and Snow White, with more involvement from the stepmother (which in the original was actually her mother: who knew), while Bella is more clearly Beauty and Cinderella. Anyway, off to class, i'm going to be late. ):

Sleeping Aurora and Beautiful Bella (for Children's Lit)

Not so long ago there lived a beautiful woman who was happily married to the CEO of an important company. She had everything her heart could desire—the high rise apartment, the designer wardrobe, the charity functions—except one: no matter how hard they tried, she and her husband could not have a baby. They had tried all sorts of positions, drugs, doctors, and therapies, everything that money could buy, to no avail, until at long last an experimental treatment was found. Nine months later she gave birth to twin girls; she and her husband named them Aurora and Bella.

Because the mother had lots of society friends, she threw a lovely party in honor of her baby girls. Unfortunately, the post office had lost one of the invitations, the one meant for her Wiccan sister, and so on the day of the party her sister stormed in, enraged that she had been slighted in such a way. Her sister was just as beautiful as she was, but living in her shadow as a child had made the sister mean and cruel. The sister declared that the family would lose all of its money, her sister would die a premature death, Aurora would be also doomed to an early death inflicted by spindle, and Bella was fated to live the rest of her life in rags. After making this pronouncement, the sister left just as abruptly as she had arrived, leaving the mother and her friends to laugh at such outrageous claims.

Seven years later the mother died abruptly of cancer. Over time, the father fell in love with his wife’s sister and they married; he was never aware of the curse she had placed on him and his daughters. Eight years later his company went bankrupt. He had many debts and no way to pay them. Unfortunately, he was also facing a divorce and criminal charges concerning the way his company had been handled. The bankruptcy was through no fault of his own: in fact, his new wife had embezzled the money right under his nose. Unfortunately the evidence against him was too great; he was convicted of the crime, while his new wife lived comfortably with her pilfered cash.

Meanwhile, she treated her nieces horribly, but because she was their stepmother she was also their legal guardian. Both girls were forced to clean and cook, as if they were hired help, and barely had enough to eat and only one set of clothes to wear. She withdrew them from their private schools and forbade them from talking to their father or friends. Their stepmother was not content with this punishment, she was tired of hearing all of her sister’s old friends saying behind her back that her daughters were more beautiful than she or their mother. She decided to send Bella to marry an old business associate of her husbands who was hideously fat and try to decide what the best torture would be for Aurora, while meanwhile forcing her to do all the chores that the girls had previously shared.

Bella’s new home was outside the city, on a lovely old estate with a garden, aviary, library, pool, and state of the art theater. She was no longer forced to do chores, but spent her days reading, or walking, or listening to the birds sing, or watching movies. She only saw her intended each night, at dinner, and each night he asked her if she would marry him, and each night she refused, claiming that she was too young and did not know him well enough yet. She missed her sister, and kept having strange dreams about Aurora being in danger and of a young man who was incredibly handsome.

Meanwhile, Aurora had run away from home and fallen in with a Celtic band with seven young men in it. She cooked and cleaned for them while they toured, and they gave her a free place to sleep in return. One weekend they were booked at a renaissance faire, which was a nice change of pace for her, because she had never been to one. There were all kinds of things to see: jousting, Falconers, belly dancers, and some older women demonstrating weaving and spinning. She’d never seen anything like spinning before, and was eager to try it. Unluckily, Aurora pricked her finger on the spindle that the elderly woman dropped while passing it to her, tripped over a basket of wool trying to catch it, and hit her head on a rock and fell into a coma.

The band made sure Aurora got to the hospital and had the best doctors they could afford looking after her, even though they weren’t very well off. They found Bella’s new phone number in Aurora’s purse, and called her to let her know that her sister was comatose. That night Bella begged her suitor to let her go see her sister. She could not bear to think of Aurora alone and permanently asleep. Surely there was some hope to be had. While laying out her petition, Bella really looked at the man she sat across from for the first time: he had kind eyes that seemed familiar, and a pleasant voice. He told her that she could go as long as she promised to return as soon as her sister was well. Thinking that her sister may never get well, Bella agreed.

