Inauguration Celebration Weekend

What a great weekend!

My girlfriend, MsPattey came in town and, as usual, we were ripping and running from the moment she got off the plane embarking on our adventure. I picked her up at the airport and we headed straight for the metro to go downtown to the Official Inauguration Souvenir Store. We bought some buttons, a great set of highball glasses and some other doodads; however, they were running some serious inauguration extortion in the “official” store. There were plenty of of stands and shops around with much more reasonable prices to partake in…especially if you wanted a bobble head of any President you could think of.

                     

The next day we spent the day at Pentagon City Mall and, well, let’s say, some bargains were found and dollars were spent. I haven’t shopped like that in FOREVER! It was a blast. We shopped for so long that we damn near passed out from lack of sustenance ending up at Harry’s in the mall where we proceed to eat like savages. Not a word was said as we consumed inhaled our burgers. Not one word.

 

Sunday morning we had brunch at National Harbor – my BloodyMary was AWESOME and shopped some more. Later that evening, we went to a Pre-Inauguration Party at the Navy Yard. Another fabulous time with friends and we even got to meet James Cotton, Tuskegee Airman who had recently received a Tuskegee Airmen Congressional Gold Medal. What a treat!

      

Monday morning came around real fast and it was time to head down to the Inauguration ceremony. Tickets in hand, we boarded the metro and headed downtown to make our way to the Gold Ticket holder security checkpoint. It was just amazing how many people simply did NOT read the back of their ticket which said in big letters what your could and could not bring into the security area. Somebody got a huge donation of chairs, coolers, backpacks and a host of other items that were CLEARLY marked prohibited.

 

READING IS FUNDAMENTAL.

 

Getting through our checkpoint was like being in a heard of sheep, but went pretty smoothly and quickly. We were in the gold section by 9:30am and then it was a hurry up and wait situation. We kept ourselves busy taking pictures, talking to people and taking in the scenery – the pomp & circumstance of the day.

                   

This was the first inauguration I had ever been to. Pretty damn neat. Watching on the TV is warm and all, but actually being there – a much more tangible, emotional moment. I was glad I was part of the experience; glad to be sharing it with my girlfriend.

 

While the getting in was pretty easy, the getting out and back to the metro station was a whole different story. It took us an hour to get 2 blocks. From 3rd & C to D street and the Federal Center Metro. The line at the metro was unbelievable! We decided to walk back to L’Enfant Plaza station and when we got there, the line/crowd was even larger and not moving. Apparently, the station was closed for reasons were not privy to. (Found out later that it was temporarily shut down due to overcrowding) Melt down time…both MsPattey and I only had about 10% power on our phones and we needed to find the closest metro stop that might be open. We ended up walking from L’Enfant Plaza to the Waterfront metro (about 10 LONG AZZ blocks) and we were on our way back home.

 

By time we got back to the house – EXHAUSTED – we had barely enough time to get ready and back on the metro to go to the Ambassadors Ball.

               

We weren’t the only people in all their black tie finery on the Metro and we weren’t the only ladies wearing a pair of fold up ballet slippers (or just plain slippers) to walk from the Metro to the Convention Center or Carnegie Library. It was wonderful seeing all of “the beautiful” people out and about in all their finery – Imma need some people to wear a damn coat – and to mix and mingle. We saw Miss USA and Miss Teen USA at the Ambassadors Ball along with a bunch of other dignitaries from all over the world…didn’t know not a near one, but who cares. It was a Ball!

 

Another TravelDiva & HandiHOTness Adventure!!!

WE VOTED!!!

                 

Over here at True Blessings Estate, ERRYBODY got in on this voting thing. Me,  the QueenMum and my Sis got it in early.

                      

My sister almost didn’t get to vote, but intervention by our Congressional Office made it possible. After all those years of black sheep kinda trouble, she got it together ~ is putting her life together ~ and it meant the world to her to get to vote for the 1st time in her life. Thank you to the Honorable Elijah Cummings office & staff that made sure that her paperwork & registration got certified. Why she running round my house yelling and giving hi-fives talking bout how her “paid her dues” vote gave the President the state of Maryland.

 

Maybe.

 

                 

            

Even more awesome was taking my Grandmother out to get her vote in. Since she is losing her eyesight, she needed someone to go with her to help read her ballot. My sister & Princess Cara went with her to help. Once again, my sister was so proud when they asked for her ID and if she was a registered voter (you have to be a registered voter to help another person with their ballot) and was going BOOYA! when they pulled her up on the screen. GmaWillie GOT IT IN!!!!

86 years old, yesterday and STILL FLY!!!

 

I hope you got out and voted. As my friend, my brother from another mother & classmate, @Preacher1987 said so eloquently this morning:

 

There are places in the world today where, if you have the audacity to question or criticize the policies of your leaders, the government can and will arrest you, harass you, detain you... or worse. The United States of America is NOT one of those places.

There are places in the world where everyone is not free to worship as they choose, if at all. There are places where worshippers must literally go underground to hear the Word, worship the Lord, and fellowship with other believers. There are places in the world today where professing faith in Christ is a dangerous and possibly fatal declaration. The United States of America is NOT one of those places.

