etcpolitics

Catholic in 2012

2012-02-11T11:17:00.000-05:00

I am Catholic.

I was baptized in August at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs in Queens, Forest Hills, New York. The same church my parents were married in. My aunt and uncle stood for me and took the vows, that I confirmed some 20 years later. ( It's a long story)

I went to a Catholic School from 4th grade through high school and 1 year at a Catholic college in Pennsylvania.

And in all that time, I was taught by health teachers and parents please wait until you are married to have sex. But if you can't or won't wait, use protection.

The Bishops seems to be unaware that schools, at least the ones that I attended, were already talking about birth control. Maybe it's out of a sense of what they don't know won't hurt them.

But now, it has become a very public row. The Bishops now feel incumbent to protest the rule forcing any institution that operates in the real world ( not churches) to provide birth control without co- pays.

President Obama announced a compromise that health insurance companies have to reach out to women, assure that they have access to contraceptives and that the companies will pick up the tab, not the religious organization.

The Bishops' aren't happy about that either: " First, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said the administration’s plan still includes a “nationwide mandate of insurance coverage of sterilization and contraception, including some abortifacients.”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0212/72751.html#ixzz1m5eBgT9x"

The issue of self insurance, maybe it's time those Catholic organization stop pocketing the fee that they wouldn't pay the insurance companies, and hire a third party to take of handling benefits.

So, we can go back to the what they don't know won't hurt them.

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Mitt Romney Rally in Atlanta

2012-02-08T20:50:00.000-05:00

Don't get your mind in a wad

2012-01-23T18:23:00.000-05:00

A brief breakdown on what I've read today.

Saul Alinsky, has been brought back to life by Newt Gingrich. I took some time and read a bit about him. Anyone who challenges the status quos is a radical. Just like some Founding Fathers I've read about it. In regard to his tactics, I know some Tea Party members who used the same methods at some Town Halls last summer.

( Yeah, Newt you're not the only who can read history books)

The 57 page memo from Larry Summers to the President Elect Obama. It was well thought out and written, but in 57 pages we had 100 different options and ideas. Like throwing mud on the wall and see what sticks.

I am curious what Secretary Geithner thinks about this leaked memo.

"Don't get your pantyhose in a wad" - Bud Brinkman The Abyss

Sarah Palin borrowed that line and delivered it to sitting Governor of New Jersey. because he defended his guy Romney on Meet the Press.

Now, I'm not defending Chris Christi, he could wipe the floor with Sarah Palin and return her back to her pundit chair. He doesn't need my help at all with his debate skills. But I take exception to the cheap shot, when the person who said it QUIT her job. Tells SC to vote for Gingrich, but doesn't endorse him. Give me a break. Pick a side. And stick with it.

Today is the 18th Republican Primary debate on NBC, Brian Williams will be moderating... good gravy.. 18.

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Past lives and Politics

2012-01-19T17:54:00.000-05:00

I can't speak for Newt Gingrich's current marriage or the prior two. But I'd like to surmise why the 2nd Mrs. Gingrich is speaking out.

I think it's akin to what happen to Herman Cain during his campaign, at the beginning he was popular, but no where near being the nominee. But as his success grew, the people he had worked with grew more concerned. Because of his past behavior with them, they didn't believe he wasn't worthy of being the Republican nominee. So theses women spoke out, even when inevitably they were described as a woman scorned or accused of looking for a payout. In the end the pressure was too much, and Herman Cain called it a day.

Perhaps Marianne Gingrich, thinks it best to speak out now, before the Republicans chose a conservative in sheep's clothing.

I still believe Mitt Romney will be the Republican nominee for President. Gingrich has too much baggage and Santorum tries to be more Catholic then the Pope.

And I don't know about you, but just like Billy Joel sings "I'd rather laugh with the sinners, then cry with saints. The sinners are much more fun..."

