Post Black Friday

My wife couldn't stand it anymore, so she took Pudge (her 2 yr. old male Persian cat) to the vet for a second opinion.  The vet kept Pudge, overnight to give him a full urinalysis to see why he's having urinary tract problems.  It will take a load off us after we find out what his problem is, so we can take steps to fix it once and for all.

I'm about midway into the book I reading about the financial crisis of 2008: titled " All the Devils are Here" So far, I have learned the role Fannie and Freddie played, then the roles of the predatory lenders, and I've just completed the roles of the three bond rating firms and how they sold their integrity, just to stay competitive.  For good measure, Michael Moore's " Capitalism: A Love Story" brought out the visuals needed to complete the puzzle.  We have been tricked into accepting plutocracy over democracy.  It started in the 1980s with President Ronald Reagan demonizing the role of government and unions, and replacing it with the love of capitalism.  Don't get me wrong, capitalism was at its best when the rich were in high income tax brackets and the unions bargained for good working conditions and a decent wage with benefits.  Capitalism that favors the rich will create what we have now, a consumer base maxed out on their debt, just to buy the essentials.

As we were going to HEB this morning, I noticed that we will be getting an indoor flea market.  Now, that's an entrepreneur that will probably make good in a depressed economy.  Word is out on the street that all the local industrial plants are at full capacity or will be after scheduled maintenance; perhaps that's a sign of recovery.

Now, comes the time of getting out the old Christmas tree, checking out the lights, etc.  and calling the grandsons to the help out, while they're still young and don't see it as a chore. The oldest one is probably going to try to impress his girlfriend's parents, so we'll have to work around that..lol

This will probably be my last blog until Wednesday of next week because I will be in Corpus Christi, Monday and Tuesday; attending a scheduled seminar.

Do we have to have Black Friday?

I hope everyone had a memorable Thanksgiving because we certainly did.  Everyone brought an appetite because leftovers were scarce.  My wife and I get a kick out of my eldest grandson; he's going to be 23 years old but he acts like a 46 year old; he has all the answers...Lol ..He's been a proud rocker, and  until this year he despised country music but his newest girlfriend loves country.  We told them that by Christmas he will be sporting a 50 gallon cowboy hat, big belt buckle, wrangler jeans and boots. Ahhh, what a young man will do for love.  We affectionately call him the "Chameleon" because he changes his lifestyle to that of his current girlfriend(s)...  He's been a vegetarian, a political activist, frequent churchgoer, a Port Aransas surfer, and now he's probably downloading, the latest George Strait album.

My teams, the University of Texas and the Dallas cowboys came down with a bad case of a fumblitis yesterday; but in my old age, it doesn't bother me as much anymore.  I can remember being moody after a loss and my wife would be switching to the game upstairs to find out the current score, and then she conveniently made herself downstairs just to ask me the score; only if the Cowboys were losing...  I caught onto that, because she never asked me when they were ahead.

The only thing that puts a damper on our Thanksgiving holiday is the reoccurring urinary tract infection that my wife's Persian cat can't seem to get rid of.  He's a two year old male cat, we named Pudge.  He's been tested for crystals but so far it's been negative; that's a good thing but next week he will have to get a urine culture, to see what is going on.

We ventured out into the Black Friday traffic, which wasn't too bad, I guess that's because we are used to the Black Friday traffic in Austin and Houston; at least in Victoria; the traffic is constantly moving at a reasonable speed.  I used my Hastings’s birthday gift card to rent some movies.  I rented Michael Moore's," Capitalism: a love story," "The Funeral" with Chris Rock and "Good" a story about the rise of Nazism.  I met an old retiree friend at Sam's Wholesale. It took us a while to realize we were blocking the aisles with our empty baskets.  We had 8 years to catch up with before one of our wives’ would call us to inform us they were checking out.  As you get older, post Thanksgiving days are for naps, reading, and watching movies.

Thanksgiving thoughts

I love Thanksgiving Eve and Christmas Eve just as much as I love the actual holidays because relatives and friends usually show up or call on those days because for some reason or another ,we will not be able to get together for the annual events. This is my wives' " hair on fire day"  we will be out shopping for those last minute items and buying that special treat; just in case a relative shows up unexpectedly.  I remember having to drink Uncle Joe's six pack of lone Star beer because that's the only beer, he will drink. Uncle Joe always calls and promises to come by but rarely does.  We're the old folks now, so the nieces, nephews, children and grandchildren will come by; some on their way to their in- laws and parents house.  It's funny how dinner will be ready to eat around 12:00 and everyone is around the table waiting for their turn to tell us something interesting.  After dinner everyone breaks into little groups to catch up. At around 2:00 we all meet in the living room as our guests prepare to leave and give their long goodbyes, so they can make it to their home for the 3:00 Dallas Cowboys kick-off.  There was that time when I had to turn on the game; pause it for about an hour, because of an extra long visit by couple of our relatives, who were not football fans.