There are places in the world where those who govern do not have to have the consent of those they govern. These places have "elections", but these displays are largely for appearances only, because if you don't "vote" for the powers that be, you and your family end up disappearing. Or worse. That doesn't happen here, in the United States of America.

There are places in the world where women are considered so poorly that they must cover their entire bodies all day long, they can't go to school to get an education, and they have no voice in how their lives will go in their communities. There are places, even in 2012, where the minorities in certain countries are still discriminated against, to the point where they are marginalized when it comes to the political process. That's not the case in the USA, where women and minorities shed blood, sweat, and a lot of tears to ensure that all of us would have a voice in this land and truly be the UNITED States of America and so it comes down to this. The sun rises this morning on one of the greatest things about the USA: our collective right to vote. We have discussed, argued, debated, and reasoned with each other (sometimes). We have placed pictures and banners and memes for and against our candidates of choice on our pages. It's been funny, and intense, and painful, and infuriating, and worrisome, and ironic, and at times quite entertaining. But all of that has no significance, no meaning, no POINT at all, if we don't finish the exercise and go vote today (if you haven't done so already).

WE DID!!! I hope you did too!

Perception IS Reality

…and the misconceptions, beliefs and opinions formed from a perception become so entrenched in that persons reality that NOTHING you say,NOTHING you do, no amount of proof will change that reality.

 

I had to learn it the hard way. AGAIN. A hard head = a soft ass.

 

 

I should have known that me saying anything – no matter how tongue in cheek – would be akin to me taking a stick to a hornets nest. Even The FireMarshall warned me “Lisa, leave it alone. Don’t say anything. You know what’s going to happen.”

 

I did it anyway…and down the rabbit hole I went.

 

Tuesday, one of my FB friends posted a plea to please refrain from posting any “obnoxious, pity, snide, partisan” comments on FB during the debates. I found that amusing. My thought was, well, if you don’t like all the posts, just don’t watch the newsfeed during the debates. By time they are over(or at least by the next morning), the newsfeed will have scrolled to the much more mundane. Shrugs. See, I have a lot of FB friends that wax eloquently about a lot of stuff that I find ridiculous, offensive, insane, funny, etc. etc. I also realize it’s a free country. Opinions are like assholes – everybody has one. I agree or I don’t. I seek to understand…and sometimes I can’t. Sometimes I make a point, enter into the discussion, banter – sometimes I don’t. I respect another person’s right to present their beliefs/opinions. We still have the 1st Amendment, right? AND the Book of the Face is free – where all your “friends” know your name and you are free to roam about the world and share and talk about whatever.

 

For others…I guess not. So, against better judgment; against the advice of the FM I chimed in with my tongue in cheek (at least I thought so) comment of “I do what I want.” All hell broke out. The response was basically –So, Can I expect that by 9:10 pm you will start commenting on how "awful", "despicable", "disgraceful", "unethical", "miserly", "disingenuous", "job shipping", "offshoring", Cayman hiding", "little people eating", "53% supporting", "racist", "homophobic", "misogynistic", "xenophobic", "dog whistling", "country club redneck" Romney is???? ;)

 

I missed that wink smile at the end and responded that I have not used any of the words above on any of my posts except maybe unethical and blatant liar and pointed out that he had, in fact, used some of those very words to describe people that he has disdain for. Then it got personal. Then it got twisted to be that I was talking about him – PERSONALLY. Say what? I was accused of refusing to have an honest debate. What were we debating about again. You asked me what would people say if you called the President a liar – I said probably nothing. I tried to agree to disagree and gracefully exit the room and then I’m I’m accused of passing some kind of judgment on  him. He asked me three times if I thought HIS discourse was dishonest. Three times I said NO! Not good enough. He just ignored it and went on with his dressing down. Despite the fact that I pointed out that I don’t name call & label people, went back over months of my time line to find where I did that and came up empty, he continued to accuse me of it saying “though some of your name-calling and labeling I find repugnant in its, at times, direct labeling and indirect insinuations that dissent with a politician you adore, is tantamount to some insidious undercurrent of "something" (racism).”

 

SAY WHAT??? Where/when have I ever said or implied that dissenting opinions with the President (I don’t adore any politician) is racist. I have had discussion with numerous people on my wall that have a different opinion than mine and NEVER have I resorted to calling or implying that they are racist. NEVER. During this whole political season, I have not slammed, insulted (well, maybe because I disagree – if that’s insulting), name called, labeled anybody. I haven’t called anyone a socialist, right wing nut job, racist, fat, ugly, communist, elitist…blah, blah, blah because they disagree. I have only unfriended one person without so much as a BOO because, when they posted a picture that I found very offensive along with a bunch of other VERY OFFENSIVE stuff – no need to try and argue them down – that’s what they believe and it was against everything I believed – nice knowing you but I don’t have to play with you everyday. CLICK, goodbye. What’s even more interesting, is that he has NEVER said one thing, NEVER commented with a “I disagree with your assertion because_______” on any of my posts – EVER. So, when were we supposed to have honest discourse? Silly me.