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XL KeyStone PipeLine

2012-01-18T16:44:00.000-05:00

Let's get a couple things straight.

First, President Obama doesn't object to oil pipelines used to transport oil to Port Arthur in Texas. And the State Department doesn't either. Governor Heineman also has no objection to the pipeline.

What they all object to is where it's going through and that Congress said "You have 60 days to review and approve it."

TransCanada has to reapply with all the information concerning the new route and according to Politico they are planning to do just that, so much for running to China. All that information has to be reviewed, questions asked and answered, then confirmed. Afterwards the States, yes people the 10th Amendment swings both ways, that have the pipeline going through the; also will survey and confirm the details. And just like Governor Heineman (R) NE, didn't want the pipe going through the Sand Hills, other states may also have objections.

All of this takes time. The old adages measure twice cut once applies here.

http://www.transcanada.com/keystone_pipeline_map.htmlMap for KeyStone Pipeline (old route)

Last Call for any one but Mitt

2012-01-17T21:58:00.000-05:00

So, let's vote for Newt so he can stay in a little longer. Not win the nomination, but make sure the vetting process is done correctly.

Well, you are right on that one, because Senator McCain and Crew sure as heck didn't vet you very well.

But this is a different ball game, you just don't want Mitt.

Say it with me: Anybody but Mitt.

Why because he's going to lose, but not because you don't think he's a proper conservative but because he doesn't have "it".

The "it" that pulls people in, and makes them want to follow.

Newt has some of the "it" he can talk off script and as long as he stays away from the rabbit hole, can make a convincing argument as to why he should be president.

But and there's always a but, history comes back to the front, his time as Speaker of the House. When you have Senator Coburn on the Fox Sunday Show saying point blank "No, not him". When he makes statements clearly meant to his base, and forgetting he's running for President of the United States, not just parts of the

he likes.

So, say it with me Mrs. Palin " Anybody but Mitt."

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Oh Jon Huntsman.. Jon Huntsman

2012-01-16T13:58:00.000-05:00

Oh Jon Huntsman. Jon Huntsman.

Did you ever really think you had a chance.

The answer.. ah no. Not really, but you did give it an old' college try. Including the cheerleaders. ( beautiful daughters and smart). Not to mention the perfect resume: you worked in the Reagan and George HW Bush administrations ( should have networked better), ran the Huntsman Corp (2010 revenues 9 billion ), Governor of Utah and various ambassadorships' Singapore and

China

. Maybe you shouldn't have taken the job offer from President Obama, plead some excuse. The motor cross ad, introducing you to that American public, even I could have done better content.

Need I go on.... sure why not.

You would have made a decent President and okay Vice President.

But running against President Obama, you need to need to be more then decent. And that's why you and it has to be said Mitt Romney will lose.

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Football and God.

2012-01-09T12:15:00.000-05:00

Any Given Sunday.

When the NFL is on Sundays any team can walk away with a win. Even the best and brightest can have a really great day or a really bad one.

Yesterday was a good example of just that, Pittsburgh Steelers fell behind early. They started a brief comeback, tied it and then lost the game in overtime.

And just to remind you the Steelers were playing an away game and just like many other teams, have a hard time making a comeback.

For the Steelers and their fans, it just hard to take because it ends their playoff chances. And please don't whine about the calls from referees, you got to keep your touchdown.

No where in my little essay was there anything about God or Tebow. The Steelers had a bad day. And the Broncos a good one.

Any Given Sunday.

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Republican Debates

2012-01-08T18:23:00.000-05:00

Well after watching two Republican debates back to back. I give kudos to no one. None of the moderators asked smart questions. And don't even try to tell me it was the candidates fault, by saying we only go where the contestants want us to so. Baloney.

Why spend so much time on: abortion or gay rights. Really guys, we know where these people stand on those issues. After all some of them have even signed pledges affirming their belief.

