so, in plain english, what i am understanding is that the bush administration wants to bail out the banks and corporations that have gotten themselves in trouble by granting bad loans. supposedly, they will “buy” up all the unwanted foreclosures, collection accounts, and the like from these organizations, and that will free up money for the banks to then loan to thier customers, being that such loans have practically been frozen. the idea, as i understand it, is that the benefits will “trickle” down to the regular american by allowing them to then take out more loanns [ which are not guaranteed anymore than the first round of loans that got the banks in trouble in the first place], especially given the current status of the economy. the government’s answer seems to be to give money to the banks and corporations, billing the common taxpayer for this gift, and in turn, allow the taxpayer to borrow once again. basically – a plan to give to the rich and tax the poor to middle income while encouraging them to get themselves in more debt. am i missing something?
today, on several cable news shows, there were reports of millions of dollars being paid in severance to outgoing bank and corporation ceo’s. so… these organizations have the money, evidently, to pay exorbitant amounts of money to get rid of someone they feel has led the bank or corporation down the hole, yet, they don’t have money keep themselves afloat? hello!
ok, i am definitely oversimplifying this, but maybe if they would take responsibility for their own loans, as americans up until now have had to do, then the chips would fall where they should, and those banks and/or corporations that acted responsibly with good practices will survive, grow, and even prosper. sort of a natural selection of corporate america if you will. think about it. what happens when we rescue children, adults, or even criminals from the consequences of their bad behavior?. they never learn. they are prone to repeat the offense. nothing ever changes. perhaps we should apply this same principle to corporate america.
the criticism of this is that the american economy will suffer. by economy, do they mean the wealthy? well, the wealthy can afford to suffer a little bit. it’s the people who don’t have food who can’t.
and that’s my two cents worth, which, i am told, is worth about .0443 of a cent in today’s global market.
crocs are and have been very popular, shall i say sub-casual [?] footwear for several years now. when the first ones came out, i swore i would never wear them as they were the ugliest shoe i had ever seen. literally. however, after a couple of years and a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, i reluctantly tried on a pair and they felt great. of course, because of my thin feet, i had to purchase the ugliest of the lot, the full shoe version with the boat shoe type ties. they actually felt pretty good.
a few years and several styles after, i have discovered several disadvantages of crocs that have nothing to do with ugliness….
they wear out and if you do not replace them in time, your feet hit the ground unevenly resulting in pain and soreness
if you get them wet [especially the flip-flop style], it is virtually impossible to keep them on, increasing the risks and above all, NEVER wear them as shower shoes!
the get so slippery when they are wet it is easy to become prey to falls, skids, and in my case, full-fledged tumbles
they tend to widen your toe bed after awhile, making it harder to wear more narrow shoes
as they became more stylish, the comfort and orthopedic benefit has seemed to go down, especially with the thinning of the soles and the introduction of heeled crocs
they stick to certain surfaces such as escalators, again increasing the risk of a fall
so many faux crocs are made now [which have even less support or comfort], it is easy for misinformed persons to buy a pair of cheap imitations and really injure your feet
so many injuries have occured with crocs, they have actually been banned in some places.
i did find a shoe that felt good however. i have found mbt’s to be the most comfortable shoe for me. they can be a little pricey and make your foot look a bit strange, but if you have ever had your feet hurt for hours on end, you know it is worth it. they are finally coming out with some cuter styles now as well. so, i save my more fashionable shoes for short-term and keep my mbt’s for serious ped action.
basic mbt: COMFORTABLE! have these.
mbt sandal: not TOO bad with skirts and shorts. have these.
i live north of houston. we had a hurricane sweep though here early saturday [9/13] morning. i love hurricanes. i plot them. i am amazed at their sheer power and strength. i find the wind beautiful and inspiring. don’t get me wrong. i am in no way implying that i welcome the devastation and destruction that so often accompanies them. in fact, i abhor it.