 

I made my case. I then asked “But calling someone a "ignoramus, complete idiot, racist, ignorant, pandering, self-serving, sycophant" is not name calling or labeling at all, right?” See he used those words to describe someone he has intense disdain for – whether it is justified  is another conversation – my point was to clarify. Is having a differing opinion and questioning what someone says/does name calling & labeling and what you do is not? I will admit that I do mock the Governor & the some of those in the GOP & Tea Party – especially when they say or do something mock worthy – say, like “binders of women”, legitimate rape, 47% of America are greedy victims…etc. But all the name calling you say I do – NOT.

 

IRRELEVANT. I was summarily dismissed with a long condescending diatribe closing with “I'll double check this post to ensure I didn't label you or call names. Sometimes I do it in my sleep and forget that's what I did.”

 

WOW. How was I supposed to take that? So you do call ME names – just not where anyone can see. In your sleep, huh? Just WOW.

 

I tried one last time to defend myself:

 

“What is the point in discussing anything with you when, if you are of a differing opinion you get slammed, insulted and labeled as some kind of ignorant road groupie- nothing more than a fool kneeling at the alter of the POTUS. As long as I disagree or find something wrong with the party you so adore and can do absolutely no wrong, you will continue to label me, cast me down as nothing more than that simpleton, incapable of rational thought but lucky enough to catch that classy guy...Lord, however, did she get in let alone graduate from WP? Who is doing the insulting? I’m so sorry that you believe everything I post is some kind of adoration statement. I don't mock, name call Republicans or people who don't believe in the President or his administration. How is calling out what some Republicans have said and done and questioning the veracity or sanity of it mocking? All I can do is shake my head knowing that I'm probably wasting my time writing this as you are entrenched in your belief that I am "something" only worthy of your disdain. I know for a fact I don't "adore" any politician. I know for a fact that I haven’t done the things you accuse me of or describe me as. I know who I am and it is not anything you imagine me to be. So, be it. I'm good……”

I closed by giving him the option of hiding my newsfeed or unfriending me since I offend him so and he has such disdain for me. Did he come back with a I don’t have disdain for you, I don’t think you are stupid, I’m just passionate about my position and let’s agree to disagree? NOPE!

 

He let the anvil drop and went in for the kill. He totally ignored everything I said, every point I made and brought up a disagreement we had back in 2009 where I had posted an article that asserted that the Rights animosity towards Obama was based in racism. I read the article and I felt that some of the points were quite valid based on my experience. I said “My sentiments exactly” as my comment regarding the article. I got a thrashing. The article title and tag line WAS incendiary. However, I felt that some of the authors points were true – I still do. I admitted that I should have been more verbose in my comments and explain what I thought was valid & not.

 

NOT GOOD ENOUGH. Basically, no matter what I said, no matter how many times I tried to clarify my position:

“I'm going to state my position once again - perhaps you will take the time to hear me now : While the article/author/tag line may have been very incendiary and offensive, some of his points about the the tone/attitude/disrespect/words towards the President & current administration being racist in nature I believe are true. I do. You don't. I see some of what is going on as blatantly disrespectful with some racial undertone. You see all of it as just normal discourse that has always gone on.
When you said that. Fine. I said "Okay". I don't want to fight you. You are entitled to your opinion as I am entitled to mine. Cool.

But you didn't let it be cool to disagree. Nope. You made it about YOU. You made it personal. I (emphasis) DID NOT call YOU, a racist. I DID NOT lump YOU in with anybody. I NEVER said ALL WHITE people were racists...that would be like me calling my own mother a racists...or worse, even myself. YOU made it personal and ABOUT YOU. Not I. And you didn't stop there. You then decided to ignore me, imply things about me and my character and to add insult to injury - you called me out by my name - disparaging my name & character in one fell swoop on your page. Why not just drive on down and slap me in the face. You were at least kind enough to use my maiden name and thereby not insulting the FM by association.”

FUTILE. Didn’t matter. I was told that several of my classmates thought I was a racist too and that I would “have to work harder to turn things around.”  I thought we had turned things around. I thought that after our phone conversation that the matter was behind us, the hatchet was buried, the misperception/misunderstanding was resolved.

 

UNTIL…(fast forward to Tuesday, 2012) – “I'm sorry, you forget that our FIRST disagreement on this medium was when you made the insane charges about the President's detractors after the 2009 SOTU Address. Yes, Lisa, you DID accuse the Tea Party and folks who disagreed with the POTUS of being racist. The classic case of isolating the FEW to smear the WHOLE.”

 

His PERCEPTION that I am “something” (racist, stupid, intellectually lazy, Obama idolater…insert what you will) when I’m in fact NOT is his REALITY. It never changed. He was just laying in the cut. Tolerating my presence only because he has the “utmost respect” for The FireMarshall and “our union”. When given the chance, POW! You’re still that ___________ (whatever he thinks I am). SO THERE. WOW.

 

I, on the other hand, did bury the hatchet and chalked it up to him being a very passionate man about politics and the “biased mainstream media”. I made no other assumptions – after all, he was supposed to be my classmate, our friend – the Long Grey Line and all that. We should be able to disagree and still be civil. Shouldn’t we?