Bella spent that night at her sister’s side. The next morning, a doctor came and introduced himself to her, telling her that he was a neural surgeon and believed that he had a solution to Aurora’s condition, but it would require surgery. The next few hours were tense for Bella. Aurora finally came out of surgery, still unconscious, her condition touch and go, but still alive. Bella fell asleep that night and dreamed of the same young man as she had before. He promised her that everything would be all right and that he would take care of her.

The next morning, Aurora woke back up. She was overjoyed to see Bella and incredibly grateful to the young doctor who had saved her life. Bella could see the sparks between them and was sure that the doctor was going to become a fixture in Aurora’s life, he was so kind and had taken the time to buy her new clothes and a wig to cover up the bald spot she had acquired in surgery prep. During the surgery he had discovered a small brain tumor; tests indicated that it was benign, that they had caught it at the perfect time. Aurora did not have cancer. He also told her that the entire bill had been taken care of by a large gentleman. Upon further questioning of the nurses, all Bella could discern was that he had been a very round fellow that was incredibly nice.

That night, Bella remembered her promise. She told Aurora she would return the next day and rushed back to the country manor. When she arrived, she rushed about the house, trying to find the man of the house, but the place was empty. That night at dinner, the man asked her again if she would marry him, and she said yes. She was sure that he had been the one to pay her sister’s medical bills and felt she owed him this small kindness.

As soon as she said yes, the man stood, took off his evening jacket, and began to take off his shirt. Bella was aghast at first, averted her eyes, because she was unwilling to see his body bared and be repulsed. She did not want to be ashamed of him when she strongly suspected that he had paid her great kindness. However, it was soon clear to see that there wasn’t flesh under his clothes, rather, he wore a padded suit. He unzipped the disguise and stepped out. His build was, in reality, athletic. Next he lifted his hands to his face… and began to peel it off. He pudgy cheeks and bad complexion had been nothing but a mask. The man before her was the one she had dreamed about so many times, he had been the one who provided for Aurora’s medical bills.

Within the next few months, Aurora and Bella’s father’s appeal was successful, and his lawyer was able to prove that the stepmother had taken the money. Aurora and the doctor were dating; she had fully recovered and was learning how to play guitar from one of the guys in the band. Bella and her fiancé had fallen deeply in love, and she had never been happier in her entire life. It was hard for them to imagine after so much heartache, but it did truly seem that all of them were going to live happily ever after… except, of course, the stepmother.

To Revenge or Not to Revenge? (for Brit Lit)

Revenge is not a new concept; the first murder—when Cain killed Abel—might be construed as revenge. The former brother killed the latter because he had found greater favor with God. In the same way, William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, considers men that potentially “hath the primal eldest curse upon 't” (Hamlet III, iii, 38) because it is all about revenge taken by three sons avenging their fathers, with players ranging from Fortinbras, to Hamlet, and Laertes. Oddly enough, the effects of these revenges and the reactions them are not at all what one might expect.

The play’s first revenger, Fortinbras, has both the first and final word. At the beginning of the play, he is forming an army in order to attack Denmark (I, i, 81-107), despite the fact that the target of his revenge—King Hamlet—is dead (I, ii, 17-39). It is obvious that Claudio does not feel that Fortinbras has a valid reason for taking revenge upon him or Denmark, he dismisses his claims almost casually, proclaiming: “So much for him” (I, ii, 25). Horatio describes him as being: “of unimprovèd mettle hot and full” (i, 95). Even Fortinbras’ uncle rebukes him and makes him “vow.../To give th’ assay of arms against” Denmark (II, ii, 70-71). This form of revenge is clearly looked down upon: King Hamlet’s actions were legal and Fortinbras has no real claim (I, i, 86-95).

This, however, does not stop him from not only getting back what his father lost but presumably claiming all of Denmark for himself in the end. In an odd twist of fate, Hamlet dies proclaiming: “I do prophesy the election lights / On Fortinbras. He has my dying voice” (V, ii, 353-354). In the end not only is Fortinbras’ revenge served, it is presumably not fought against because Fortinbras has “some rights of memory in this kingdom” (390). If Shakespeare’s message comes directly from the mouths of his characters, in this instance he does not seem to disapprove of revenge, even when it just happens to show up at the right time, with all of the players already dead by other hands, in a place it was not supposed to be. Perhaps Fortinbras’ hands are cleaner than the other two sons’, however: he was not the individual who actually performed the act of revenge, he merely benefited from others’ actions.