I had a rare satisfying moment yesterday; when I finally stood up to a  poster that  goes by the screen name of rolllingstone.  As I expected; he came out to discredit some minor statements I made, and posted his version of  the events that led to the 2008 financial crisis.  I realize that I will get an obnoxious rebuttal now and then but this whole year it's been the same posters.  Look up the comment history of rollingstone,observer,jbj, and itisi and you will see that about 90% of their comments are negatively aimed at me.  I'm interested in discussions not ad hominem attacks on a daily basis.  Perhaps I'm choosing the wrong venue to write about political events, as I see them.  I still enjoy the political discussions I have with arlewill, justataxpayer,Legion357,holein1,Writein, and even Hictoria because we never resort to name -calling and we seem to have that sense of  awareness of where that line is,so as of yet,we have never crossed it.

I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving.

Silly things we worry about

It's hard to believe that we are already approaching Thanksgivings; the turkey is already being defrosted; the refrigerator is full of food ingredients; and my wife is constantly complaining about keeping the house clean.  Where did this year to go?

I posted by last blog for November and I probably won't be paying much attention to the Victoria Advocate forum unless a really good discussion breaks out.  Right now I'm content reading " All The Devils are Here." This book is about the hidden history of the financial crisis; it starts in the 1980s describing the roadblocks that needed to be dismantled by the financial firms in order to perpetrate the biggest scam of the  financial markets in my lifetime.  I hope to finish it sometime by mid December, so I can post a summary of my analysis.  It could be my imagination but I think rollingstone will make an all out effort to try to discredit everything I post about the financial crisis because it contradicts what Glenn Beck and others are preaching.  They wanna make it solely about Fannie and Freddie because of its ties to our government and its intervention into the commercial market.  I don't have any skin in the game, so my analysis will not protect Fannie and Freddie nor will I protect the financial commercial markets.  I realize that my summary is just that, but I think I will be able to answer the line by line critique,that I expect.

I can't believe we're getting all huffy about a pat down at the airports that only about 2% of the passengers have to go through.  The only way, you would go through that pat down,is if you refuse to go through the scanner.  The TSA will eventually work all this out but our attention should be on North Korea right now.  Last night they shelled a South Korean island killing two Korean Marines and injuring several civilians.  We need to find out if this was an act of aggression, a power play to get attention,or a calculated act for some other means.  This is where remaining on friendly terms with China comes in handy because they are the only country in the world that has any influence over the North Korean dictator.  We should remain on alert because it's a dangerous world out there.  That's the reason I think it's ridiculous that the GOP is playing politics with our nuclear disarmament treaty with Russia.  This is not a time for games or partisanship.

It's the same old stuff

I wasn't surprised that my carefully planned itinerary went by the wayside, when my wife saw a Container Store on the way to our destination.  Just inside that little strip mall; she found several other stores she had to tryout.  That's OK, because we didn’t really need to go to Barton Creek Mall because the stores out on Research Boulevard got the job done.  I got to read my Austin American Statesman; now my batteries are fully recharged.

I read through some of threads on the Advocate forum, which further reinforced my intentions to withdraw slowly.  We haven't advanced much past the usual left and right squabbles; in fact there's a poster the calls himself SpeakUp1968 that likes to make all the threads about the superior Republican Party.  Writein (Big J) had his usual spats with those he suspected of carrying on a racial agenda.  I'm surprised, he let legion357 get away with his post that stated "Well BigJ, if you want to go there, as a percentile of the total population, 28% black slave owners/ 1.5% white slave owners per the 1860 census."....  That's not the point at all, it really doesn't matter how many slave owners were residing in the United States; the point is, a large percentage of American citizens accepted the fact that we held fellow human beings, in bondage for over 300 years and didn't do much to stop it....  It wasn't until the Civil Rights act of 1965, that we recognized the need for equality.  It's a dark part of our history that we shouldn't try to trivialize.  We shouldn't dwell on it either; we should try to move beyond and not post idiotic percentages try to justify it.

The Sunday talk shows didn't really address the issues to get this country back on a financial foothold.  They did a lot to promote Sarah Palin's new book and nonchalantly reported that we will stay in Afghanistan until 2014.  I was very surprised that “Meet the Press had a newly elected congressman, Allen West, who has not been sworn in by the way, as a guest.  That is lowering the bar, as far as credibility but were they hoping for something controversial?

My Victoria advocate blog on the financial crisis of 2008, that I posted today, was quickly contradicted by rollingstone....  He wanted to make sure that he got his partisan cut and paste, about Fannie and Freddie....  Right wing conservatives have a vendetta against Fannie and Freddie because it goes against their laissez faire mindset ,that the government should not ever interfere in commercial ventures.  I don't know why they don't just write their own blogs like Kenneth used to do....  I don't know why they  continue to marginalize my statements without supporting evidence.