 

Well, now my PERCEPTION HAS been formed of him – watch it, I’m about to “name call/label” - as an intolerant bully (maybe is just a woman thing, IDK) that will eviscerate you if you don’t use his pre-approved credible news outlets or talking heads, disagree or have a different opinion than his, present your thoughts/opinion in a manner that is not to his liking…etc. And that is MY REALITY.

 

He’s going to have to “work real hard to turn this around on me”…but MY PERCEPTION is that he probably doesn’t care and will come out swinging – or not.

Politics 4 Dummies–Here’s What I Know

     Seems like this election has got EVERYBODIES panties all up in a bunch. What I notice most of all is -

 

1. People are just down right rude & can’t have a civil conversation, resorting to name calling & trolling when they realize they are not converting you to their twisted way of thinking or buying their brand of bullshit.

2. People are so entrenched in their ideology that even when they are waist deep in bullshyt, even when they are faced with a bold faced lie/hypocrisy/the outrageous or egregious – fugg it, this is what I think and damn the truth.

3. People hate (yes, I said hate) the President SO DAMN MUCH that they don’t give a damn when their elected officials block/filibuster/vote against everything and anything that comes out of the Oval Office.

 

The screaming & gnashing of teeth is astounding. “The worst President in history.” Seriously people? POTUS certainly isn’t the second coming to anything, but for real? – Worst EVER? Like FOREVER?

 

Get a damn grip.

 

I certainly am no where close to any type of political wonk. I don’t know every freaking statistic, every piece of political history off the top of my head. I don’t spend my waking hours searching for pieces of data & (often) out of context facts to support my argument why the Republicans or the Democrats are the next best thing since sliced bread no matter how much their diapers are filled with runny diarrhea. I’m busy. LIVING LIFE. I’m busy with my family and home. I’m busy focused on clawing my way back out of the valley that we (temporarily, I might add) slipped into when we survived 3 layoffs while starting our own company. When I do respond or enter into a conversation with someone about the current candidates, I do make an effort to google, read and make a valid attempt at backing up what I say with some TRUTH/FACTS. However, a lot of times my discussions/positions/beliefs on a topic are based on my LIFE EXPERIENCES.

 

Been there. EXPERIENCED THAT.

 

I’ve been to the mountain top and drank from the fountain of milk & honey - I’ve been that top % earner bracket (not hide my money in the Cayman’s rich – more like 40 acres & a mule, Hummer, 10day vacay’s 2x/year rich)…and I’ve been in the valley, laid off 3x collecting an unemployment check that wouldn’t even cover our electric bill, taking $50 and squeezing/twisting $300 out of it. HUMPH. So, I don’t need to be a tax attorney or know how many tax returns every candidate has released for the past 100 years to KNOW that the man who wants to be the LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD, but keeps most of his money in a foreign country is FULL OF SHYT. You want to tell us minions how much we gotta pay in taxes, what loop holes & deductions you gonna shut down – basically, with a straight smirk stick it to the middle class, working poor, and just plain poor (the 47% Victims). I don’t need to be a rocket scientist or break down who exactly you are talking about when you say “you are not concerned with those people…that’s not your job”.

 

I just throw a flag on the play and call BULLSHYT.

 

I have had some of the best health insurance possible, through an employer – cafeteria style, never had to pay a premium. We were “given” a certain amount per year and then picked everything from medical/dental/life/legal/disability and much more. If you went over the amount “given” then “your contribution” kicked in – never more than $20/month in my case. *cue the angles singing* I’ve also been part of that horrid group of people called the uninsured – you know them – the ones that just don’t want to PAY for insurance, too lazy to work to get insurance, or those working poor that can’t afford the high premium contribution to take their employers plan – CAUSE THEY WANT TO EAT – people. Laid off, kicked out of my Cadillac plan and can’t afford the $1800/month for a family of 4 COBRA premium – we went without health insurance. I tried to qualify us for medical assistance (at least for my kids) until we got back on the straight and narrow but my PAST 2 TAX RETURNS made us ineligible for assistance – even temporarily – even for just the kids. We hadn’t been poor long enough, you see. Then began a 6 month search for a job AND private insurance, getting rejected by 3 different companies for PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS. It took me finding us a broker to negotiate on our behalf and we were finally given the privilege of paying $800/month in premiums. Lucky us. So I don’t need to have read the entire AHC Act (although I’ve read most of it), be a doctor or an insurance company to know that neither Romney or Ryan give a rats ass about the health of anybody else but themselves.They can afford anything & everything that would ever come their way. Fugg the poor – “use the emergency room”, Fugg grandma/grandpa – figure out how to make that voucher work on a fixed/limited income.

 

I just throw a flag on the play and call BULLSHYT.