Hamlet’s first reaction to the ghost seems to be that he trusts its report and will obey its command (I, v, 104-112), but two months later he still has yet to take revenge on Claudio (III, ii, 122). The stigma against revenge is a Christian one, yet Hamlet does not apparently believe in the concept of Heaven and is wondering what exactly does happen after death when he muses:

To die, to sleep—
No more—and by a sleep to say we end
The heartache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to—'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wished! To die, to sleep.
To sleep, perchance to dream—ay, there's the rub,
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause. There's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life. (III, i, 62-71)

Conversely, the difference between the play’s other revengers and Hamlet is that he does not simply want Claudio to die: he wants him to go to Hell (which is also quite a contradiction, if he does not actually believe in Heaven). He stays his hand, saying:

Now might I do it pat. Now he is a-praying.
And now I'll do 't. And so he goes to heaven.
And so am I revenged.—That would be scanned.
A villain kills my father, and, for that,
I, his sole son, do this same villain send To heaven.
Oh, this is hire and salary, not revenge. (III, iii, 73-79)

Hamlet is meant to be the play’s protagonist, its hero, and yet his heart is the darkest of the three revengers. He does not merely wish to be executioner, but judge and jury as well. Simply put, he wants to play the part of God. But staying his hand in this moment turns out to be his damnation. If he would have struck in this instance, Claudio would have gone to Hell because he has not truly repented, moreover Polonius, Ophelia, and Gertrude would not have died as a direct result of his actions. So, in this instance, Shakespeare seems to be saying that a quick revenge would have been the right choice to make.

Despite Polonius’ distasteful action, few would argue that eavesdropping should be punishable by death. As a result, Laertes revenge seems the most justified in many ways, though in many ways he is misled. When he storms the castle, Claudius soothes him, asking: “If you desire to know the certainty / Of your dear father's death, is 't writ in your revenge, / That, swoopstake, you will draw both friend and foe?” (IV, v, 140-142). He does not stand in the way of Laertes revenge (far from it); in fact he flatters him and encourages it (IV, vii, 70-138). Perhaps Claudius is not the best judge to turn to when discerning morality, but he is only trying to assuage the anger and sorrow of his queen and his people (11-24), therefore he must feel as if he can judge their reactions and what he will obtain in the bargain.

It is therefore the ultimate irony that Claudius endorses his own death. To Gertrude he soothes: “There's such divinity doth hedge a king / That treason can but peep to what it would / Acts little of his will” (IV, v, 123-125), while he was the original perpetrator against King Hamlet. To Laertes he promises: “If by direct or by collateral hand / They find us touched, we will our kingdom give, / Our crown, our life, and all that we can ours, / To you in satisfaction” (204-207). It is Claudius’ actions that provoked Hamlet’s murder of Polonius and therefore Hamlet’s revenge upon Claudius that atones for said crime. Laertes ultimately repents of his revenge, declares Claudius “justly served”, forgives Hamlet, and asks Hamlet to forgive him (V, ii, 322-326).

Hamlet is a tangled web of lies and deceit. It is difficult to judge whether Shakespeare was endorsing or censuring the actions of his protagonist and supporting players when he wrapped it up with what one is tempted to label “poetic justice.” He seems sympathetic of their plight in many ways, but brings all of it to a bloody end. It is hard to see any good coming of this situation, but since the reader cannot rewrite the play so Hamlet halts Claudius’ prayers, perhaps this is the best ending that he could give.

Life in the Dust (for Children's Lit)

Setting plays a large role in Karen Hesse’s Out of the Dust: fourteen year old Billie Jo Kelby lives in the panhandle of Oklahoma, the Dust Bowl, during the Great Depression. During a time when many people are uprooted, searching for work, and starving, Billie Jo discovers that where she lives is a part of herself and digs her roots down deep.

In the Dust Bowl there is a drought and not enough sod to keep the soil from blowing away. The parched land has turned to dust and nothing wants to grow in the soil anymore. Farms did well during World War I, when Europe needed the wheat to survive, but now everyone’s resources have been overextended and everyone is barely getting by. The land isn’t supporting the people anymore, let alone their animals.