 

It's Monday morning, perhaps things will pick up then I'll have more to write about, later.

Austin here we come

I'm now ready for a great Saturday away from my home city of Victoria. We plan to head straight to IKEA in Round Rock to buy something my wife says WE really need. We will then come back to Austin to finish shopping at Costco and Barton Springs Mall. All the places of destinations are now programmed in the GPS system. On our way out and we will stop at the Catfish Parlour to eat and after that, my wife will drive us home, while I read a good book. So far; sound like a good plan but like all good plans;subject to change.;-)

It looks like lesleyawood is handling herself pretty well; especially with the controversial subject that she posted. I only wish she would have challenged rollingstone's comments, such as the Middle East war turning into a nuclear war and the McVeigh incident had Middle Eastern ties. Both statements are false but he does that; it's a tactic they use at Fox News... Just put the outrageous statements out there; hopefully someone won't notice. I would've also challenged the number of incidents attributed to radical Muslims because “FreeRepublic .Com" is not a legitimate source.Now, rollingstone is pulling out the race-victim card again, which is code for " allow me to post all my racial rants without being called on it." Hictoria,just came in and took the cake with the stupidest response I've heard in a long time.He said "why I should understand why you choose to believe in this faith that is obviously infested with terrorist followers. I should not feel sorry for Muslims that cannot police their own religion."..KyleC weighed in with his usual intelligent response but the haters are too dumb to comprehend what he saying. Leseyawood continues to tactfully answering the posters in a respectful way.I hope it works for her.

I've been posting on the Victoria Advocate online forum for about five years and during that time I've made my share of mistakes but it wasn't hard to come back and apologize; quite the contrary, it made me feel better. There was at one time where a known troll named, Roy Mark, used it against me time and time again by informing every new poster of the mistake I made. He even re posted it along with my apology. I learned a lesson of being extra careful of not making a mistake because an apology can backfire, if you make it to the wrong person..... There are about four posters who will never apologize, even if you prove them wrong. Their job is to promote or support their agenda by hook or crook... That works on the Advocate but I have full control with this blog. I don't have to worry about getting deleted or holding things back.... I will continue to entertain opposing views but a civil discourse will be mandatory.. I promise to hold up my end.

I'm left in the dark about some issues that my fella Victorians have with our public officials and shenanigans they might be involved in. I never see a shroud of evidence but instead a one-sided hypothetical; I guess I just have to take the wait and see approach.

I can't believe what I'm hearing from Sarah Palin; it's not that I put much stock in what she says but it now seems that she is eliminating tactfulness and reality. First, she told Barbara Walters in one her rare lame stream media interviews that she thought she had a legitimate shot at beating president Obama in 2012. Now, in her new book,(ghostwritten I'm sure) she is taking another shot at Michelle Obama by saying "Certainly his wife expressed this view when she said during the 2008 campaign that she had never felt proud of her country until her husband started winning elections. In retrospect, I guess this shouldn't surprise us, since both of them spent almost two decades in the pews of the Reverend Jeremiah Wright's church listening to his rants against America and white people.".... Why would she say that? Is to sell the controversial book or tactics for a presidential run in 2012? It could be both.

That's about it for now; hopefully I'll be around next week to vent a little more..:-)

Not the way it used to be

It was great hearing from a conservative blogger name arlewill... I have maintained a good relation with him throughout the years I've been on the Victoria Advocate online forum. It used to be that way when I started; your politics took second place to the substance you were writing about. We used to wish one another, a happy holiday and congratulated one another for anniversaries, birthdays, and other monumental events. I think it was because we understood where the lines were and didn't feel the need to try to denigrate anyone who disagreed with us. Today, if you don't take its stance, posters will try to change a subject of the blog to a message they want to post and they have no qualms when it comes to attacking those with a different point of view. It's just a copycat version of cable TV.

A relatively new blogger named lesleywood invited the community to hear Islamic scholar Riem Spielhaus, so people can get a different perspective from our Muslim neighbors and friends point of view. It was not surprising that the only responses she received were from the same old Islamophobes; recycling the same talking points from the right wing media sources they receive it from. A poster named rollingstone submitted a link from a conservative conspiracy site called "The Free Republic "and waywardwind thanked him for it...lol..... It'll be interesting if lesleywood responds or simply chooses to ignore them.

The democrats and republicans are fighting amongst themselves for control of their party's direction, but they have yet to set down to talk about the country's problems. I can't believe George Soros and James Carville are giving president Obama a hard time. I agree with James Carville because he said the message should be “These irresponsible, greedy people got us into this mess and we are the only thing between you and them, and we are fighting every day,"in talking about the GOP.. It looks like the unemployed will be having a bad Christmas because their unemployment benefits will not be extended.