 

I am a woman, hear me roar. I have daughters. Women have had the right to vote for less than 100 years. Progress. Not so much. Why am I – in the 21st CENTURY – worried about my daughters ability to have easy access to birth control so they can make the choice of when to have children, while men have no problem getting Via,gr@, Ci@1is and the like (paid for) so they can get it on at will? Why does getting PSA’s & colonoscopy’s count toward preventative care, but Pap Smears & Mammograms are getting put on the back burner as not needed so much? Why, on God’s green earth, would I ever vote for a party that would allow the redefinition of “legitimate rape” (what the fugg is legitimate about rape- EVER) and at every turn deny a woman the right to determine what she can or can not do with her body. I don’t need to explain or prove anything to know that I don’t – I won’t support a party or a candidate that would be empowered to return women to the stone age.

 

I just throw a flag on the plan and call BULLSHYT.

 

I could go on regarding my EXPERIENCES. I am probably qualified to be Secretary of Transportation (at least) cause I can see I70, I95, I495 & I695 from my roof top. HUMPH. I’m qualified.

 

I may not know much about the political process or have all the data/stats. What I do know is what I have learned from my life experiences and I know I can spot BULLSHYT when I see & hear it. I’m not a label. I’m not a Republican or Democrat, Conservative or Liberal. Sticks & Stones. I am an INDEPENDENT thinker. Based on my experiences and thoughts on the rhetoric being spewed on all sides, I’ll take the devil I know over the skinnin & grinnin, say any damn thing with a smile or smirk cause you honestly believe we are too damn stupid to discern the truth or throw them up against rational thought or past experiences, Romney.

 

…and that is my right. And you have the right to do you. You may think that I am the poster child for Politics for Dummies. So be it. WHATEVER. What I know is that I won’t vote GOP because they DO NOT represent or support anything that is positive for me, my family or my experiences. NOT ONE DAMN THING. At this point, 5 weeks out from election day, all I can do is SMDH at people that simply don’t care that the GOP is lying in your face and will throw 98% of America under the bus to protect their own 1% as long as they get that **insert Socialist, Muslim, Kenyan, Boy, Un-American, Black, Other slur here** out of office.

 

I don’t know much. What I do know is who I’m going to vote for. …and for now, that is still my right.

DA HELL YOU SAY - Explain it to me–Help me Understand

Today I read a FB status update that rendered me, of all people, speechless. After staring at it for a while and typing out a hot response, I decided to erase it and not engage in a discussion about the post with a bunch of people that, by the way people were liking it, thought the same way.

 

I just didn’t see the point in getting into a heated FB argument discussion that wasn’t going to change anything.

 

I decided to post it here, to perhaps a broader minded audience, and see if you can explain to me - WITHOUT NAME CALLING, RHETORIC & BULLSHIT ONE LINERS - why my visceral reaction to it is off base. Once again, cite your facts (not sound bites) & show your work.

 

Here it goes:

“While our party [GOP} might not be for gay marriage, we must have a place for all people that want small government and a fiscal conservatism. If you are gay but want to remain an achievement driven economy, consider voting for Romney. If you are pro choice but concerned about the deficit, Romney is the man for you. We can't let a difference in one policy issue out of 10 or more to drive citizens to the entitlement party."

My gut reaction was…GTFOOHWTBS! So, regardless of the fact that “your party” believes gays should have no rights AT ALL, that they are amoral, unchristian and a plague upon society that will destroy the very fabric of our nation with their “behavior”, gays should vote for the GOP candidate because its ONLY one issue out of 10 or more. It’s just one little issue that even if the gay community supports Romney, they will get the clock turned back on every advancement, consideration, law that would make them equal under the law to every other citizen. Don’t worry, the gay community will certainly be better off in that bullshit “achievement driven economy” that will all of a sudden be created under Romney as if in the past 4 years everyone just laid down sideways in the government trough and said fugg it, I’m going to hold out for the freebies.

 

I have to be off base, right?

 

And hey, you pro choicers that believe a woman should have the RIGHT to decide what is best for her and her body, that rape is NOT a form of contraception, that a woman should have any rights at all to self-determination & liberty, but want something done about the deficit – NEVER FEAR – it’s only ONE ISSUE out of 10 or more. Don’t worry, while we are working on the deficit (that the GOP doesn’t even think they can balance till, what, 2014 OR even have a plan) we will continue to redefine rape, strip women of their rights and put men in charge of legislating v.ag.ina’s & ut.eru.ses (which it looks like they don’t even know how they work) and devise a plan to get you in a burka. Extreme? When I hear what some of the GOP elected officials are saying – yeah, that shit right there is EXTREME.

 

But I’m off base, right? I misunderstand, right? That’s not what you meant at all, huh?

 

Mmmmm, okay.

 

What my FB friend said came across to me as the same as saying – Hey, ignore the fact that that we don’t support Civil Rights legislation or think that minorities should have the same rights, under the CONSTITUTION, that we hold so dear, it’s just ONE ISSUE among 10 or more. Don’t let that worry your pretty little head. Support us while we stomp all over anyone or anything that gets in the way of us finding ways to put all of our money in overseas tax havens. Who gives a damn about the rest of “you people”, you underachieving, entitlement hungry, lazy minions.

 

Did I read too much into that update? I don’t think so, but there has to be SOMEBODY who can explain it to me.  I’m starting to think that I won’t even be able to save my watch from wading in the bullshit dished out over the next few months. Not at all.