Billie Jo’s family goes without and pinches pennies to get by, but they still give to those in need, even when they can’t really afford to give. Children today usually don’t have to worry about going without, or saving nickels, or wondering if the cashier has cheated you out of four pennies. It’s amazing when one realizes that Billie Jo wants to win a talent show so she can win a dollar, and the grand prize is three dollars. The economy has definitely inflated in the past fifty years.

The two things that are most special to Billie Jo are apples and music. Her mother planted two apple trees when she got married and carries pails of water to keep them alive. Every year the family has fresh apples, applesauce, and apple preserves. They put a bowl of apples on top of the piano, which was the father’s wedding gift to the mother. Billie Jo’s mother taught her how to play that piano and now she loves to perform. She dreams of her music taking her away from the dust someday. Her mother plays better than she can, and she dreams of someday playing so beautifully and finding someone that loves her the way her father loves her mother.

When Billie Jo’s mother dies, and her hands are burnt, she can’t play anymore. The piano was her mother’s, so it hurts to think of playing. It hurts to use her hands. Everything hurts. It takes a long time for Billie Jo to heal; she has to run away before she can realize that she is already where she belongs, that the dust is her home, that some things are worth fighting for.

However, it’s not really clear how she comes to this conclusion. The change is abrupt: first she gets on a train, she meets a hobo who has abandoned his family, he steals her food, and then she gets off the train in Arizona and decides to go home. She has dreamt of going to California, of escaping the dust, for the entire book, but she had not made any discernible plans to do so. She does not find the money her mother put aside for college until after she returns home. She hasn’t returned to her piano playing yet, so it is not clear how she intends to support herself. She suddenly decides to leave and just as suddenly decides to return. She never actually gets to her destination, and apparently discovers that she was already where she wanted to be. I suppose this is a practical view on life, something that we all experience from time to time, but also what some part of us usually wants to deny. I suppose this book is saying that you need to make sure you’re fighting for the right things.

wow

Someone who is more upset than i am

what Change.gov says about free college

100 hours of community service for $4000 What a ripoff. That's not free, and it certainly isn't guaranteeing that everyone can get a higher education, that won't even cover an entire freshman year, not really, even if they go to podunk MSC like i do.

on the radio...

i heard Mr. Malone be interviewed a few days ago, i think on Sean Hannity. His background and story really struck a cord with me.

Change.gov - Protecting America

Agenda #4 - Homeland Security
Overall, there are several vague criticisms of the lack of security, no doubt aimed at the current administration, but there aren't and specific solutions given. He apparently wants to dump more funding into intelligence (yay, more spending).

"Find, Disrupt, and Destroy Al Qaeda: Obama will responsibly end the war in Iraq and focus on the right battlefield in Afghanistan. An Obama Administration will work with other nations to strengthen their capacity to eliminate shared enemies."

Meanwhile the left battlefields will go unwatched (/jk /jk). i am dubious of this claim in light of Obama's stated diplomatic policies, however, i have no problem with renewing focus on Afghanistan.

This is my favorite, i heard about it on Rush earlier today:

Barack Obama will establish a $2 billion Global Education Fund to work to eliminate the global education deficit and offer an alternative to extremist schools.

Yay, we're going to pay to educate would-be terrorists.

The next two points, when compared to one another, just crack me up:

"Eliminate Iran's and North Korea's Nuclear Weapons Programs Through Tough, Direct Diplomacy: Barack Obama will use tough diplomacy - backed by real incentives and real pressures - to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and to eliminate fully and verifiably North Korea's nuclear weapons program." ... "Prevent Nuclear Fuel from Becoming Nuclear Bombs: Barack Obama will work with other interested governments to establish a new international nuclear energy architecture - including an international nuclear fuel bank, international nuclear fuel cycle centers, and reliable fuel supply assurances - to meet growing demands for nuclear power without contributing to the proliferation of nuclear materials and fuel production facilities."

Yes, you read right, Obama wants to follow Clinton's example and give countries that are hostile towards us nuclear power and just hope that they don't develop nuclear weapons because we've been so nice. This is why we're having so much trouble with North Korea. i am wondering how he plans to get any farther with NK or Iran than Bush did when he will not set any preconditions before meeting with these world leaders. Again, Obama wants to make it easier for countries to get their hands on nuclear materials and this is supposed to help defend us. One thing that is a relief, however, is his promise that America will not disarm itself. The irony of this is that he wants to provide the world with nuclear power but denies it to Americans.