What's the world coming to,on one hand the GOP does not want to ratify a nuclear arms treaty with Russia but Governor Rick Perry wants the United States to send troops into Mexico if necessary..What duh?

It's war

Things are rather quiet in the old hometown today, but a blogger that went by the name of Jared has come out to give his full name and is now taking the high road; insisting everyone do the same. It didn't take long for him to get his first challenge. Jared is new to the forum; I think it's pretty arrogant of him to start dictating policy....I've noticed the persons that were banned with a screen name, came back using their real name 'cause they had to; then they started lecturing to everyone about hiding behind screen names. What's good for the goose might not be good for the gander.... To each, their own.

I just can't believe that the media is falling for all the crap the republicans feed them. The republicans are the best thing since sliced bread because they have grouped together to ban earmarks. What a crock, earmarks are less than half of 1% of the budget and it's more of a superficial feeling of spending cuts. The media should be concentrating on the fact that the GOP is campaigning heavily for the top 2%, yet they want to cut benefits for the unemployed.Yesterday, the GOP was able to filibuster the Paycheck Fairness Act which would allow women to receive equal pay for equal work... According to the National Women’s Law Center,women usually get paid 77¢ to a dollar of what a man doing the same type the work gets... For minority women, it's 61 cents to a dollar for African-American women and 52¢ to every dollar for Latinas.. This past election the female vote went primarily to the GOP; that's the thanks they get.

Fox and Rush Limbaugh are going down on an all out media blitz to derail president Obama. Roger Ailes just said that Obama is a far left socialist and Rush is raising the racial rhetoric by accusing Democratic leaders of racism for attempting to put Congressman Jim Clyburn to the "back of the bus," he has depicted Clyburn as a chauffeur driving Miss Nancy on his website. Rush just said ""Barack Obama's presidency is graffiti on the walls of American history." Where is the FCC to control what goes over the airways?

Saturday, I’m going to Austin to be back amongst the folks... The left wing Mecca center of Texas..:-)

Will it ever get better?

Some of the locals had given up on the issue of whether non-citizens should vote. It could just be a temporary ceasefire... The waywardwardwind used a double adjective, liberal, progressive, democrats, in order to blame them for the issue. I have not seen this issue on the docket nor in any other major publications but it still generates a hateful, meaningless discussion. I think WendyMiller22 has seen the light; knowing that it doesn't matter how civil she is; her opposition will be relentless to prove her wrong. They don't have any boundaries.The ceasefire lasted till mid afternoon when SpeakUp1968 made his appearance to give his ultra conservative view and waywardwind followed by mocking the post of wendymiller22.... This should open the door for their cohorts let the merry-g-round comments begin.

On the national front, the republicans are going after each other as a media predicted. Yesterday, Senator Jim DeMint scored a big victory over majority leader elect Mitch McConnell by acquiring the votes necessary to ban earmarks. Senator Jim DeMint and Congresswoman Michelle Bachman are stepping up as de facto tea party leaders, saying they will be willing to compromise with the administration; even though they don't have leadership roles within the Republican Party. Yesterday, the eventual Alaska senator Lisa Murkowski said "Sarah Palin doesn't have the intellectual curiosity, necessary to be president of United States."... Ouch.

A blogger named Jared is quietly going after the local conspiracy theorists and a blogger who spends way too much time creating elaborate spreadsheets to present a one sided hypothetical of conspiracy. Jared might not be going after them intentionally because he is noncontroversial but he is doing it in a very subtle way by presenting facts.As I suspected, BSspotter (Master conspirator)answered Jared by submitting several links to try and prove his conspiracy... If Jared answers, he will have a long day. I couldn't resist any more; I gave my 2¢ worth and of course a couple posters let me know how wrong I was...lol

Until next time or something else gets my attention today; I bid you a good day.

Come on now, the first to sign up because I'm not going to shamelessly advertise my blog on the Victoria Advocate forum.

It's been a long time

It might've been a long time but I'm I'm wanna make up for lost time by trying to post as many blogs as I can. I will eventually move from the Victoria Advocate site. The advocate site has been to my liking for five years but I think it's time to move on, so I can write an uninhibited blog.I would like to remain in good standing because of the outreach to correct some myths and to give another point of view, that is currently lacking.

The locals in Victoria,Texas got a illegal immigrant bashing thread, to keep them busy for while. They usually post redundant statements and follow-up redundant sayings like " I welcome legal immigration," which is code for " don't call me a racist."A blogger with moxie has returned to give the locals, a run for their money. The blogger's name is wendymiller22 from Edna,Texas.

I will we'll be blogging about my favorite topics such as national politics and will add some local flavor.