If the moderators would read their own polls, they would ask more about: job creation, education, infrastructure, mortgage relief, retraining adult workers, healthcare, environment and last but not least tax reform.

Clue in, and read something or at least get somebody to give you a brief about US politics.

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A New Year

2012-01-06T13:03:00.002-05:00

I have to start over.

Not the first time or the last. But this last fall hurt.

I'm brushing myself off, picking up the pieces and moving forward.

I have to, standing still never got anyone, anywhere.

Where to Maestro?

There, it's 2012 Election and all the marbles are in the game.

And to my intended targets, get ready, it's going to be a bumpy night.

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Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T17:54:00.000-05:00

British politics

2011-12-12T17:14:00.000-05:00

On occasion I watch the British Parliament on C-Span. Yes, for you people out there, there are channels that do have talking heads that actually try to do something.

Today or maybe more like yesterday at this point. Prime Minister David Cameron was defending his decision to walk away from a new Treaty of Lisbon.

The majority of the House of Common were backing him and the polls taken also seem to assess that the British people also back the PM choice.

But to hear a few odd comments, not all were content.

"You are a plunker"

"You are backed by the "British Tea Party"

"You've manage to do what Brown, Major and Thatcher never would have done, leaving the UK unable to influence the European Union"

Time will tell if Prime Minster David Cameron , did the right thing.

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New GUY

2011-12-11T18:48:00.001-05:00

Managing the efforts of others. ( And what not to do)

The New Guy.

And, telling the new guy: Hey they treated me like crap too. Sorry if I do the same to you. Is not a good excuse

Making the new guy feel stupid any time you ask a question, also doesn't help the learning process.

Yes, the new guy can see you shaking your head. Ah, yeah he saw you roll your eyes. And the IM yeah, he was looking at the screen when you sent it.

Oh and by the way that parting remark before you left. "Your not ready to be on your own.,, just honest feedback."

Attempting something new for the first time, then getting screamed at for trying. Doesn't inspire confidence.

Saying: Didn't we just go over that.

And don't think for one blessed moment, that because your write your own performance appraisal, you'll escape judgment.

Because judgment is coming baby. Maybe not to today. Or tomorrow. But it will come.

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Oh how the mighty have fallen

2011-12-08T18:45:00.001-05:00

When I was about twenty- five years old, a woman by the name of *Patty came into my department. It was her first time working in a call center, and it showed.

What took me 10 seconds to do, take her 20 second, and those seconds add up. Especially when the clock is ticking against you, every second I had to stop and help her, affected my numbers. Well, not really by then I had learned how far I could push different avenues before it seriously hurt me. So, I never minded helping her and others. And yes there were others, I answered the same question from last week, again this week. I would get some one to the right screen, ten times before they would understand how to do it themselves. I would rattle off extensions, from all sorts of departments.

I was the “go to person” or “Know it all”

And then I left.

I am now the *Patty, you have to show me ten times before I get it. I will ask you same the question from last week to this week.

And no I really don’t get it. But I’m willing to try my best.

Thinking back, I thought I was being gracious and nice to *Patty.

I hope I was, and if I wasn’t.

So, sorry, I know how you feel.

But just like you, I keep going.

*names have been changed.

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In the end is the beginning

2011-11-11T12:56:00.001-05:00

Donald son of Richard and Welthia

Brother: Dick, Margie, Linda

Husband of Jo.

Father to Peter, Andy, Lynne

Grandfather to Joseph, Audrey, James, Alexis, Daniel, Jack, Ian.

Father in law to Thomas, Charlotte, Adriana

Life is about beginnings.

The chapters don't ever really close. The book never reads the end.

It continues in a different direction, written by different authors.

Sometimes we get to add a few lines here and there.

Other times someone else turns the page for us or holds it until we learn the lesson.

Life is about beginnings.

The Odyssey of an old car

2011-11-08T15:07:00.000-05:00

The saga of a minivan Honda Odyssey with over 200,000 miles continues.