GTFOOHWTBS–The Killing of Trayvon Martin

Just stop. Stop with all the bullshyt.

 

Those of you that think if Trayvon had just stopped and answered Zimmerman’s questions and confrontation…

 

GTFOOHWTBS.

 

So, am I now supposed to teach my children (my 20 year old son) that if a STRANGER is following you, stalking you and then confronts you…A STRANGER THAT IS NOT EVEN IN A POLICE UNIFORM…that they are just supposed to stand there and let said STRANGER do, say, touch, harass them with all the deference, respect & yes, sir’s that they can muster as if this was the 1950’s? ARE YOU FUGGING SERIOUS??? So, if a stranger is following me; harassing me, I’m not supposed to run? What if that STRANGER turned out to be a serial killer or rapist?  Wouldn’t you be calling me fugging stupid for stopping to talk to with a STRANGER?

 

GTFOOHWTBS.

 

What about MY RIGHT – what about Trayvon’s RIGHT - to stand our ground? Oh…Okay. The one with the gun is always gonna win that one, huh? What if Trayvon did fight back – against the pursuit and confrontation of a STRANGER!!!??? He didn’t have the right to stand his ground, the right to self-defense against that idiot, Zimmerman? Of course not. Like I said, the gun wins.

 

GTFOOHWTBS.

 

I simply can’t wrap my mind around the idea that Zimmerman, who had almost 100lbs on Trayvon, felt that his life was in imminent danger from a kid with a bag of skittles and a can a tea to fight with. SELF DEFENSE MY ASS. There is NOTHING you can tell me, nothing you can say that will convince me that Zimmerman was the victim here. Zimmerman was the one that called 911. Zimmerman was the one that followed that kid despite being told not to. It was Zimmerman that got out of his car and confronted Trayvon, once again, despite being told not too. Who was the aggressor here? Zimmerman started it and he finished it…and now his little vigilante, racial profiling, stereotyping, over zealous azz is still free to roam the street.

 

GTFOOHWTBS.

 

…and you know as well as I do, that had Trayvon had a license to carry a concealed weapon, stood his ground when Zimmerman confronted him and was the first one to get off a shot, that Trayvon would have been hauled off to jail while they “investigated” his claim of self defense. And I’m sure the outrage would have been just as loud to convict him for shooting Zimmerman instead of backing off. You know it, I know it. I willing to say it to your face. Makes you uncomfortable. Too bad. The truth hurts.

 

As for Geraldo Rivera’s assertions that if Trayvon has not been wearing a hoodie, this probably wouldn’t have happened like it did…

 

GTFOOHWTBS.

 

How about that for stereotyping and racial profiling. That is just about the same thing as saying that if women didn’t wear the pencil skirt then they wouldn’t get raped. Really? Geraldo – SHAME ON YOU! That was just dumb, asinine logic.

 

GTFOOHWTBS.

 

As for those of you that think that we all should just shut up about this since there is so much other similar tragedies in the the world…NO. I won’t. Don’t take issue with me for staying on top of this injustice, talking about it and calling it for what it is – MURDER, plain and simple. Do I care about the other injustices in the world?  YES. I’m sick of it all. Take up the lack of coverage for many of the other social injustices with the media. Those that scream the loudest seem to get the attention…watch the power of any special interest group. That Stand Your Ground Law is some bullshit, plain & simple. Where is ya’ll girl, Nancy Grace? Mmmm Hmmmm.

 

GTFOOHWTBS.

 

You know, if enough good people just keep silent, refuse to throw a flag on the play or call BULLSHIT when they see it…then well evil, injustice will win every single time.

 

GTFOOHWTBS.

Sometimes You Just Can't Cure "Stupid"

I was going to write a post on the just plain stupidity of this whole "conspiracy", but this article said everything I wanted to say.

Releasing Obama's Long-Form Birth Certificate Won't Cure "Stupid" TheLoop21.com

I too think it won't change a damn thing with these idiots that have run away from their village and senses. I also will not even enter into a discussion with such "Birthers". I REFUSE to argue with stupid & ignorant. Just go sit down in some damn corner, continue foaming at the mouth and pray you don't hurt yourself as you flail around looking crazy.

As for The Donald...YOUR FIRED. And by the way, you looked and sounded like a complete raving madman during your talk with CNN's John King. UTTERLY RE-DAMN-DICULOUS.

Bytchassedness to the Gazzillionth degree.

...And NOW You're Mad?

YOU WANT TO GET MAD?
adapted from a letter by Christian Struzan

We had eight years of Bush and Cheney, but now they get mad!

They didn’t get mad when the Supreme Court stopped a legal recount and appointed a President.

They didn’t get mad when Cheney allowed Energy company officials to dictate energy policy and push us to invade Iraq.

They didn’t get mad when a covert CIA operative got ousted.

They didn’t get mad when the Patriot Act got passed.

They didn’t get mad when we illegally invaded a country that posed no threat to us.

They didn’t get mad when we spent over 800 billion(and counting) on said illegal war.

They didn’t get mad when over 10 billion dollars just disappeared in Iraq.