Re: Preventing Bioterrorism

"Barack Obama will ensure that decision-makers have the information and communication tools they need to manage disease outbreaks by linking health care providers, hospitals, and public health agencies."

Yet another reason to federalize healthcare?

Here is a nice little bit that i didn't expect about Information Network Security:

"Nearly 10 million Americans are victims of identity theft each year, costing more than $55 billion. We must ensure that the privacy of personnel data in computer systems is better protected. The federal government must partner with industry and our citizens to secure personal data stored on government and private systems. An Obama administration will institute a common standard for securing such data across industries and will back strong legislation to protect the rights of individuals in the information age."

Homeland Security is one area where i felt that Bush was a bit lax. i am not for losing individual freedoms in order to be safer. i don't think an expensive chain link fence is the answer. At the same time, Obama seems to be looking largely abroad, which is pro-active, but what about what's going on here, in this country?

"Create a National Infrastructure Protection Plan: Barack Obama's Department of Homeland Security will develop an effective critical infrastructure protection and resiliency plan for the nation and will work with the private sector to ensure that targets are protected against both natural disasters and terrorist attacks."

This apparently includes chemical plants, airline security, ports, and public transportation. Finally, something that is positive and productive! They also mention border security, but they don't say how they plan to deal with the issue. Hopefully Obama will deliever here; far too often i feel as if his image is saying one thing while he really means another that is completely different.

Create a National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank: Barack Obama will address the infrastructure challenge by creating a National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank to expand and enhance, not supplant, existing federal transportation investments. This independent entity will be directed to invest in our nation's most challenging transportation infrastructure needs, without the influence of special interests. The Bank will receive an infusion of federal money, $60 billion over 10 years, to provide financing to transportation infrastructure projects across the nation.

I'm not entirely sure what to make of this, other than the fact that it equals yet more spending. The language is far too vague for me to comment.

Change.gov - Iraq

Apparently, the most important thing to Obama is not, as one might expect, national security, it is:

Agenda #2 - Ending the War in Iraq

"Inadequate Security and Political Progress in Iraq: Since the surge began, more than 1,000 American troops have died, and despite the improved security situation, the Iraqi government has not stepped forward to lead the Iraqi people and to reach the genuine political accommodation that was the stated purpose of the surge. Our troops have heroically helped reduce civilian casualties in Iraq to early 2006 levels. This is a testament to our military’s hard work, improved counterinsurgency tactics, and enormous sacrifice by our troops and military families. It is also a consequence of the decision of many Sunnis to turn against al Qaeda in Iraq, and a lull in Shia militia activity. But the absence of genuine political accommodation in Iraq is a direct result of President Bush’s failure to hold the Iraqi government accountable."

So, as i understand it, the "failure" in Iraq is not the military's fault, it is the government's in Iraq. Wow, way to open your diplomatic relations with them, by accusing them of ineptness. Also, fail to mention how the troop surges have helped and deaths there is at the lowest since the war began.

"Immediately upon taking office, Obama will give his Secretary of Defense and military commanders a new mission in Iraq: ending the war."

That's a new mission? Roflmao.

"The removal of our troops will be responsible and phased, directed by military commanders on the ground and done in consultation with the Iraqi government. Military experts believe we can safely redeploy combat brigades from Iraq at a pace of 1 to 2 brigades a month that would remove them in 16 months. That would be the summer of 2010 – more than 7 years after the war began.

Under the Obama-Biden plan, a residual force will remain in Iraq and in the region to conduct targeted counter-terrorism missions against al Qaeda in Iraq and to protect American diplomatic and civilian personnel. They will not build permanent bases in Iraq, but will continue efforts to train and support the Iraqi security forces as long as Iraqi leaders move toward political reconciliation and away from sectarianism."

How is this change? This is what Bush and McCain both said the objective was.

Anyway, the article goes on to say that it's the fault of the government in Iraq that the war has "failed" and the diplomacy is the solution, diplomacy in the form of standing over their shoulder and making sure they do things our way (in other words, what we want is what's most important and it's our way or the highway).