i was not in a voluntary or mandatory evacuation zone. in fact, we were told to shelter in place [meaning not to leave the house] and to ‘hunker down’. we stocked up on supplies, medication, filled up the car with gas, taped the windows, secured everything and still had damage, but thankfully, survived the worst of it.
however, the reason i wanted to blog about this is not because of any of that. there are, i am sure, thousands of blogs posted across the web where you can read different accounts of the storm, see pictures, videos, and even historical comparisons of ike with past storms.
the reason i am writing is that i find some circumstances surrounding ike very unusual.
the storm seems to mimic the “galveston hurricane” of 1900 [09/08/00] in many ways including direct hit, storm surge, and tide
there was very little rain and what rain there was appeared extremely fine and misty [observation, talking to others in the area, local news updates, and report from HPD officer located downtown houston during storm] in fact, on 09.08.08 during passage over cuba, the rain rate remained at under 10 millimeters per hour
there was no thunder heard [observation & talking to others in the area]
there was no lightning seen [observation & talking to others in the area]
the storm encompassed over 600 miles and had an eye of over 60 miles accross at one point
although area residents had ample warning and federal disaster aid was set up before the storm even hit, it somehow was delayed for approximately 3 days
the storm surge was equal to that of a category 4 or 5 storm, causing extensive damage some 10 hours or more before the storm [weather channel live reports]
the storm was reported to maintain 100 mph winds [for hours] even though the pressure was dropping and the storm was moving over the warm waters of the gulf [observation, live news feed]
photos of galveston island have been limited and repetitious, in fact, up until 3 days after the storm, the news was showing the same 4-5 photos on all networks and surprisingly, differing photos could hardly be found on the web [observation, internet search results, fox news, cnn, msnbc]
3 days after the storm, residents are finally being allowed on the island in a “look and leave” manner, with an escort and a limited time to survey damage to their own property
ike was one of a series of storms that developed within a matter of days; each which took a different path and had a different outcome, not so unusual, but it seemed as if several were triggered at once until one got it right. although stacked storms are not unusual, especially at the peak of hurricane season, these all seemed to originate at or about the same area, which is unusual
downtown houston never did lose power and sustained very little damage although the storm went right through there, including the eye and eye walls. [HPD patrol report downtown houston]. the media reported severe damage. in contrast, areas to the n, s, e and w did have substantial damage
reportedly, the army corps is not allowing fema onto the island [yet to be confirmed]
the mayor of galveston stated she would not evacuate the island [this on wed/thur] because it was too late and an evacuation was not possible. she evacuated the island on friday.
the galveston mayor also said they would not attempt rescues of persons remaining, but thankfully, they did
supposedly the chief of police for hpd stated that 12 hour shifts could stop 3 days after the storm. the mayor demanded they continue and the area put out a national plea to other police officers to come and help. but not until 3 days after the storm.
no coverage or official announcement has been given about the condition or damage of/to NASA besides a general closing announcement and some damage reports. ??? isn’t this kind of an important place?
curfews are in effect not only in blackout areas but in operational areas as well
almost all of the houston-area refineries are down shooting the cost of fuel up throughout the nation
today the mayor of galveston told the residents that would participate in the look and leave program that they would not see the coastal devastation that they had seen on the news because it had been cleaned up. cleaned up? already? wait. the mayor has cancelled the “look and leave” program because of traffic congestion and has announced that it will not be tried again. seems this would have been expected and provisions made to deal with it before the program was initiated, that is, if the plans were formulated to be successful in the first place.
it appears that marshal law is in effect in galveston although the mayor denies it. however, channel 13 local news announced that marshal law is in effect on what is left of boliver peninsula
we haven’t heard a word of campaigning or even had a visit from either of the presidential candidates. they seem to be keeping their distance [all i could find searching were sympathy-related statements; granted, obama is helping to solicit donations by linking to the red cross on his website and through emails, but you would think they [obama and mccain] would want to be here in person
please don’t get me wrong. this blog is not meant to complain. we were lucky and my heart goes out to those whose fate is yet to be determined. it is simply my try at putting words this vague yet pervasive feeling that something is just not natural in this whole ordeal.