They didn't get mad when President G.W. Bush borrowed more money from foreign sources than the previous 42 presidents COMBINED.

They didn’t get mad when you found out we were torturing people.

They didn't get mad when BUSH embraced trade and outsourcing policies that shipped 6 MILLION American jobs out of the country.

They didn't get mad when the government was illegally wiretapping Americans.

They didn’t get mad when we didn’t catch Bin Laden.

They didn’t get mad when you saw the horrible conditions at Walter Reed.

They didn’t get mad when we let a major US city, New Orleans - drown.

They didn't get mad when BUSH rang up 10 TRILLION dollars in combined budget and current account deficits.

They didn’t get mad when we gave a 900 billion tax break to the rich.

They didn’t get mad when, using reconciliation; a trillion dollars of our tax dollars were redirected to insurance companies for Medicare Advantage which cost over 20 percent more for basically the same services that Medicare provides.

They didn't get mad when over 200,000 AMERICAN CITIZENS lost their lives because they had no health insurance.

They didn't get mad when the lack of oversight and regulations from the Bush Administration caused US citizens to lose 12 trillion dollars in investments, retirement, and home values.

They finally got mad when a BLACK MAN was elected President of the United States and had the audacity to decide that people in America deserved the right to go see a doctor if they are sick. Illegal wars, corruption, torture, job losses by the millions, theft of taxes to make the rich even richer, and the worst economic disaster since 1929 never stirred their ire.

NOW they get mad?!!!

Mad enough to start an ultra-conservative, twisted and apparently insane party of Republicans called the Tea Party, whose agenda is so far to the right that it threatens the liberties of minorities everywhere, and the hard fought gains over the past century? Mad enough to allow the same party that caused this mess to get back into power and start it all over again? Mad enough to allow fear to triumph over reason, just to gain enough power to advance their own agenda at the expense of the people you were elected to represent? Mad enough to trample all over the Constitution, twisting it to suit their own purposes/meaning?

Not on my watch, not with my vote they won't. Please Vote! on Tuesday. Stop the Madness.

Signed - A "Fake" American (going by the tea party definition of what a REAL American is) that is still trying to figure out who to take America back from and/or where it went.

PREVIEW: SOTU Talking Points

SOTU Talking Points
Rescue, Rebuild, Restore - A New Foundation for Prosperity

· The President is going to talk directly to the American people about restoring security for middle class families after a lost decade of declining wages, eroding retirement security and escalating health care and tuition costs.

· The President will talk to the American people about steps we need to take to build on the work we did this past year to bring the economy back from the brink of a depression. While the worst of the economic crisis has passed, for too many American families and businesses the wreckage remains.

o He’ll call on Congress to pass a jobs bill to jumpstart private sector job creation with:
§ Investments in small businesses,
§ Investments in Green Jobs and clean energy;
§ Investments in road, bridge, rail and port projects; and
§ Policies to spur more exports of American manufactured products.

· The President will talk to the American people about meeting the challenges that have hurt middle class families, and those who aspire to it, by building a New Foundation of prosperity for American families and businesses.

o He’ll call on Congress to pass Education reforms that transform families and strengthen the country;

o He’ll call on Congress to pass meaningful Financial Reforms that hold Wall Street accountable, makes sure no bank is ever too big to fail and provide clear rules of the road that give the American consumer the clear information they need to make financial decisions;

o He’ll call on Congress to enact Energy Reform that creates the jobs of tomorrow, increases our energy independence and reduces pollution;

o He’ll call on Congress to enact fiscal reform that recognizes that the deficits and debt exploded the last decade before the President took office. He’ll propose measures to deal with the costs of bringing the economy back from the brink of a depression and call on Congress to engage in the bi-partisan work required to address the debt that was accumulated in the last decade.

o He’ll ask Congress, Democrats and Republicans, to continue the work on health reform. He’ll remind all members that premiums will continue to rise; businesses will continue to drop coverage and more families will deal with insurance company abuses if we don’t act.

· The President will also speak directly to the American people and to Congress about changing the way business is done in Washington so that the American people know that their interests always come before the special interests. He’ll call for more transparency so that the public is always aware of what’s being done on their behalf.

· The President will talk about his efforts to better protect the American people. After inheriting two wars and a growing terrorist threat, he will review the steps that he has taken to increase the pressure on al Qaeda, and refocus on Afghanistan. He will discuss the progress made in carrying out his plan to end the war in Iraq. And he will announce a new plan to protect the American people from bio-terrorism and infectious disease.

· The President has renewed America’s alliances and standing in the world. He will preview the progress that we are poised to make as we near completion of a landmark arms control agreement with Russia, and prepare to host a Nuclear Security Summit in April that will rally the world behind the goal of securing all loose nuclear materials. He will also speak about America’s leadership on issues like global economic growth, climate change, and human rights.

· For over a decade, American families have been working harder and falling further behind. As college become less affordable; retirement savings become less secure; home values plummet; health insurance premiums and co-pays eat into wages and the cost of living explodes, the standard of living for American families continues to decline.