"Obama and Biden will form an international working group to address this crisis. They will provide at least $2 billion to expand services to Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries, and ensure that Iraqis inside their own country can find sanctuary. Obama and Biden will also work with Iraqi authorities and the international community to hold the perpetrators of potential war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide accountable. They will reserve the right to intervene militarily, with our international partners, to suppress potential genocidal violence within Iraq."

Wow, i thought we already had a coalition, silly me. Also, genocidal violence is part of the reason that we overthrew Hussein, something Obama was against. Is it suddenly a concern now?

Astonishingly enough:

"As our forces redeploy, Obama and Biden will make sure we engage representatives from all levels of Iraqi society—in and out of government—to forge compromises on oil revenue sharing, the equitable provision of services, federalism, the status of disputed territories, new elections, aid to displaced Iraqis, and the reform of Iraqi security forces."

Apparently it is now about oil and we are going to redistribute wealth in Iraq. Incidentally, "Aggressive Diplomacy" is an oxy moron that is usually used to denote a policy that says: "If you don't agree with us, we'll just kill you." And i thought Iraq was an ally (silly me).

Change.gov - Healthcare

Agenda #3 - Providing Health Care for All
Before i even click on the link, i have to ask myself... who is "all"? Because i have no interest in providing health care for the entire world, i don't even believe that it's the government's job to provide health care for me. i remember how everyone in my State and Local Government class thought it was a great idea, and then i told them how, when Joshua had a swelling on his head last Christmas, when my sister/his mother took him in, the government didn't want to pay for the tests that he needed to ensure that there was nothing horribly wrong and that he wasn't getting brain damage. Joshua's father is in the Army and all of his healthcare is courtesy of the U.S. government.

"On health care reform, the American people are too often offered two extremes - government-run health care with higher taxes or letting the insurance companies operate without rules. Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe both of these extremes are wrong, and that’s why they’ve proposed a plan that strengthens employer coverage, makes insurance companies accountable and ensures patient choice of doctor and care without government interference...Under the Obama-Biden plan, patients will be able to make health care decisions with their doctors, instead of being blocked by insurance company bureaucrats."

This is ludicrous, those of us who are against federalizing health care are not asking for no rules, we're asking for less rules, particularly those who are harmful to the quality of the care we receive as a result. They seem to have a pipe dream about what federalized healthcare will mean, which tells me that they are either ignorant or lying through those smiles. What they are telling us is not how federalized healthcare works, look at the systems in Europe for proof.

"Make Health Insurance Work for People and Businesses - Not Just Insurance and Drug Companies."

Okay, this seems to be a very common fallacy; it has to do with the economy, something which healthcare is part of. Thoreau wrote about this a little, how someone cannot simply make a product and assume that people will buy it, they have to make something useful and worthwhile. This is also true of healthcare: if they are going to try to sell immunizations for bubonic plague this fall, not many people are going to pay for that, because no one needs it. So the drug companies make the Flu Vaccine instead, for a disease that has not virtually died out and people deal with all around the world every year.

All businesses work this way. i'm sure there are some individuals out there who are doing anything they can to make a product, but Insurance Companies--like every other business--are providing a service to us, and you're not going to pay for a service that doesn't provide for your needs. At least i won't. Why would i want to throw my money away like that? Insurance companies need to be meeting the needs of the people, not the government, and last i checked the government is not meeting my needs because it's too busy sticking its nose where it doesn't belong.

Now, on face value, the next statement sounds well and good:

"Require insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions so all Americans regardless of their health status or history can get comprehensive benefits at fair and stable premiums."

However, this displays ignorance about how Insurance works. Insurance companies have to decide how risky a patient is. If the person has a pre-existing and very expensive condition they are either going to charge a lot of money or not cover a person at all. In the same way, who are they going to charge? There is only two choices available, they must either charge the risky person more, thus negating the benefits of having insurance in the first place, or they must charge everyone (that is to say, everyone who buys their insurance) more. It's a lose lose situation: either people will realize that they're paying too much and have to discontinue their policy (further adding to the problem) or this Nameless Insurance Company is going to have to eat the difference themselves and eventually go bankrupt. The way that Obama's ideology works would most likely indicate that healthcare will be federalized, everyone will pay the same amount in taxes, and in another redistribution of wealth the people who are too sick to work will reap the greatest benefits. i am no economist, but this isn't rocket science (to combine figures of speech, lol).

Interestingly enough:

"Lower drug costs by allowing the importation of safe medicines from other developed countries, increasing the use of generic drugs in public programs and taking on drug companies that block cheaper generic medicines from the market."

So we're going to import cheap drugs, then slap a tax on it, thus negating the cheap price. After all, the policy on the Economy page states:

"End Tax Breaks for Companies that Send Jobs Overseas."

And now, the kicker, they finally tell you how they're going to foot the bill:

"A Commitment to Fiscal Responsibility: Barack Obama will pay for his $50 - $65 billion health care reform effort by rolling back the Bush tax cuts for Americans earning more than $250,000 per year and retaining the estate tax at its 2009 level."

Need i say more?

the bars tighten part ii

Okay, i remember what i wanted to say finally (it was OT when it came to the economy anyway), and has to do with the election. It was originally predicted that Bush would nominate and replace three supreme court justices, and as i recall he only replaced one, refilling a conservative seat with much resistance. So the Supreme Court is still largely liberal, and if Obama nominates justices it promises to only become moreso.

Congress had a 9% approval rating last i heard, so i was hoping that on election day we would see change. But did we? No. Not only was the Democrat majority upheld, it was strengthened. Again, wth were they thinking? More of the same, lets build a Congress that will surely have even less approval than before.

What i am concerned about, obviously, is checks and balances. We have three branches of government that are supposed to ensure that none of the others get out of hand and start passing/signing/upholding laws that are not constitutionally sound. This is even more important when the President Elect believes that the Constitution is a flawed document that should be largely repealed. So we now have a very dangerous situation because for the next two years at least we will not have any checks and balances in place most likely, as all three of the branches are going to be collectively patting themselves on the back and instituting massive changes that are going to be increasingly socialist in nature.

This is why i'm so pissed off and scared. Obama has been given a blank check.

Re: Marriage Penalty (explained)

About.com - The Marriage Tax Penalty
Wikipedia - Marriage Penalty
Momocrats - More on the Marriage Tax Penalty
Time - The Marriage Tax

Change.gov - Economy

So what is the new direction that Obama is planning to take the country in? What change is he bringing? For answers, we need look no farther than Change.gov: Office of the President-Elect

Agenda #1 - Revitalizing the Economy

"[The Bush] administration has refused to tackle health care, education and housing in a manner that benefits the middle class."

What does this have to do with the economy? So all of Bush's education reform wasn't meant to benefit the middle class... i'm not an expert on what changes Bush made, but i do believe in school vouchers and charter schools. i also believe that it is not the government's job to provide its citizens with housing, which was one of the campaign points for those supporting Mark Udall (Senator-elect from Colorado), because Bob Schaffer refused to raise taxes to pay for the housing of Veterans.

But i digress, the first thing Obama wants to do is tax those evil oil companies and their "excess profits"; read: he wants to raise the price of gas again. Next, he wants to pump $50 billion into the economy to protect programs such as:

"...health, education, housing, and heating assistance or counterproductive increases in property taxes, tolls or fees."

So... where is the 50 bil coming from? Again, why is this the government's job? /sigh Moving on:

"Provide a Tax Cut for Working Families: Obama and Biden will restore fairness to the tax code and provide 150 million workers the tax relief they need. Obama and Biden will create a new "Making Work Pay" tax credit of up to $500 per person, or $1,000 per working family. The 'Making Work Pay' tax credit will completely eliminate income taxes for 10 million Americans."

Ah, our first redistribution of wealth! Question, if your child is making money, are they exempt from this when both of their parents are already getting the credit? It says two per family. So everyone is now going to get a incentive check automatically every year and again, who is going to be paying for this? Next he wants to "Eliminate Income Taxes for Seniors Making Less than $50,000" and "Simplify Tax Filings for Middle Class Americans." They sound like tax cuts, how magnanimous of him, it almost sounds too good to be true. Of course, no one has ever doubted that, as a Democrat, he would be looking out for the poor, that is a given. Thus you see more largesse in action.

"Double Funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership."

This was expected, it's why he was voted for in states such as Minnesota and Michigan. Still, where is the money coming from? Yet more spending?

"Invest In A Clean Energy Economy And Create 5 Million New Green Jobs: Obama and Biden will invest $150 billion over 10 years to advance the next generation of biofuels and fuel infrastructure, accelerate the commercialization of plug-in hybrids, promote development of commercial scale renewable energy, invest in low emissions coal plants, and begin transition to a new digital electricity grid. The plan will also invest in America's highly-skilled manufacturing workforce and manufacturing centers to ensure that American workers have the skills and tools they need to pioneer the first wave of green technologies that will be in high demand throughout the world."

Okay, so Glenn Beck was recently talking about how GM can make cars that make 90 mpg but Congress won't let them because they're not hybrid and don't have a alternative fuel source. Apparently even a required 30 mpg isn't enough for them anymore. Obama wants to force us to use these alternative fuels and hybrid cars that the consumers don't want. The Light Green Conservationist in me shudders, we are now going to be forced to foot the bill for research and development. i don't like the government telling me that i have to go green, no matter how much i believe in it. i do believe in it, but it's not their right to tell me that i have to buy a hybrid car, or that i'm not doing enough to protect the environment.

"Obama and Biden will also increase the minimum wage and index it to inflation to ensure it rises every year."

Wow. A never ending cycle of inflation. Ensure that those small businesses can't hire more people, and that large businesses hire less. Nice.

"Expand the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit"

Interesting, this seems to be counter-intuitive to the promised raising of a marriage tax.

I'm not going to give a blow by blow of all of this, some of his economic plan actually seems to be okay, yet at the same time i can't help but wonder where he's going to get the money. Sorry, i know i'm a broken record, but it's a legitimate question. There's so many earmarks here, so much increased spending, how long will it be before he not only repeals the Bush tax cuts but raises taxes? i suppose they don't expect me to care because i am so poor that i'll be getting the good end of the redistribution of wealth, but i do. i think he's continuing to woo people into a false sense of security.

There's more i want to say, but i'm so braindead right now that it's hard to put it into words (stupid headache). As Katie said earlier today, everyone has the Right to Pursue Happiness, but that doesn't mean that the government should penalize those that are successful at it and reward those who aren't or, worse yet, aren't actually pursuing. There was something else i meant to say, but i can't remember what it was, maybe it will come back to me.

the bars tighten

i have come to the conclusion that the majority of people who voted in this election are on either meth or crack. It's the only explanation that makes sense, really; after all, Oprah was rejoicing with those first time voters who had been clean for a week. i don't want to think badly of my fellow Americans, but really this is the only logical explanation.

WTH WERE THOSE PEOPLE THINKING?!?

i was listening to Glenn Beck this morning, as is my wont. He said that when the new tax plans go into effect he will be paying 65-70% of his income in taxes, plus he tithes, so he is going to have to live off of about 20% of his income. A family of four in Manhattan needs an income of $150,000 just to survive, meanwhile cops make $30,000 a year and their jobs are the first thing on the chopping block when it comes to cutting spending in NYC. i love NY, don't you?

"A Democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can exist only until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that a Democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a Dictatorship.

The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years. These nations have progressed through this sequence: From bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to great courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to selfishness; from selfishness to complacency; from complacency to apathy; from apathy to dependency; from dependency back again into bondage."

i wrote about this two years ago, and we have now shifting into from apathy into dependency. How did it come to this? What were those people thinking, besides "Oo, free healthcare, college, and a redistribution of wealth!" because that is what Obama promised, that is what he ran on, Socialism, Marxism, higher taxes, etc., ad nauseum (he even admitted this from time to time, when he wasn't trying to lie about it).

i have to go to class, even though my thought is not yet complete. Let me just finish with this: when i was making $6.40 an hour, i was paying a third of my income in taxes. Obama is planning to repeal the Bush tax cuts; how much am i going to have to pay in taxes then? i can't support myself, what would even be the point in working? in trying? It's going to be yet another uphill battle.

Obama/Palin '08

Mom found this on one of her homeschool message boards, and when i overheard i knew that i had to post it here. Apparently this is from the Howard Stern show, which surprised me because i had never heard his program before, and didn't realize that they talked about stuff like this. Anyway, i could say something mean, but i'll let this astounding audio speak for itself....