The engine light went on last week, so I took it to Auto Zone they will check the engine light without charging you fifty to hundred dollars. It's not exact but it give the car owner a clue. In my case, the knocking sensors had gone bad.

What's a knocking sensors? Well, it doesn't knock on the door, but does control the timing of the explosions in a combustible engine.

So, we took it to Voyles Honda, they ran the test, and determine the wires leading to the knocking sensors had been eaten or worn out. The bill to fix that puppy, $ 372.00, and we are in between paychecks. Andy's mom came to the rescue to fix the car ( she is incredibly generous) we dropped of the car Monday morning, ready to get the car back that afternoon and continue life as normal.

When man makes plans, God laughs.

And it's so true. I get a call from the service department, telling me in order to get to the knocking sensors they have to move the fuel injectors, and when the mechanic removed them they went and I quote " fell apart". He was going to be kind and only charge me for labor and not the parts, another 350.00. WTF. I told him point blank we don't have the money to pay another 350.00.

I called Roswell Honda, to figure out whether this guy was telling me the truth.

Well, according to the Roswell dealer fuel injectors don't just fall apart, the o- rings might need to be replaced. And they can't all fail at once. After all there are six of them. I told him about the deal, he response why are they charging you for labor if the have to remove them anyway. He was very point blank about having the car towed to another place, any place it didn't have to be his for a second opinion.

Well, I wish I could, it would cost about 70 bucks to have it towed, for only another place to give me the same answer. So instead of 760.00 it would 820.00.

When I talked to Voyles Honda, he told me only three needed to be replaced, and I asked what was bad with them, he explained the tips were bad. I explained, how can they be bad, when nothing was wrong with the car.

It's a high mileage car, it sits on the top of the engine the heat can cause damage.

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark. Or in this case Honda.

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Cost of College

2011-11-04T23:17:00.000-04:00

Some one please tell me why college tuition continues to go up every year. Cost increases are predicted in November. We haven't even finished the school year, let alone the semester.

Are professors getting paid more, is the cost of services and vendors increasing that much every year, that tuition bill has to go up by 3 to 4%. And please don't try to tell me that government has kept cutting the education budget, so they have to increase tuition.

Seriously, the cost of tuition has out stripped even the high middle class income.

Where is the money going?

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100%

2011-11-03T13:49:00.000-04:00

"No man is an island entire of itself, every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main......"

John Donne

We are the whole. We are the 100%.

The 99% can't live with or without the 1%.

The 1% needs the 99% in order to maintain their status of masters' of the universe.

In business you need: an idea, investors and human capital.

If proper investment aren't maintain for: infrastructure, business will find it difficult to keep up a with fast growing global market. Education: without highly skilled qualified workforce, companies will move to other countries in order to maintain the edge. Energy: It's time to recognize that oil and coal production are still necessary to run the United States energy needs, however it no longer requires subsidies to be maintained. It's time to put that money to better use. Healthcare: a better access to medical care is needed. And there has to be a serious discussion on End of Life care.

It takes money to make money. Steve Jobs wouldn't have been able to start Apple without an influx of cash. Pixar never would have moved beyond being a LucasFilm department, without Steve Jobs investment. And from there thousands if not millions of jobs have been created.

We are the 100%.

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Not so fast buddy

2011-11-02T14:56:00.000-04:00

Does Donna Rice ring a bell to anyone? Or a man named

Gary Hart and a boat called the Monkey Business.

And uh yeah the year was 1988, and we watched on the side lines as Gary Hart's political career imploded.

In 1991 we had the Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill hearings, based on allegations of sexual harassment. It was a painful process. But in the end he was appointed as a Supreme Court Justice. And except for last year answering machine message from Ginny Thomas, it has been relegated to ah not so nice part of history.

Bill Clinton: Gennifer Flowers, Paula Snowe, Katherine Wiley and last but not least Monica Lewinsky. Pick a decade he allegedly had issues in all of them. He paid for some in money, in pain and his place in US History and Google will always bring up those incidents.