· While they meet their responsibilities and play by the rules, they have seen the special interests and those with political access in Washington get farther and farther ahead. Rather than seeing policies that encourage responsible behavior, American families have too often seen Washington reward irresponsibility while passing on debt to future generations.

· The President will talk about the need for change that the American people want and expect. For a decade, American families and businesses have experienced an erosion of the economic security that has been at the core of our prosperity. Tonight the President will lay out his vision on what steps are required to restore that security and how Washington should do its work in a way that reflects the best of our people and our democracy.

The Easter Egg is Cracked

I am some kind of pissed off about this whole White House Easter Egg Roll debacle. I am all for using technology, but sometimes the good ole fashioned, tried & true method is the way to go. If you are going to use online ticketing system, you would think that based on the demand level for the Inauguration that you would beef up your server capacity or add more. BUT NOOOOO! Here are the other things that the idjit who came up with this online ticketing didn't consider....

* Isn't this supposed to be open and available to everybody and anybody? What about those people who don't have a computer, high speed Internet ect? They could have stood in line like everybody else (FOR YEARS - it wasn't broke, why fix it) to have a chance for tickets. A whole group of people eliminated from a chance at this event.

* Are the people in California who get tickets (or anywhere else out of state) really gonna get on a plane and come here for the Egg Roll? In this here economy? Really. Or do you think that some people will just scalp them on E.B.ay, Crai.gs.Lis.t or where ever to make a buck? And even if the powers that be made that impossible via requiring ID or something, do you think that will stop them from selling them anyway and suckering people out of the event & their money?

* That there are plenty of people looking for anything to hammer another nail into the alleged coffin of our President for the appearance of elitism to an excuse to say that if they can get something as simple as an Egg Roll ticket system right then what makes us think that they can fix something big...like the economy. WHY GIVE THE DETRACTORS ANY AMMUNITION?

And to really piss me off, every time I got back to try again, I am reminded to NOT forget to PURCHASE the souvenir White House Egg. GTFOOH!.

Here is the message I've been getting (or some version of it) for the past 4 hours:

Thank you for your patience. Ticket demand for the 2009 White House Egg Roll is exceptionally high. We apologize for any difficulty in reserving the tickets. If you did not receive a confirmation page then you were not able to successfully secure tickets at that time. Tickets are not available at this time. Tickets will be available at various times through the day ONLINE ONLY. If you were unable to order tickets, please check back later. Please note that only a limited number of tickets are available.

So, after 4 hours of refreshing and trying over and over, I get in around 2pm. ONLY TO GET EVEN MORE FRIGGIN PISSED THE EFF OFF! So you select a time, you select how many tickets you want and guess what you get: "We were not able to find that many tickets in that section." So you keep trying every different time slot for the tickets you want and each time you get the same message, or it times out on you, or your computer doesn't connect and your have to go back and start all over. Then I started trying the minimum ticket number (1 kid, 1 adult) for every available time slot (took 45 minutes of going back and forth) to be told AGAIN that they were not able to find that many tickets in that time section. WHY DON'T YOU JUST GIVE ME WHAT EVER THE EFF IS AVAILABLE FOR THE FRIGGIN TIME AVAILABLE AND LET ME LIVE WITH IT? Take a clue from Ticketmaster...BEST TICKETS AVAILABLE.

This whole system was BULLSHYT and I'm done.

That was the biggest cluster F*&K I have ever participated in. EVER. I'm so hot, you could fry an egg on my forehead. I need a drink. I hope it pours down rain on the White House Easter Bunny. Take your souvenir egg and shove it.

The New Face of Crime

This was just so damn funny to me. Check out this commentary on The New Face of Crime....and to all my white friends...please take heed to the advice. Just in case.

Get Up w/It Cause I'm Staying Homie

I started the morning laughing so hard at this one. You gotta read the words...had me screaming.
"Secret Service we roll deep" Don't get it twisted.

From AngryBlkManVA: First Day of School....

....Five Years From Now

With all the other doo-dads that are getting Obamatized...why would I be surprised if this didn't happen. Sigh.

Where in The World Were You! - Gigapan

Gigapan Image of President Barak Obama's Inaugural Address by David Bergman

Do you know where you were located on the Mall. Zoom, Pan and you can find yourself and your friends. Read all about how David Bergman created this image on his blog.

How I made a 1,474 megapixel Photo During President Obama's Inaugural Address.

Pictures from the Illinois State Inaugural Ball

Inauguration Day 2009: Living the Dream

Live Feed from Illinois Inaugural Ball

Live TV by Ustream

I Have a Dream to Living the Dream

Living the Dream, President Barack Obama, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., MLK Holiday, Inauguration Day, originally uploaded by BL1961.

“Knowing that somehow the situation can and will be changed.” Martin Luther King.

I hope everyone is enjoying the day and this moment in history.

I've been Obamicon'd!

Inauguration 2009: West Point Diversity Leadership Council Social

featuring the Dartmouth Gospel Choir & Chicago One Accord

I could write up a bunch of stuff, but, again, I'm at a loss of words. Instead, watch the videos and experience the magic, the excitement...the feelling of being part of history.

Part 1:

Part 2: