Back from the fray.

The last time I posted it was July 3, 2011 and I titled the post where have I been. I also tried to make myself post more I need to figure that out. Since that time I have moved to the Chicago area, and have survived the wedding of my oldest daughter who became famous for a few weeks with her splastastic photo of falling in the lake with her wedding party and have reached the midpoint of my MBA program, 9 months to go! Also a lot has been happening in the last few months, the financial crisis is still largely unresolved and has spread to Europe, the republicans are trying to find themselves, and I am still telling people that it is not OK to be stupid. If you have watched any of the Republican debates you know what I mean. I think that with this lineup excluding Mr. Hunstsman anyone can run for re-election. The one question that I want you to think about is the one that bothers me the most, how does the American people still think that Republicans will make the economy better? The answer…they can’t. They still think that the big corporations will create jobs…not working…hoarding cash. The financial markets are in turmoil over the European crisis and the republicans think the answer is extending tax cuts for the wealthy and trimming of benefits for seniors and the poor.  You notice that I won’t call the entitlements because you and I pay for Social Security and unemployment with the chance that we will only need to use a part of our benefits.  Jeeeeesssh After studying for my degree I have researched many related to finance and the 1%ers still have the advantage…they don’t play by the same rules. When will the majority get it? The republicans have no interest in helping manage the economy they want it to fail. They think that it will win them the White House…holding the American people down.

So anyway I will continue my quest to post more often, I continue to be thankful for the republicans failing to find someone who can energize their crazy followers and find someone smart enough to get elected…oops forgot they don’t need to be. Stupid attracts Stupid that is how they do it!

So have great Thanksgiving and keep your ears and eyes open its the only way we can get out of this mess. We are spending our first family holiday in River Forest, missing Jennie but Grace, Nikki, Jon, Kylah, and Mikie are here with a possible guest visit by Jen and Chris will make it a great day…and I almost forgot to mention 12 hours of FOOTBALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!

Michael

Where Have I Been????

It seems that it is around holidays that I seem to post even though I missed memorial day. I last posted in February right before I started my MBA at Spring Arbor and now almost four months in it is kicking my butt. It also might be that I started a new job in the Chicago area, working on my house to put it on the market, oh yeah and getting ready for a wedding at my house in September. Nikki and Jon if I don’t die from this I think I won’t need a stress test for a while. So since I have not met my posting obligations I think I was trying to do it once a week to keep up with the girls but that was a pipe dream. I think the answer is too post short and often and not get so windy. I will try. So speaking of stress…how about that debt ceiling!!!!! Once again the Republicans are trying to extort the American people and the Democrats with their no tax increase, cut everything that doesn’t pertain to corporate America and put the burden on the majority of the American public. I don’t know how they think that they are the pinnacle of conservative finance. Really, they don’t want to cut a tax loophole on corporate jet owners, come on!!!! Eric Cantor says its only 4 billion dollars so its insignificant…Eric do you know what you can do with 4 a billion dollars????  How about take that money that you think is insignificant and sent it to the National Association of Free clinics and maybe truly help Americans who have no healthcare and do something patriotic this year. Oh and by the way stop walking out of the meetings like a 2 year old just because you can’t get your own way!!!   One more thing about the deficit check out this graph again about what party claims to be fiscally responsible it won’t be the party in the White House. Take a minute, check it out.

http://www.lafn.org/gvdc/Natl_Debt_Chart.html

Have a great weekend.

How I spent the Presidents weekend.

So, I guess I did not keep up my end of the bargain in trying to post every week or more, my daughters.  Anyway I spent most of my week and the days before it, I had a little R&R before I start my MBA, preparing for my eldest princess’s wedding. Yeah I know it is not until September but I had to get dome major painting completed before my classes start which I am sure theyl will consume the majority of the weekends sooner than I think. So amid all the new revolutions starting in the Middle East I had to wrench myself away and paint. Yes it took actually from Thursday to Sunday to paint two rooms. One room our famous utility room finally got painted and will be ultimately finished with a one piece vinyl floor. The newer bathroom upstairs had never really been finished we even painted the doors and the trim which had been a natural colored wood..ha. As my wife constantly said “where did that come from” referring to things you find when you pull out furniture to paint behind. Well the painting went it took as long to clean up as it did to paint, I am not the neatest painter and I am not certainly patient. I also found tools I hadn’t used in years and a whole plastic container of stuff I bought to paint, brushes, tape, rollers etc. come on you all do it!!! The best thing though is the Paint Stick from Wagner….you can do a whole ceiling with a couple of pulls of paint. It is a roller that has a tube of paint container that acts as a handle as well…what an invention. So, there are two things that should be invented, no drip paint and self cleaning paints tools. That would make all the difference in the world. A guy can dream can’t he. So as Monday moves into night….it is snowing again…we were so close the snow was almost gone and then a storm of ice and snow. Spring can’t get here soon enough.