i had not even heard of this until today, supposedly when it did it’s first test run. supposedly some people are concerned about the creation of black holes that could be devastating to our planet and/or solar system. i think it’s pretty interesting.
remind me of my school days [some of my best memories]
can cover up the need to shave your legs
go with jeans, skirts, dresses, anything!
can add just the right touch to your outfit
are more comfortable than hose, tights, or leggings, which can feel binding
tend to last longer than other foot/leg fashions
are timeless
so, i found a great new site for knee socks, tights, and all the newest must-have leg fashions for this fall. check out www.thejoyofsocks.com. i was so excited to find this site because i have been looking everywhere for some specific types of socks and tights and i was getting frustrated at the lack of variety and stock of most retail stores in the area. all they seemed to have was solid navy and white [for school uniforms nonetheless].
i thought these were nice…
simone cashmere blend argyle knee socks
lurex stripe knee socks
june cashmere blend over the knee socks
look from london peacock tights - i love these!
and, i really thought these were cute for someone a bit younger than me although i would wear the black, navy, white, and maybe the orange. i love all the bright colors!
i have always known that i am different. not necessarily special, just different. it has always been hard for me to think inside of the box, for example. i grew up with absolutely no one in my family of origin understanding me and was often ridiculed or dismissed as precocious and independent, and more than once, i was called strange. i felt awkward in most social situations and was more comfortable around adults than children. to me, most children were loud, too rough, and never engaged in any sort of activity that i wanted to participate in – even though i was their age. as an adult, i continued to hear remarks like “she came from a different mold” and began to realize that this was something i would simply have to deal with – being different.
so what is so different about me? it took me a long time to figure out. apart from some personal idiosyncrasies like not liking water on my face, an inability to tolerate loud noises, perseverating on one topic or project incessantly, interrupting people in conversation and in class, blurting out answers to problems before anyone else had a chance, having a hard time making [and keeping] friends, possessing a very strong need for order, having certain taste, touch, and smell aversions, and finding it a chore to listen to others long stories and/or feel empathy for them at times, i seem pretty normal.
throughout my life these characteristics have been given many names and/or diagnoses and many postulations have been made as to why i possess them. turns out none of them were right… until recently.
several months ago i was told that i had many manifestations of asperger’s syndrome [they actually called it asperger's disorder but upon doing a lot of research i found that it is not actually deemed a disorder but rather a different way of thinking, comprehending, interacting and seeing the world]. basically, my brain was/is wired differently and all of the things i listed above were/are considered normal for someone with this condition. i also learned that asperger’s syndrome is a form of autism and high-functioning “aspies” often do not get diagnosed because they usually have a high IQ and have figured out [by adulthood] how to make their uniqueness work for them. In fact, a lot of famous, albeit often called eccentric people, are believed to have had this syndrome.
Wilkopedia states that Michael Fitzgerald, of the Department of Child Psychiatry at Trinity College, speculated the following were autistic [or aspergerian] in The Genesis of Artistic Creativity:
and yes, I realize that wilkopedia is not the best [or even a valid] research site but it was the first one to come up when I googled “famous people with asperger’s”, so i will use it this time.
in the midst of this new knowledge of myself, i discovered a single attribute of asperger’s syndrome that explained so much of my difficulty with people in this world, schools of thought and why, the reason why, it is so hard for me to keep my mouth shut [or in my case, my keyboard locked] when i perceive something to be untrue or unjust. evidently, aspies have an overdeveloped sense of justice [i still do not understand how a sense of justice can be overdeveloped].
the resident expert on this syndrome is tony atwood. his site has a lot of good information and links that can be very helpful to an aspie or the people who interact with them.
so anyway, why did i bother to post this? information on asperger’s is all over the web, especially with the recently renewed interest in autism awareness. the reason is simple. since i have discovered a framework within which to understand myself and others, i have greatly improved in my ability to interact with others and allow for “their” differences.