John Edwards, 2008. He lost his political career, his wife's love and now he may serve time and or lose his license to practice law, his source of income.

Herman Cain, 20 years ago or so the National Restaurant Association settled two cases with women who alleged sexual harassment charges against him.

Mr. Cain's fate is still uncertain, but one thing for sure, history never forgets.

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So you wanna run for public office

2011-11-02T11:05:00.000-04:00

When anyone decides to throw their hat in the ring, to run for any elected office, especially President of the United States. The individual doing the hat throwing better be ready to have that hat, tossed, stepped on, burnt, pooped on, chewed and then sniffed at in a snobby way.

What? Were you expecting a red carpet, rose petals, horns blaring and someone holding the door open for you at the end of the road.

Ha, better bring a crowbar, to pry that sucker open. No one is just going to hand it over to you.

The entire reason we have a mini primary prior to the real primaries is to figure out what a candidate is made of. And yes that means digging beyond what Google tells you up front about the guy. Talking to former employers and employees, ex girlfriends, schools attended. Anyone who can give journalists/ the public better insight into a candidates' character.

So, yeah they are after you.. get use it.. or get the out.

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Ciao Steve Jobs

2011-10-26T16:20:00.000-04:00

I'm sitting here working on my Dell laptop, downloading books to my Kindle and listening to music streaming from the Amazon Cloud, currently playing Buffalo Springfield "For what it's worth". All the while writing this blog for my website located on Google.

Last night I finish reading Steve Jobs biography written by Walter Issacson. It was illuminating, I believe Mr. Issacson captured the best and worst of Steve Jobs. He brought Jobs back to earth and made him human. I think his kids when the pain of loss has faded a bit, will read it and gain a better understanding of who their Dad was. Something I think everyone wishes they could have with their own parents.

He changed the world. Steve Jobs changed my world. I may not use his products ( a bit out of my price league, that and I'm with Verizon and at the time they didn't have the iPhone). But I saw all of the movies produced by Pixar, and loved them all. The computers and smart phone I use (Dell and Droid X) wouldn't be around right now, if he hadn't been the really pushy guy he had been.

So, thank you Steve Jobs.

Even though you would have told me, every piece of equipment I have is crap.

But it's my crap.

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History

2011-10-01T11:56:00.002-04:00

If there is one regret I have is not having video taped my parents enough. I have snippets here and there but no real continuous tape.

I still have time to make up for it. When we go back for Christmas, my intention is to make an effort to tape them without knowing. To give myself and my children a small gift.

These are your grandparents and they love you very much.

Justin Bieber and my kid

2011-09-17T18:02:00.000-04:00

When life hand you lemons make lemonade. Easier said then done.

Today is the 33^rd Annual Georgia Music Awards it is being performed at the Cobb Energy Center. We bought the tickets well in advance for Alex and me to attend. They aren’t the closest seats to the stage but she would have had a good view. Her primary reason for going is that Justin Bieber is going to perform and his managers amongst others are being inducted into the Georgia Hall of Fame. We are all ready and set to go…. When a really big huge life issue came in.

A family emergency in Florida has called my husband. And therefore leaves us with no babysitter for the other three kids.

And now my daughter is very upset…. She really wanted to see Justin Bieber perform. Did I say really?

So now I have lemons….. But no sugar to mix with it.

Dragon*Con

2011-09-03T14:44:00.001-04:00

There are jobs and there are careers

2011-09-02T19:41:00.001-04:00

I find it interesting when one person whose sole claim to fame is to be related to another person who is in public service as a politician. Manages to take that relationship and uses to create a career: blog, write a book, articles and occasionally appear as pundit on TV.

But when another individual tries the same racket, with some what less success, it gets pooped on in a major way.

Count your lucky stars they aren't talking about you. And move on.

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