I'm back!
Yes, it's been a long, long time. As many (okay, just about all) of you that know me offline are aware, it's been a rather busy summer. My biggest project has been a new business as well as an accompanying blog. But more about that in a bit.
It's also been a busy summer on the national and global level, too. It would be impossible to catch up with you on "everything", I do have a few thoughts to share.
It would appear that Obama's veneer has worn off. Of course, he never was the knight in shining armor for fiscal conservatives who thought a McCain Administration would give them what they had been craving for eight years. But even some moderates seem to have become impatient and disillusioned about the pace and type of recovery the country has been undergoing. As for me, I see some success but also some disappointment.
As appealing as I would have found a single-payer health system, I feel that the health care bill that was passed was a reasonable compromise. While Obama, Pelosi and Reid would have done well to include some reasonable Republican ideas such as tort reform on medical malpractice suits, I don't see convincing insurance companies to cover everyone to be a "government takeover". Unfortunately, unyielding/base-pleasing GOP politicians won't give the Democrats credit for that.
On the other hand, I'll admit that when I supported the economic stimulus bill, I had envisioned something akin to FDR's New Deal where unemployed/underemployed people would be put to work helping to restore the blighted areas of their own towns and cities as well as other plans designed to improve the overall infrastructure of the country. While I have heard of a lot of road improvement projects, it seems like more could be done. Perhaps it's because the stimulus funds are being released at a relative trickle.
Speaking of trickling, I do agree with Obama's intention to end the second experiment of Reagan-inspired "trickle-down" regressive tax breaks favoring the top 2% of the nation's wealth. If individuals are indeed reinvesting their excess into their businesses and communities - a scenario of which I am admittedly skeptical - then the effect has far from succeeded in lifting up the other 98% of the country. Then again, Obama's tax breaks for businesses that invest in equipment and even a GOP idea for a payroll tax "holiday" are ideas that I think are worth exploring.
I do think that illegal immigration is a problem, both for the United States and the (primarily Central American) countries whose citizens have left. But I don't think Arizona's SB1070 law - let alone a similar law enacted here in Prince William County - is the right answer. Not unlike how capturing drug lords would be more effective than putting drug users in jail for hard time, so should businesses who knowingly break employment laws face civil and criminal prosecution instead of a focus on deporting undocumented workers. I believe the immigrants are simply following the money. Meanwhile, the offending businesses are shortchanging these workers by paying them uncompetitive and often illegal wages. If/when this situation is resolved, I sure hope there is a gold rush to the seasonal agriculture jobs and low-skilled factory positions by those citizens who feel those opportunities have been "taken away" from them.
And now on a more personal note...
I left my government contracting position by the end of May. Whether I resigned or was let go depends on one's perspective.
Despite my best efforts, I realized by early May that the position just wasn't compatible with my skills. I shared my thoughts with my recruiting manager who said it was essentially up to the client unless I chose to resign as a salaried consultant. I was encouraged to stay until the contract ended in August while receiving a promise to talk to the client about coming to a more expedient resolution. So with the choice essentially out of my hands, I attempted to tough it out and I felt my production was improving if not necessarily at an ideal pace.
When I arrived home on the Friday afternoon of Memorial Day weekend, I received a call from my recruiting manager with the news that I had been dropped by the client due to performance and other trumped-up concerns that I will not share here. The end result was that I was being let go from the salaried consultant program. So basically, the only difference between then and early May was four weeks' worth of pay and a heaping dose of anxiety.
Having mixed feelings about my new found freedom, I took advantage of the opportunity to work on the business that I had opened in March but had done little to promote due to work and school. At this stage, I'm still deep into the "marketing stages" of the business (i.e. not much $$$) but I am optimistic about the future. They say that some of the most successful businesses are started during the recession. I intend to be one of them.
I decided to hire a personal trainer to set up exercise programs for me to follow on a weekly basis. I also returned to my volunteer gig at the nearby library.
Contrary to last year's cross-country experience, this year was spent mostly at home. In lieu of the week-long Vegas BBW Bash, I went to Atlantic City for a couple nights in June with my buddy Frank and attended the rebirth of the Philly BBW Bash with Cathy. Before and after the Philly Bash, we had some visitors.
Cathy invited her two oldest grand kids Ben and Ella to stay with us for a week. It was a special treat for them as they had the opportunity to fly "by themselves" to DC (BWI) courtesy of Grandma. Now, as someone who grew up as an only child and would go on to raise four-legged children, having two youngsters in our home was a bit of an adjustment. But I appreciated the chance to get to know each of them better. I also had an excuse now to see some of the local sights I had wanted to visit for quite sometime: the International Spy Museum, Lincoln Memorial as well as the newish WWII Memorial. Cathy drove the grand kids back to Texas while I played cat-sitter and deprogrammed from an overdose of Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel.