having asperger’s syndrome is not a hindrance to me, my diagnosis [and i am hesitant to use this term as it implies a disorder] has been a significant turning point in my life and the understanding of it a big help.
we have recently moved. our last house was decorated in the dark, warm colors that i like with a lot of vintage asian, a few antiques and the usual random starter-family furniture pieces (leather couch, bits and pieces discarded from older family members, garage sale finds, etc). my curtains were straight and tailored and they did a good job of blocking out the light. i don’t usually like light. in fact, i have been known to hermit in the house for months on end. we painted some walls but they were muted and pretty low key… colors like olive drab, dark brick, and the like. when we had to change out the carpet because of my allergies, we picked a deep charcoal color. because we keep our house so cool, some people referred to my house as “the cave”. don’t get me wrong, it looked nice in a suburban, older-person kind of way but let’s just say i wouldn’t like it now.
between houses, we [a family of four] enjoyed a brief stay in very “cozy” townhouse. our plans were to move out of state and like a lot of things in my/our lives, they changed at the last minute. needless to say, we started house-hunting as soon as our lease would let us.
so now, we’re in a new house [new to us - it's actually 25 years old - built in 1982] and i have a new mood. while house-hunting, first and foremost, light was essential. in fact, one of the main things that attracted me to this house were the large and plenteous windows. i did not want curtains. i wanted bright, shocking colors and happy light decor. i found little use for the dark wooden antiques i had used in the past and with a couple of exceptions, placed them in storage. i painted some vintage pieces i found at a thrift store bright red and ordered a crazy, graphic duvet cover. in fact, i really cannot decide if it is cute or ugly but i just know that i like it right now and it makes me feel good.
it’s a rather small house, square-footage wise, but seems larger because of the architecture and open layout. the yard is amazing with orange, lime, key lime and banana trees and a host of tropical flowers. i would love to make it a lot more minimal but with two kids at home, 43 years of memories, and not a lot of wall space, it is a bit more crowded and decorated than i had originally planned. and yes, we need upgrades, especially in the kitchen and bathrooms and some new clean-lined furniture, but for now this will do just fine.
no, i not in the throws of menopause or even pre-menopause. i am not going through an identity crisis and i have not [in my opinion] reached midlife. i just wanted something different and i am still amazed at how much someones taste and environmental needs can change so quickly. i guess you could call my home sort of traditional vintage mod, if that exists.
of course, there was the ghost thing at the other house, but that’s for another blog.
recently, i have been looking for a few new dresses which will work accross the seasons, be flattering to my figure and perservere accross the ever-changing fashion landscape. i came accross this dress online and absolutly fell in love with it. it is basic, comfortable and a bit whimsical. i am thinking it will look good with navy tights for winter, pumps for a more formal look, or bare legs and strappy sandals for summer.
although i am trying to keep this blog a bit lighter than some posts i have published in other places around the blogosphere, i feel both a need and a responsibility to share what i have discovered about the voting records relating to a possible one-world government and our two presidential candidates.
a bit of history… i have a very close friend who hails from a conservative christian background and leans so much to the right that i often joke with her that she might have scoliosis. i tend to be a bit more liberal, independent and open to alternative ways of thinking. so, when she was at my house last week we decided to do a bit of objective research on the voting records of mccain and obama regarding a few issues that have been linked to the possibility of a one-world government. i fully expected obama to have voted for the new national id [which will take the place of state id's] and free trade with mexico and canada which some think will lead to a unification of the 3 [three] countries, similar to the UK. various theorists predict that we will end up with 4 [four] of these unions which will then combine to one, resulting in the one-world government.
now, on the issue of a one-world government i am going to stay neutral. in fact, this blog is meant to be informative, not persuavive to one candidate or the other. i must say, however; that historically most conservatives [including christians] have looked to the coming of a one-world government as a sign of the “end times” and have therefore pronounced it as bad and as a “work of the devil”. Others see the concept as a good thing where resources are combined and barriers eliminated resulting in a more peaceful and cooperative world.
so, like i said, we looked up the voting record of each candidate on several of these issues and i, for one, [and i think my friend as well] was surprised at which candidate appears to come down on the side of the one-world system.
voting records and other information [this is all over the net, i have just inserted one example from each position here]:
Senator John McCain’s Amendment 3807
Sen. John McCain’s amendment 3807 to the 9/11 Commission bill S 2845 was quietly passed late Friday afternoon by “unanimous consent” after much of the Senate had already left for the weekend. This despite a promised debate on the amendment.
