Sunday, December 12, 2010

A Creative Solution to Sagging Pants

I have to admit, I did laugh out loud when I read this.

http://www.bvblackspin.com/2010/12/09/memphis-students-get-urkeled-for-sagging/

Too funny! Getting "urkeled", LOL, in middle school. Suddenly going from "cool" to "nerd" with the application of a simple zip tie!

Of course, as soon as the GIRLS decide it's not cool and make it clear to the boys, that style will start dying. Because girls determine who is cool and who is not.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodes?

So the elections are finally over and now you can relax...

Yeah, right.

The elections are over, but make no mistake, the politicians are already gathering their money, their dirt, and planning the next election campaigns.

NOW is the time to keep your eyes open.

Politicians will tell you whatever you want to hear in order to be elected. Your job is to watch and listen and learn over the next few months and years.

Naturally, you have to be realistic, a downward spiral takes a good while to bring level and then push up. The economy still sucks, although it's finally showing signs of life. The job market still sucks, even though people ARE finding jobs, little by little.

But now is the time to take note of the people you've just elected into office. Did you have to hold your nose to vote for the lesser of two bad choices? NOW is the time to start working toward a better candidate.

Stop looking at the has-beens and the wannabees. Their time has come and gone. Look at the good solid performers, the ones at local levels, the ones with potential, and -- most important -- the ones with a reputation for honesty.

Yes, it's your job, as a voter, to pay attention to the people who you put into office. If they're not following through, it's your job to contact them and make it clear that you are a constituent and you are watching their work. If you're having a problem with a government agency, call them. If you don't agree with their votes, call AND write them.

Somebody has to watch the watchmen.

It's up to you.

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quis_custodiet_ipsos_custodes%3F

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Laughing At Meg Whitman

Oh my goodness!

One night Meg Whitman is blasting Jerry Brown with a bunch of misrepresentations and lies.

And the very next day, her former housekeeper reveals that she's an undoc -- and claims that Meg knew about it.

Now, just as an aside, don't vote for someone who failed to vote for dang near 30 years. She didn't have time to be bothered to exercise her civic duty, but now she wants to be the governor.

The woman is too ignorant to govern her own house, let alone a state.

Well, maybe a state of denial, or a state of mind, or maybe even a state of shock. But Meg is not capable of handling California's state of emergency.

Seriously.

She's against illegal immigration, rants about taking responsibility for actions, but then fires her long-time housekeeper for being an illegal and fails to mention it to anyone.

Her poor PR team. I'd almost feel sorry for them, but then again, they chose to work for her.

What was that about sowing and reaping? You know, in the Good Book? Yeah, that one. That's what Meg is doing now. Reaping what she sowed.

Huh.

Can we just roll on the floor laughing like we did this morning when the story broke???

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Freedom Isn't Free - Memorial Day 2010

On this day, as the troops left Iraq, do not forget that freedom is never free. We owe our military and veterans a debt that we can never repay.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

The Disgrace of Slavery

The poignant picture of two little boys and the documentation of the sale of the child on the left, John, is heartbreaking.

The antebellum South might be celebrated by some, but as far as I'm concerned, it's THE most shameful era of our country.

Sure, slavery has been practiced all over the world, in darn near every culture, but the brutality and inhumanity of slavery as it was practiced in the South is completely opposite of the principles of our Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Violence, rape, the explotation of a whole race, all for the sake of money.

Yes, in the end, like all too many horrible events in history, it really was all about the money.

In my mind, there's no excuse. And the faces of John and the unknown child next to him, lost in the mists of history, forgotten by all except perhaps, hopefully, their descendents, remind us that we are responsible for the children.

All the children.

Slavery was a disgrace that our nation is still recovering from, all these years later.

There is no excuse for ignorant behavior or tolerating ignorant behavior in America. Yet we still hear and see it every day. Bigotry and racism is alive and well.

The faces of two little boys look at us with haunted eyes, reminding us of the result of racism, of slavery, of the most shameful times in our history...