Last but not least, Cathy and I cherished the opportunity to another summer vacation together. It was nice to be able to sleep late and stare into each others' pasty faces without having to rush to get out of bed.
But alas, school has started again and I've been staying focused on the business, getting some household chores out the way, preparing for upcoming travel classes and thinking about when I might put my rusty fingers back on my piano keyboard.
Life could be better...but it ain't so bad at the moment.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Obama and Bush: Peering Into The Reflecting Glass
It’s been quite a while since I shared. My obligations to work and school took up most of my time and my brain. That’s all changed but I’ll get into that in another post.
I continue to feel that when the Democrats and Republicans in Washington look at each other these days, they should see a reflection of themselves in the previous administration. In many ways, it’s as if they ignored recent history and are therefore doomed to repeat it. There are probably numerous examples but here are some of the most obvious ones.
GW Bush took office shortly before the tragedy of September 11th, an emotional and financial disaster that will take decades to recover from.
Obama took office and shortly afterward expanded upon Bush’s bailouts of the mortgage, banking and auto sectors, an emotional and financial disaster that will take decades to recover from.
The questions surrounding the 2000 Florida vote recount was an ongoing controversy during the Bush Administration. To this day, there are some that say he should not have been elected while others say he simply played by the rules.
The questions surrounding the legitimacy of a Hawaii birth certificate is an ongoing controversy in the Obama Administration. To this day, there are some that say he should not have been elected while others say he (or rather, his family) simply played by the rules.
Bush’s signature goal was to privatize a portion of Social Security, an effort that was met with stiff opposition from Democrats, other progressives, many independents and even a few Republicans.
Obama’s signature goal is to socialize a portion of health care, an effort that, while passed, was met with stiff opposition from Republicans, other conservatives, many independents and even a few Democrats.
Those who opposed Bush’s war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan were painted as “unpatriotic” by his most strident supporters.
Those who opposed Obama’s universal health care plan were painted as “uncaring” by his most strident supporters.
Bush attempted to fill a Supreme Court vacancy by nominating Harriet Miers, a woman who had no judiciary experience.
Obama is attempting to fill a Supreme Court vacancy by nominating Elena Kagan, a woman who has no judiciary experience.
In response to an expletive that Bush declared about a reporter, Vice-President Dick Cheney agreed “big time”.
In response to the signing of the healthcare bill, Vice-President Joe Biden blurted out that it was a “big f****n’ deal”.
The reality of a Republican-controlled Administration and Congress (not to mention Court) spurred the mobilization of such political organizations as Move On as well as news sources such as the Huffington Post.
The reality of a Democratic-controlled Administration and Congress (and aging Court Justices) spurred the mobilization of such political organizations as the Tea Party movement and Freedom Works and news sources such as World Net Daily.
Despite losing the Presidential nomination, the loyal support that Howard Dean received was recognized as he was rewarded by being named the Chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
Despite losing the Vice-Presidential election, the loyal support that Sarah Palin received was recognized as she has been rewarded by becoming the de facto “face” of the Tea Party movement.
Of course, we’ve previously covered the audacious declarations of both Kanye West and Glenn Beck, respectively.
And finally:
Bush was criticized, particularly by Democrats, for his slow response to Hurricane Katrina’s devastation in the Gulf Coast. His response was that he trusted the states to do the right thing.
Obama was criticized, particularly by Republicans, for his slow response to the oil rig devastation in the Gulf Coast. His response was that he was trusting British Petroleum to do the right thing.
Now if we can just keep any potentially dangerous objects out of Joe Biden’s hands, it might tip the scales in Obama’s favor!
I continue to feel that when the Democrats and Republicans in Washington look at each other these days, they should see a reflection of themselves in the previous administration. In many ways, it’s as if they ignored recent history and are therefore doomed to repeat it. There are probably numerous examples but here are some of the most obvious ones.
GW Bush took office shortly before the tragedy of September 11th, an emotional and financial disaster that will take decades to recover from.
Obama took office and shortly afterward expanded upon Bush’s bailouts of the mortgage, banking and auto sectors, an emotional and financial disaster that will take decades to recover from.
The questions surrounding the 2000 Florida vote recount was an ongoing controversy during the Bush Administration. To this day, there are some that say he should not have been elected while others say he simply played by the rules.
The questions surrounding the legitimacy of a Hawaii birth certificate is an ongoing controversy in the Obama Administration. To this day, there are some that say he should not have been elected while others say he (or rather, his family) simply played by the rules.
Bush’s signature goal was to privatize a portion of Social Security, an effort that was met with stiff opposition from Democrats, other progressives, many independents and even a few Republicans.
Obama’s signature goal is to socialize a portion of health care, an effort that, while passed, was met with stiff opposition from Republicans, other conservatives, many independents and even a few Democrats.
Those who opposed Bush’s war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan were painted as “unpatriotic” by his most strident supporters.
Those who opposed Obama’s universal health care plan were painted as “uncaring” by his most strident supporters.