Call Sen. Collins’ office and demand she open McCain’s amendment 3807 for further amendments. The US Senate switchboard number is 202-224-3121 . Collins’ number is (202) 224-2523. FAX is (202) 224-2693 .
The 9/11 police state bill S 2845 could pass as early as tonight. If not then, a final vote is expected tomorrow.
The version of 3807 passed is very similar to Title VI of the McCain Lieberman bill S 2774, with slight changes that may (or may not) hamper the ability of the Homeland Secretary to throw up checkpoints on highways. The process for standardizing state driver’s licenses into a de facto National ID card is still in place; with additional provisions for a rulemaking process.
*courtesy of www.libertythink.com
evidently, mccain is not only a supporter of the national ID program, it is one of his bills. now onto NATO and opening the us/canda/mexico trade corridor….
May 19, 2008, 11:45 am
McCain Rails Against Farm Subsidies, Nafta Opponents
Elizabeth Holmes reports from Chicago on the presidential race.
Sen. John McCainis continuing to rail against subsidies and opponents of the North American Free Trade Agreement Monday during a speech to the National Restaurant Association in Chicago.
While visiting an agriculture-laden state, the unofficial Republican nominee plans to blast Congress for farm subsidies and pledge to strengthen trade agreements around the globe if elected president.
“The biggest obstacle” to opening American farmers up to global trade is “in the Congress of the United States, in the billions of dollars in subsidies served up every five years to corporate farmers,” McCain said in remarks prepared for delivery. He will accuse Congress of doling out money in the form of subsidies to some of the “biggest and richest agribusiness corporations in America.”
McCain said in the prepared remarks that the subsidies have far-reaching effects, including distorting the price of food globally. As a result, “we hurt the world’s poorest farmers in Africa and elsewhere,” McCain said. Along with exercising the presidential veto, McCain vowed to end all agricultural tariffs and farm subsidies “not based on clear need.”
McCain also took his attacks on Barack Obama to the Illinois senator’s doorstep. “Many Democratic voters in Illinois are especially proud of their junior senator,” McCain said. “I couldn’t agree more and I promise to do everything in my power to help him finish his first term in the United States Senate.”
On at least one occasion, he referred to Obama as his “opponent” rather than “opponents” – signaling a change in his rhetoric as Obama looks to lock up the Democratic nomination fight with Sen. Hillary Clinton.
“I am absolutely opposed to a nationalID card. This is a total contradiction of what a free society is all about. The purpose of government is to protect the secrecy and the privacy of all individuals, not the secrecy of government. We don’t need a nationalID card.”
and Obama on the free trade agreement (NAFTA, specifically the us/canada/mexico agreement)
Since Barack Obama joined the Senate in January 2005, he and Hillary Clinton have an identical voting record on significant trade-related issues. Both voted for free trade agreements with Bahrain and Oman, and both voted against CAFTA — the Central American Free Trade Agreement. Both voted to prohibit Mexican trucks from operating in the U.S. (as provided for in NAFTA). And on Dec. 4, 2007, both failed to vote at all on a free trade agreement with Peru.
ok, so you see my point. here we have a democratic nominee that appears to be for world peace, non-violent negotiations with other countries yet he has voted [at least in the past] against the national ID and CAFTA. on the other hand, we have a republican candidate that appears to be ready to use force to defend and separate the u.s from other countries and exercise his power to enforce his definition of democracy yet has voted for the national ID and CAFTA. seems kind of backwards, but is it?
it is definitely something to think about and perhaps research for yourself before you vote.
i have always loved autumn. the start of school. the darker days. anticipation of the holidays. cool breezes. fall clothes. football games on tv. a whole host of reasons.
my problem now is that i live in houston, tx, us, where the climate is of a sub-tropical nature. i love the city itself – its energy – its diversity -but i am not a fan of the humidity and lack of distinguishable seasons. i find it odd that the natives describe a 60 degree evening as being cold. i find it odder still that some of them wear fully lined wool coats and parkas. we even have “watch for ice on roads” signs that stay up all year. i really don’t get that.
but, nonetheless, i find myself once again longing for a real autumn and missing the ones that i experienced when i lived not too much farther north but enough to matter. so, i have decided that i will autumize this place the best i can and try to recapture at least some of the things i love so much about the season.
my plan?
keep my air-conditioning unit on a slightly lower setting to mimic what i might feel in a cooler climate (at least while i am indoors) and my ceiling fans running to create an air flow
change my light bulbs to the amber variety instead of the white, natural light; especially the ones that i will use in the late evenings
look for opportunities to attend and/or engage in all the fall activities i love even if they are not part of my regular schedule.
use warmer shades of cosmetics
indulge in the fall clothing i love but focus on layering and fabrics that have the look of tighter weaves but are still breathable.
change my road-biking and walking schedule to either early morning (lol) or late evening to avoid the heat and light
participate in halloween, thanksgiving and christmas activities
put up the family’s spring/summer clothing and equipment and replace it with the fall things
watch autumn and winter oriented movies
use my fireplace even if it means the a/c has to be on
hopefully, these things will help a bit. some of them i already do, but i just wanted to remind myself and come up with some new ones so that i can enjoy my most favorite season.
autumn!
This digital image was produced by John Haggerty, 2005, and is one of my favorites.
thoughts on the proposed bailout
6 Comments
am i missing something?
so, in plain english, what i am understanding is that the bush administration wants to bail out the banks and corporations that have gotten themselves in trouble by granting bad loans. supposedly, they will “buy” up all the unwanted foreclosures, collection accounts, and the like from these organizations, and that will free up money for the banks to then loan to thier customers, being that such loans have practically been frozen. the idea, as i understand it, is that the benefits will “trickle” down to the regular american by allowing them to then take out more loanns [ which are not guaranteed anymore than the first round of loans that got the banks in trouble in the first place], especially given the current status of the economy. the government’s answer seems to be to give money to the banks and corporations, billing the common taxpayer for this gift, and in turn, allow the taxpayer to borrow once again. basically – a plan to give to the rich and tax the poor to middle income while encouraging them to get themselves in more debt. am i missing something?
today, on several cable news shows, there were reports of millions of dollars being paid in severance to outgoing bank and corporation ceo’s. so… these organizations have the money, evidently, to pay exorbitant amounts of money to get rid of someone they feel has led the bank or corporation down the hole, yet, they don’t have money keep themselves afloat? hello!
ok, i am definitely oversimplifying this, but maybe if they would take responsibility for their own loans, as americans up until now have had to do, then the chips would fall where they should, and those banks and/or corporations that acted responsibly with good practices will survive, grow, and even prosper. sort of a natural selection of corporate america if you will. think about it. what happens when we rescue children, adults, or even criminals from the consequences of their bad behavior?. they never learn. they are prone to repeat the offense. nothing ever changes. perhaps we should apply this same principle to corporate america.
the criticism of this is that the american economy will suffer. by economy, do they mean the wealthy? well, the wealthy can afford to suffer a little bit. it’s the people who don’t have food who can’t.
and that’s my two cents worth, which, i am told, is worth about .0443 of a cent in today’s global market.
Tags: 700, administration, america, bailout, banks, behavior, billion, blogosphere, borrow, bush, ceo, class, commentary, congress, corporation, criminal, down, economy, falling, global, hungry, loans, market, mccain, middle, obama, politics, poor, responsibility, rich, street, suffer, tax, taxpayers, theory, thoughts, trickle, wall, wealthy