Link:
artdaily.org: http://www.artdaily.com/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=38596
Associated Press: http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Rare-photo-slave-children-found-NC-attic/ss/events/us/061010keyamorgan/im:/ydownload_ap/20100610/photos_net_ap_ts/1276210841/#photoViewer=/100610/480/urn_publicid_ap_org_edf9c9ebc02f4ab2a5bb79130057327a

Friday, June 11, 2010

And The Slide Into Chaos Begins

Remember back in May, May 22nd to be specific, where I pointed out the slippery slope of Arizona's law requiring law enforcement to question the citizenship of people. And how that power can and will be abused, harassing citizens who are brown, or have an accent, or that the officer just doesn't like. (Cops are human, do not ever kid yourself. They WILL profile.)

Well get this, right out of Time.com: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1996064,00.html?xid=rss-fullnation-yahoo

So here we go, facing exactly what I said. The children will be next.

And then the children who only have one parent that's a citizen. (Think Obama and the birth certificate garbage that people are still repeating. Bunch of freaking idiots.)

And then the children of citizens who aren't born on US soil. If they aren't born here, then they can't be citizens, right?

And then people of any unpopular race, color, religion, creed.

I hate being right. Damn, I hate it.

The handwriting is on the wall. Are we going to stand up and fight for the rights of our citizens? Or are we going to be like Nazi Germany? Little by little, allowing the fanatics to undermine our rights, until no one has any rights at all?

It's up to us, all of us, to stand up for our Brothers and Sisters, our fellow citizens, no matter what race, color, religion, or creed -- and that includes national origin too.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Cut Off CalWORKs???

Oh
My
Gosh!

Is he freaking serious?

The governator of Cali has again opened his mouth and proved that he's just as ignorant as the racists down at the KKK rally.

Does he ever THINK before he opens his mouth?

Eliminate CalWORKs? Do you know who is on CalWORKs????

Arnie is stuck in Reagan's "Welfare Queen" urban legend. No, I'm not saying that there's not people gaming the system. Of course there are! People are people and there will always be the dishonest and thieves among us.

The problem is that he has no clue what would happen if we cut off all benefits to the poor, to the children.

Forget about our Union jobs for a minute, all of you who started to go there. We are NOT tripping. Do you really want to know why?

  1. Desperate people will do desperate things. Crime will rise to an amazing level. Check fraud and ID theft will be rampant. Some will progress to selling drugs and burglary. And it will get worse. Parents will do anything to feed their children. (Even go on welfare.)
  2. Once the parents are in the court system, what about the children? Who is going to care for them? Long suffering grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, who are already suffering and won't be able to get CalWORKs payments to help raise the children? Or will they go straight into foster care, which is even more expensive than assisting families from the get-go?
  3. And the long term consequences. Children raised in foster care DO NOT do well when they grow up. All too many end up as single parents and/or in jail. Thereby perpetuating the cycle of a generational curse.
  4. While we're at it, let's also look at In Home Supportive Services. Those are the underpaid and under appreciated who care for the elderly and disabled, helping them stay in their homes and saving the government boatloads of money. Nursing homes cost thousands and thousands of dollars per month VS the care worker that barely makes minimum wage, but helps people stay home, where they belong. That could be your parents and grandparents and great-grandparents.

Why aren't we tripping about our jobs?

We will have jobs. They'll be in the foster care system, corrections, local police forces, and then once the politicians have figured out that people are angry and ready to vote them all out, the welfare system will crank back into gear. If nothing else, that Federal funding that the state uses to fund a lot more than CalWORKs will catch their attention. We receive more than we spend (did you know that?) so Arnie's fuzzy math just will not add up to the savings that he claims.

And don't think that the Courts and the Unions won't weigh in. They will definitely battle it out to the bitter end.

Yeah, Arnie the governator can puff up his chest like a banty hen and strut around the Capitol, but he's on his way out the door.

I wish I could plant a boot in his a** and hurry him on his way...

So When Is A Citizen Not A Citizen?

These idiots want to change the 14th Amendment so that children of undocs aren't citizens.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100521/pl_ynews/ynews_pl2192

There's a few problems with this idea, which this bunch of freaking clowns never consider:

  1. It's a slippery slope. First we strip citizenship of children/people born here in the United States because their parents aren't legal.
  2. Next, we decide that even with one legal parent, they can't be citizens.
  3. Then children born of citizens of persuasions that we don't like -- race, ethnicity, religion -- like Muslims, Hindus, Jews, Mexicans, Arab-Americans, or African-Americans all become non-citizens.
  4. Then we strip citizenship from everyone else. If you aren't a member of the current regime's party, then you can't be a citizen.

Then, oh dear Lord, what then? We have created second and third class citizens who are not citizens, who have no rights in the very country that they and their ancestors were born in. So we formulate a whole new class system based on this travesty of "American, Land of the Free."

What then? Untouchables? Ghettos in the classic sense of the word? Even a return to slavery??? A Holocaust?

Think it can't happen? Better take a look at Germany in the 1930s and 40s...

Oh yeah, the blatherers will say that it could never happen here.

They're deluded. Once you start down the slippery slope, it becomes easier and easier to be a hater, to discriminate, to steal the birthright of citizens.

Of course, being mostly Welsh and Native American, I have some pretty strong opinions about citizenship rights, since my ancestors had their country taken from them AND were not citizens until well into the 20th century. And we are STILL battling the Feds for legal recognition of tribes, even though we have always been here...

Don't think it couldn't happen here. It already has. Just ask my great grandparents.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Lena Horne Passes - RIP

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/may/10/local/la-me-horne-20100510

I know.

People do not think of the beautiful vocals of Lena Horne when they think of the Civil Rights Movement. But they're missing out on a whole, fabulous part of our history.

NPR did a great story on Lena, her career, and the racism she encountered. You should check it out.: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126666993

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Army to Court Martial Officer Who Doubts Obama Was Born in U.S. -- Politics Daily

Oh my gosh, what a doofus!

Read the comments and shake your heads at the foolishness of the some people. Thank the good Lord that most Americans have more brains than this man.

(And he's a doctor? Frightening, isn't it?)

Army to Court Martial Officer Who Doubts Obama Was Born in U.S. -- Politics Daily

How To Eat Well On A Food Stamp Budget

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36507576/

How many of you can do better than the chefs??

I can...

With careful planning, shopping at Grocery Outlet and sales at other stores, plenty of potatoes and beans, and a whole lot of portion control, the average family can eat very well.

Of course, if you have a source of free foods, like the local church that gives away bread to anyone who asks, it helps. So does a garden or generous neighbors with extra fruit, tomatoes and zucchini.

I laughed when I read the chefs' choices. Look, a bag of potatoes, a pound of hamburger, a can of chili beans and some shredded cheese make a great stuffed potato meal.

Leftovers? Chop them all up, add diced tomatoes in juice and serve with french bread and fresh fruit for dessert.

Oatmeal or eggs for breakfast. Sandwiches for lunch.

And so on.

Basically, choose your starch and then build a meal around it. Meat, cheese and eggs can stretch a long way. Simply read the recipe (if you use recipes) and put in half the meat.

Think about it.

Living the old fashioned lifestyle isn't all bad.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

LL Cool J Removed From Sarah Palin-Hosted Show

LL Cool J Removed From Sarah Palin-Hosted Show

I'll write more about this later...

OK, it's later.

What a SNARKY way for Fox to weasel their way out of STEALING LL Cool J's clip from another show!

LL has been around for a long time. He's not some newcomer to acting. He doesn't need his clip shown on this desparate attempt to make Palin look good. (Whose bright idea was this anyway?)

Somehow, I'm not surprised. Any time Palin is involved in something, it seems to turn out badly. I thought she was a brilliant choice for VP -- until she opened her mouth and proved that the Republicans couldn't possibly pick a WORSE and STUPIDER contender.