As for the unrest in the world, Egypt, Bahrain,Yemen,Libya, Morocco and Wisconsin…Wisconsin how is that unrest?? It seems no matter where we are the governments they can not hide from the world as easily as they used to. People will rebel when pushed beyond reasonable limits no matter what the issue. Go Wisconsin!!! Continue to battle the corporate rhetoric about collective bargaining fight for your rights. Governor Walker is just a puppet whose strings are being pulled by the Koch brothers. Libya is in trouble and I can’t seem to spend more than two minutes before the next issues of human rights come to the surface. Remember we are not innocent on human rights issues. Read our history.

So thats it for tonight, heading off to watch a little more MSNBC and then to dreamland where world peace and no drip paint will be on the list. So until next time ladies and gents, stay safe!!

Michael

Past Year – New Year, a little late.

Although this  is a little late for a look at last year I promised my daughters that I would continue to pursue my writing and start exercising as part of the new me. Pushing toward 50 always makes you thing that life is just about over but I am going to shift the argument that life is just about beginning a new chapter. As I look back on 2010 a hell of a lot went on. I was promoted to my current position. I finished up my long time ambition of a bachelor’s degree. My oldest daughter got engaged. My younger daughter and her good friend cooked her way through the most fattening cookbook in the world . My son continues to find purpose in his life. My wife started grad school. My mother in law had heart surgery. My eldest niece started college and her brother wears the same jersey my brother did in high school and is coaching him. Although it doesn’t seem possible that another year went by I believe this was a pretty good year with the exception of a few things. The November elections went badly. The corporations continue to be the main driver of politics and the public still seems satisfied with electing people who they think that really see their point, an obvious mistake. I have been told that politics is a business of compromise but this is ridiculous. I would have loved to see the tax breaks run out, it is still the only hope of trying to defeat the continued debate of trickle down economics that really don’t seem to have worked in my life time. The continued debate of the republicans that they are here to change just does not seem to be working out and their very busy legislative schedule two weeks on two weeks off basically has me sweating…not really. So as I move into the second and almost third month of 2011. I have been keeping an eye on the most ridiculous gathering of the right ever, CPAC and will continue my vigilance on putting information out on the group of politicians who continue to lead naive lemmings to push the supposed conservatism by pushing an agenda that puts corporations at the forefront an calling it individual growth, They keep quoting Lincoln and mentioning Jefferson and the founding fathers like they had hung out with them but they are not even close to being able to carry their book bags. So keep an eye on the intellectuals of the party, Bachman, Boehner, Cantor, and our favorite poster girl for the ridiculous Right Sister Sarah. Remember the country voted for these intellectuals and may we all hold our breath as the year goes on and hope the President will guide us so that we have a future where the United States can prosper and truly become a nation of hope and not of greed. Really…….. thats all you could do for the Keynote Speaker at CPAC Allen West??? Well at least Ron Paul won the straw poll makes me feel a little better. Hang in their America try to breath and click your heels and maybe we won’t be in Kansas anymore.

Your Friend Michael

Why are there so many bite blocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As many of you know I have a certain perspective  on politics and world events. So I have been traveling around a bit because of recent events in my life.  I have noticed a few bite blocks in my travels,which I thought I was one of the few people who has needed to procure one of these devices. I f you don’t know these things look like sports mouth guards and are used for people who grind their teeth and possibly are damaging their teeth. So with this many bite blocks around, which are mostly prescribed for people who develop stress that turns into a grinding issue, you think it would indicate the times we currently live.

So why am I writing about this? I was just intrigued by how stress develops in people and why and what causes me stress. Just look at the news. Two wars, BP in the Gulf, dissatisfied country, recession, school, family concerns. Although I have a tremendous amount of things to be thankful for I still need my bite block.  My life is pretty good, I love my wife, children…..yes all of them, great job….it will be, and great friends in the midwest and on the east coast. So with all this why do I need my bite block. Today I will share two stories to why this week I need a bite block,  in fact for the next three weeks, during my break from school I will blog on reasons why I need my bite block and share some things that many people want to try to forget. Hopefully this will inspire people to try to keep updated on the events of the country and world before many will make voting mistakes in November, unhappy with the direction of the world and country. It was a mess before 2008 and its going to take around 8 years just to get it back on track.

So here are my two events:

Openly bearing arms, beachgoers cite their rights

Go to this site!!!!

Ok I don’t make this stuff up, apparently people in LA are feeling unsafe when they go to the beach. I am so tired of this debate, the revolutionary war is over and the constitution needs to be revised to appeal to these intellectually challenged individuals.

OK here is the next reason:

At least 909,681 people have
been killed in Afghanistan and Iraq
since the U.S. and coalition attacks, based on lowest credible estimates.

About 303 times as many people have been killed in Afghanistan and Iraq than in the ghastly attacks of September 11, 2001. Do you think its even yet….makes me want two bite blocks.

Go to this link: My new favorite site, complete with justified data.

Not to put a damper on your summer…..but I think we need to end the wars and reinvest the money back into solving the finance, health-care issues that currently plague our country.

On by the way, I still don’t like Glenn Beck…and never will. More on that later.

Enjoy your summer. I am headed to the pool and then to watch the World Cup.  Va Espana!!!

I need to help the country understand!!!!

Although I should be spending more time on my Management and Organizational Development class I needed to take time out to discuss some of the current happenings that seem to have pushed the country off tract and has given the short-term, short-sighted and ignorant ( let me define so you completely understand the word, ignorant different from stupid, but sometimes close, ignorant means lacking knowledge or information as to a particular subject or fact, unaware, uniformed.) Sorry had to do that to frame my point on how these type of people who shout, yell and sputter about how the government is running this country into the ground given the events that have happened in the latest election in MA.   No doubt my friends in MA have not really understood the events that have led us to the latest plateau of our government stalled on important issues such as the economy and health-care, and the recent partisan directed decision our highest court in the last 100 years.

Although I am a democrat originally from CT I must remind everyone that the consistent pattern of partisan politics have made this country a very difficult country in which people can count on help from their fellow-man.  Just look at our ignorant friends Rush and Pat Robertson…what is on their agenda besides stupidity and crazy ideological religious perspective. Joe are you listening you have betrayed not only your party but your country.

Really Pat, would Jesus really think that.  Rush I cannot comment on your ridiculous spew anymore your are about heartless as the old testament god who when tired of the people just killed them en masse to start over, talk about a reorg…for those who don’t get it I will help you understand…..Noah, The tower of Babel to name a few.  It seems that God should have micro managed just a little more so he wouldn’t have to keep destroying and changing direction of the people who inherited his supposed earth. It got so bad the Christians changed tack, wrote a new book with new characters to see if this would change the people….ooh that didn’t work.

All my conservative and possible independent friends and teabaggers that I know all cry about the constitution and lower taxes and smaller government but they forgot how we got here. The party of NO………..brains are the ones who have pushed the government to react to save their beloved corporations who they believe will raise us from the ashes of despair.  I just can’t stand when just one year out they scream about partisan politics, which was not practiced for many years 2000 – 2008 and hide behind the massive spending that the fear mongers created so that they could keep the corporations in business until they made a couple of bad gambles and we had to help them out so this country would not spiral out of control.  I WILL NOT FORGET AND YOU SHOULDN’T EITHER. The teabaggers and other splinter groups of the republican party have no clue what long-term sustainable government looks like, because they are too ignorant to figure it out. They would rather hitch on to a populous movement spewing out information from the conservative press following like lemmings leaping to their death.

The economy is in shambles because of the previous administration. Including the huge deficit they rolled up to support two stupid wars that were not needed.

Also little do they know it but the recent supreme court decision on unadulterated spending on political campaigns will only prostitute politics more and do you really think many mega corporations really care about the middle class…wake up the next time you vote…..I see more poor republicans than I do democrats and they think that religion and republicans and small government will save the day.  Remember 2000 – 2008. DID NOT WORK!!!!!

Health-care is in shambles and now the party of no does not want it to move forward and create competition to lower cost because they don’t know how.   short-sighted, there are many countries who do this and do it well, remember we are # 37 in  health-care really is this some thing to be proud of????  check this out on a lighter note  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVgOl3cETb4.

Alright I have to get back to my paper.  Just remember before you start cheering for the underdog in MA, this is delaying progress in this country and we have to start thinking about how we got in this mess…..and not forget!!!! The ignorant minority is making government a mess and we have to start thinking long term….just like our founding fathers and by the way……corporations should not be treated like individuals, unless we want corporations to run our government and when they mess up who are they going to run to bail them out???? Just food for thought.

I will try to post more often to keep up with my fellow blogger daughters.

OH I almost forgot lets not forget HAITI, worse off than New Orleans…but we have moved on from that….????

Give as much as you can.

Michael…stay tuned.

Inventory Time!

Just like a few other million or billion people I am sitting at the kitchen table taking inventory of what I have accomplished over the last year and contemplating what I will do for the next 364 days of 2010. Today I will just blog, read eat and watch football. This blog as you can see, just started at the prompting of my daughters who are avid, hilarious, and great story tellers with blogs of their own. Check it out on my homepage they are listed under my blog roll.  Also follow my Tweets under my Current Thoughts Section and look for passionate rants under my Vociferate Lexicon Section. The last year has been a big push toward ending some chapters in my life, finishing a degree, starting a new job and trying to reconcile things after 47 years of life that I haven’t done and trying to get better at things that I do mediocre.  Okay so what those might be? Listening doing more things around the house and participating in stimulating conversation with my best friend and love of my life. Yes sad to say I usually have a lot to say, until I get home. I guess other things on my mediocre would be exercising, complimenting my son, wife and daughters, calling my family–although I got a new Droid (one of the best inventions in my lifetime, and definitely, gives the I phone a run for its money)and I am connected up with my family back east and have a Twitter, Facebook account and will be trying to monitor all stay in touch. So I guess like everybody else today I will ponder my future, invite the world into my life and try to cultivate a smile or frown from the people who read my blog and try to make a contribution by entering the world of blogging.  So look forward to some insight, anger, comedy and a general sense of common sense in this world of constant electronic banter.  Have a good New Year and don’t waste to much time contemplating but more time implementing new ideas and plans to

The rest of my life.

Hello my friends and people who want to be my friend or not. I have started this post to share my views of the world with others who ask many of the same questions but are afraid to make it public. None of the views of this blog are reflections of my family or employer.