Oh, my, gosh. A new low for the Repubs, Palin, and Fox network.

How much deeper can that mud hole get?

Oh, wait. California is going to elect a new governator.

It will get worse...

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Sweat Lodge Charlatan -- A "Self-Help Guru"??

http://www.nctimes.com/news/national/backpage/article_652ba590-a370-5c0c-be3d-b0ae0da5c8f2.html

This is disgusting on so many levels, that I don't know where to start.

This man, James Arthur Ray, took it upon himself to fraudulently use the sacred ceremonies of the sweat lodge and managed to kill three people. Why?

The Bible says that "The love of money is the root of all evil."

According to the news article, "His attorneys have said his Carlsbad-based company, James Ray International, hasn't been bringing in revenue for months."

Well, I don't know about you, but it's pretty clear to me -- it's all about the money.

His attempts at restarting his career at fleecing those people seeking spiritual enlightenment is disgusting. He built his empire on the backs of the lost, and now, after killing three of them, he's trying to get it going again?

My friends, there is nothing wrong with seeking Truth. In fact, you should seek Truth. But don't listen to charlatans who are stealing from other cultures, other peoples, from the Great Spirit, from God.

Have respect for the Great Spirit, Jehovah Jirah, God. Your God who loves you as a parent loves a child. He gave you a handbook to guide you through this life.

It's called the Bible.

Don't listen to disgusting thieves who warp the sacred ways, desecrate the sacred places, perform ceremonies without proper safeguards, without guidence from the Elders.

Take it back where you belong, back to the Word.

And for Heaven's sake, don't give this "self-help guru" your hard earned money! He's NOT looking to help you, he's looking to help himself to your checkbook.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

About The Tea Party Racism

Yes, I hear people talking about how the Tea Party movement isn't racist, that it's NOT about having a Black President, that we just aren't like that any more.

Huh.

Well, ya know, people can SAY anything they want, but the proof is out there, as this writer pointed out in her article, Too much tea party racism.

Even in liberal San Francisco (which is NOT as liberal as many people think), there's a lot of Conservatives and while they may get outvoted, they're a force to be reckoned with.

Don't believe me? Check it out:

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ErH-DRlNvXtWD7Pki7YHgpf1DrJsijHf03RLjnqoEr46JDD4JzINgUwKDQi3o71Syah1CVfhtQaEKYaKF_w_lUIhzFEG2L40JigfJH6H5Q8NkW3deYANXVtbuKb-FC5BPEuXecIMpjw/s1600-h/teapartypic.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYx7R2zM8w0

And from CNN: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/03/21/house-republicans-denounce-racial-slurs-hurled-at-democrats/?hpt=T1&fbid=qsfJsirq2lr

Just do a quick Google. You don't have to believe me, the proof is out there for all who want to see it. As for the rest of you -- sigh -- ignorance IS a lifestyle choice.

Posted using ShareThis

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Keep The Happy People

Wow!

I just read this Yahoo article, The Secret to Having Happy Employees by Jay Goltz, and it touched me in a couple of ways.

First, of course, it's like, dang, he FIRED all the unhappy people? Wow, that's harsh!

Second, having worked with a lot of miserable people who did not fit the job and the job didn't fit them, it was a super smart move to make.

Goltz has an extremely valid point. In today's economic climate, there's a lot of people looking for work. Why on earth would he keep unhappy people on his payroll?

He was smart to set the unhappy people free. Many, many employees will stay, year after year, making everyone around them just as miserable as they are. They complain. They poison the workspace. They stress out the people who actually like their jobs.

Yes, I've seen all that before.

Good bosses sometimes have to make very difficult decisions. Goltz set the unhappy people free to seek new jobs that will hopefully be a better fit. It was a good business decision on his part, good for his company and good for the remaining staff.

Again, having worked with people who are just miserable to be around, day after day, I can see how his difficult decision has benefited the company. I hope that he also got rid of any supervisors who worked to make their staff miserable. There ARE two sides to that coin.

Don't get me wrong now, I'm not saying that staff should bow and scrape when the boss goes by, but as I often tell my co-workers (and even people on the phone), "They pay me good money to do my job. The least I can do is be nice about it."

There is an important lesson here for both businesses and employees. Not "don't worry, be happy" but more on the order of "happy people work harder and will stick with the company through thick and thin..."

(I'm human. There are days when my job is not a happy place -- filled with high stress situations and dealing with difficult people. But in general, I have a good job, I get paid well, and I appreciate it. It doesn't hurt me to let it show.)

http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/109063/the-secret-to-having-happy-employees?mod=career-leadership

Friday, February 19, 2010

The Tea Party -- Like Herding Cats

We hear a lot on the news about the current Tea Party Movement.

But what are they?

In my mind, they're a bunch of small minded, bigoted (even racist), conservatives who want to roll back time, back to the 50s when white was right and America's might dominated world politics.

Of course I think they're deluded.

But I read this most interesting piece about the Tea Party Conservative. Especially interesting was about halfway down the article, "The Three Flavors of Tea". According the article, the Tea Party movement is a mish-mash of various political misfits.

Talk about herding cats! They're lucky they can agree on a place and time to demonstrate!

The Time article, The Making of the Tea Party Movement by David Von Drehle, really captures the Tea Party mentality, explaining it to the rest of us who look at crowds of mostly middle aged and older whites, signs bobbing up and down with monkeys and trite slogans, and say "Whaaaaa?"

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20100219/us_time/08599196490300;_ylt=AsX7KxX5udIvfKh3HyO1gBrQOrgF;_ylu=X3oDMTM1czdtYzAzBGFzc2V0A3RpbWUvMjAxMDAyMTkvMDg1OTkxOTY0OTAzMDAEY2NvZGUDbW9zdHBvcHVsYXIEY3BvcwM0BHBvcwM0BHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcmllcwRzbGsDYW5hbHlzaXN0aGVt

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Yet Another Reason To Hate Republicans

Insensitive, self-righteous, obnoxious pig -- how's that for a start?

South Carolina Republican Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer gave me yet another reason to never, ever, ever become a Republican. Never.

On Friday, not only did he open his mouth, shove his foot in, but he's still gnawing at his hip instead of admitting that he could be WRONG and APOLOGIZE to the poor and needy families he insulted with his typical Republican point of view of the "welfare" system of cash aid, food stamps, Medicaid/Medi-Cal.

Quote:
"My grandmother was not a highly educated woman, but she told me as a small child to quit feeding stray animals," Bauer told a Greenville-area crowd. "You know why? Because they breed.

"You're facilitating the problem if you give an animal or a person ample food supply. They will reproduce, especially ones that don't think too much further than that. And so what you've got to do is you've got to curtail that type of behavior. They don't know any better."

He's comparing poor families to ANIMALS??? In a state with 12.6% unemployment?

And he feels NO need to apologize.

Say what?

OK, like I didn't need another reason to hate a closed minded, selfish, arrogant, self-righteous political organization that not only condones but encourages this kind of attitude toward the peoples of his state and the United States.

Calling poor families, even children, animals?

As a Christian, I'm embarrassed that someone who professes Christianity would forget that Jesus himself told us that the poor would always be with us AND that we're supposed to take care of the widows and children. It's our mandated duty, given to us by our Savior. We don't get to pick and choose what we think the right thing to do, this is straight out of the Big Man's mouth. We are to care for the poor. Period.

Bauer needs to crack open the Word and let the Lord smack him up side the head a few times. Then apologize and do some actual work for a change, like volunteer at the local soup kitchen and homeless shelter. No, not just a donation -- I'm talking about actually getting his behind up out of his white castle and go down into the streets and do some important work for the Lord.

In the meantime, we the people have a duty to handle politicians with this kind of disrespectful attitude toward the families they're supposed to represent.

IE: Vote the B******s out! (And in Bauer's case, don't vote him in as governor!)

Links:
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/82910.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Bauer

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

Rain, rain, go away, come again another day...

And another,

And another,

And another.

I'm Cali, born and raised, so I get a little irritated with the constant nattering about drought.

Bad news folks, California is a wet/dry climate. We have regular cycles of wet and then dry. In other words, it's not a drought, it's normal for our climate.

However, the constant stream of misinformation is big business, not just for the media, but for all aspects of our California culture. Just like the "global warming" scenario is for the Feds and scientists looking for grant money.

To be blunt, the entire planet cycles.

Sometimes it's hotter.

Sometimes it's colder.

Sometimes it's wetter.

Sometimes it's dryer.

There are far, far more factors involved in climate and weather than man's influence.

Now, I'm not saying that we shouldn't use wind, solar, water, any alternate energy source. Heck no! We certainly should. But not because of the hype about global warming. We should do it because done right, it would be cheaper for the consumer.

The next time you hear nattering about drought or global warming, remember: It wasn't that long ago that scientists were sure that we were slipping into the next ice age.

Honestly, all it would take would be another Krakatoa or Tambora or Yellowstone to make an abrupt change in our climate cycles.

So while the doomsayers natter on, do some research, check into the information that they state as fact (it's usually just the latest theory and not a fact at all), and take it all with a grain of salt. The earth may be heating up or cooling down, but scientists and politicians don't know how or why, they just think they do.

And as long as there's grant money available to "prove" those theories, somebody is going to be doing their best to find the facts that fit the theory. Yeah, it's not very ethical, but it's what happens all too often when money meets a theory...

The Little Ice Age: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Ice_Age
Krakatoa: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krakatoa
Tambora: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Tambora
Yellowstone: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellowstone_Caldera
http://www.livescience.com/environment/050308_super_volcano.html

Oh My Gosh! Larry Platt On American Idol

Larry Platt - Memorable auditions

This was GREAT!

And upon reading about Larry Platt, he's an awesome man. From the Civil Rights movement right up to the present, he's an activist that we should pay attention to!

While some may feel that performing "Pants On The Ground" on the pop TV show American Idol was beneath him, I saw him as an impassioned activist that saw a way to send a message to millions of Americans about self respect and dignity. He was not acting the buffoon as some bloggers have said, he was using the popular media to get an important message out to our youth.

He's a great man. Check the video out -- Larry Platt.

And then read more about him and be ready to be truly impressed!

http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/realityrocks/301708/general-larry-platt-a-real-american-idol/

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Misinformation And Straight Up Republican LIES

I just heard the Meg Whitman ad on the radio yesterday and about swallowed my teeth. (Good thing they're still original equipment!)

Have you heard the garbage she's spouting about welfare reforms?

Ummmm, did she miss the fact that we've had Welfare Reform over 10 years ago now?

From her own website:

MEG: Some people worry that we're creating a welfare state. The fact is, California is the welfare state.

ANNCR: Meg Whitman talks about the California welfare system.

MEG: Did you know that California has twice the population of New York, but five times as many welfare cases? 32 percent of all welfare caseloads in America are here in California.

We provide among the highest cash welfare checks of any state.

But only 22 percent of our recipients work for their benefits.

The system is broken.

But we can fix it…

Let's cut the lifetime welfare benefit from five years to two.

And let's put able-bodied welfare recipients to work. Looking for employment, performing community service or working toward a GED.

If they don't, they lose their benefits.

Welfare can't be a way of life. We need to help those in need, but we need to do it in a way that's accountable, sensible, and strengthens our communities.

ANNCR: Paid for by Meg Whitman for Governor 2010.

MEG: It's time for A New California. What do you think? Share your ideas and read my plan at TalkToMeg.com.

OK, now let's just look at this. Except for cutting the 5 year lifetime limit to 2 years, what she's spouting is WHAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING!

Sorry for shouting, but she's spouting garbage. It's all political gobbledygook to make people get all hot and bothered about "those people".

Well, you know what, with approximately 12.5% unemployment* in California, there may be good reasons why welfare recipients aren't working. They can't find jobs!

Use your heads people! If your highly skilled next door neighbor got laid off and can't find work, what makes you think that someone with a GED, two kids, and an ex that refuses to pay child support, is going to be able to bounce out the door and find a job that will make him/her and the family self sufficient? Get real!!

Meg is pushing out the usual Republican pap to get the right wing masses all hot and bothered about "those lazy welfare recipients".

Bad news Meg, reality bites and the garbage you're pushing out is just that, garbage. A pack of misinformation and straight up lies. Too bad that the conservatives will bite, sucking up the party line instead of using their heads, doing a little research, and realizing that you're just Arnie in a dress.

Yup.

I fear for my state, if Meg gets in, we're looking at four more years of the same tired BS. We might as well vote Arnold in again. It'll just be more of the same -- blame the poor and the liberals instead of rolling up sleeves and actually doing some work.

Oh. I didn't mention something about our welfare recipients, did I?

The biggest welfare recipients are our elected representatives, sucking at the government teat while spending OUR money, trying to steal OUR pensions, and then blaming US for their mismanagement of this beautiful state.

Well, they're right about one thing. We are to blame for voting them back in, year after year after year.

This next election, let's make a REAL change.

Vote them all out!

Every
Single
One

Start over with some new blood. We can't do any worse than we already have!!

And in the meantime, since Meg is already lying in her ad campaign, if I was you, I'd be really suspicious about everything else that comes out of her mouth. Leopards don't change their spots and liars don't stop lying. Even when they've been busted for it.

Especially when they've been busted.

Think about it.

And don't take my word for it. Look it up.

From 1997 - when Welfare Reform began: http://www.ppic.org/content/pubs/rb/RB_297TMRB.pdf

From 2003 - The stats used by pundits like Meg:
http://www.statemaster.com/graph/eco_wel_cas_tot_rec-economy-welfare-caseloads-total-recipients

BUT looking further on the same website: http://www.statemaster.com/graph/eco_wel_cas_tot_fam_percap-caseloads-total-families-per-capita

Unemployment - January 2010:
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm

And by state - November 2009:
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.nr0.htm

* California unemployment in November 2009. Recent news reports are putting the actual unemployment rate at nearly 25%. (But we all know how the media can distort a simple statistic!)

Sunday, January 3, 2010

The Dilemma of the California Valley Miwok Tribe

California Valley Miwok Tribe is essentially a landless tribe. All their tribal homelands are gone and the only land that they have as a tribal headquarters is a house in Stockton, California.

However, they face losing that tiny bit of land too, due to the Federal Government withholding the monies owed to the tribe.

Now, there appears to be a major dispute over the tribal leadership and membership. However, the failure to pay funds owed to the tribe is not the way to deal with internal disputes within a sovereign nation.

This is a very complex and disheartening read of the legal issues involved in both the election of the current leadership of the tribe as well as the involvement of the BIA. I agree that all members of the tribe should be involved in the administration of the tribe. But how can this happen if there's no funds available? We aren't talking about a rich tribe here, the California tribes have been impoverished for generations.

No matter which side you're on, this is an ugly situation.

It seems to me that very least that the Feds could do is to pay the mortgage on the property out of the gaming funds while the internal dispute is being resolved. Should it turn out that the membership of the entire tribe decides that the current tribal administration needs to be removed, then the tribe can decide if the funds should be reimbursed to the tribe by the current owners.

In the meantime, the current foreclosure is set for January 15th, 2010.

For details, check it out:
http://news.infoshop.org/article.php?story=2009miwok-house (Note: I have no affiliation with this website, nor do I agree with all their political views.)
http://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/dct/unreported/miwok.html
http://www.narf.org/nill/bulletins/cta/unreported/cavalleymiwok.pdf
http://turtletalk.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/calif-miwok-tribe-v-kempthorne.pdf