Bush attempted to fill a Supreme Court vacancy by nominating Harriet Miers, a woman who had no judiciary experience.
Obama is attempting to fill a Supreme Court vacancy by nominating Elena Kagan, a woman who has no judiciary experience.
In response to an expletive that Bush declared about a reporter, Vice-President Dick Cheney agreed “big time”.
In response to the signing of the healthcare bill, Vice-President Joe Biden blurted out that it was a “big f****n’ deal”.
The reality of a Republican-controlled Administration and Congress (not to mention Court) spurred the mobilization of such political organizations as Move On as well as news sources such as the Huffington Post.
The reality of a Democratic-controlled Administration and Congress (and aging Court Justices) spurred the mobilization of such political organizations as the Tea Party movement and Freedom Works and news sources such as World Net Daily.
Despite losing the Presidential nomination, the loyal support that Howard Dean received was recognized as he was rewarded by being named the Chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
Despite losing the Vice-Presidential election, the loyal support that Sarah Palin received was recognized as she has been rewarded by becoming the de facto “face” of the Tea Party movement.
Of course, we’ve previously covered the audacious declarations of both Kanye West and Glenn Beck, respectively.
And finally:
Bush was criticized, particularly by Democrats, for his slow response to Hurricane Katrina’s devastation in the Gulf Coast. His response was that he trusted the states to do the right thing.
Obama was criticized, particularly by Republicans, for his slow response to the oil rig devastation in the Gulf Coast. His response was that he was trusting British Petroleum to do the right thing.
Now if we can just keep any potentially dangerous objects out of Joe Biden’s hands, it might tip the scales in Obama’s favor!
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Imagine...
Now the vast audience that reads this blog knows that I love people of all shades and creeds. They also know that I respect if not always agree with those who hold primarily conservative views including those in the Tea Party Movement. And not only do I know that there is a small but significant number of black conservatives out there but I also believe many black Democrats are DINOs (Democrats In Name Only) because of their perception of Republican policies. With that long disclaimer, I'd like to present the following blog that I stumbled upon courtesy of Facebook. Going beyond the "mirror image" experience I predicted when Democrats and Republicans switched positions of power, this piece explains why there is more than a little concern about potential backlash from fringe conservatives about Obama's ascendancy to the White House.
http://ephphatha-poetry.blogspot.com/2010/04/imagine-if-tea-party-was-black-tim-wise.html
(Note at the end of the post that the author is a white gentleman.)
http://ephphatha-poetry.blogspot.com/2010/04/imagine-if-tea-party-was-black-tim-wise.html
(Note at the end of the post that the author is a white gentleman.)
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Step Your Game Up
Fair enough. I mean, "we" did get the Presidency... LOL
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2010/03/06/lemon.step.controversy.cnn?hpt=T2
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2010/03/06/lemon.step.controversy.cnn?hpt=T2
Friday, March 5, 2010
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Winter... And The Meaning of Life
My most loyal readers know how much I dislike winter and the colder weather it brings. Of course, I am writing this in the midst of the “storm of the century” where two feet is a realistic scenario. This is on top of the pre-Christmas blizzard where were received the early “gift” of a foot and a half of snow. So to say my Seasonal Affect Disorder has been exacerbated this season would be an understatement. Not to mention my recurring sinusitis and what appears to be the onset of mild arthritis in my knee. But what Mother Nature has brought us is only the literally icing on the cake of what has become a bittersweet time of year.
On the one hand, there are a few causes for celebration: the birthdays of my lady Cathy, my Mom (even though our relationship has deteriorated), and Martin Luther King. Ironically Rev. King and my mother share the same day. But immediately after those dates come some difficult reminders of loss, some of them very fresh. Cathy’s birthday is followed just two days later by that of her deceased son Tommy. By the time I finish writing this, it will be the first anniversary of the passing of Cathy’s aunt Beth whose birthday is a day later. It was a difficult time managing both our jobs with the canine legacies we temporarily inherited just as we had adopted two feline sisters. And those cats arrived in part because of the passing of my own feline buddy Homes two years ago this month.
Thinking about all this loss got me to thinking about death in general. People die every day, of course, in ways that are sudden and agonizingly slow, painful and peaceful. Besides the streak of celebrities that left in 2009, I’m also starting to experience the loss of people that were close to me. I’m starting to acknowledge the reality that both of my parents may not be here in the next ten years. And finally I came to the startling reality that I too am going to die...and that by some measures I may already be halfway there. And that makes me sad... and scared.
As you all know, I’m not particularly religious. So I have no idea what’s going to happen to me after I pass away. Truthfully, no one else really does either, although people’s faith tells them what they might expect. I guess that’s what faith really means: to believe that by following one’s spiritual beliefs that the next existence you’ve been promised will happen. Without that anchor, I’m left to ponder the meaning of life. How did I become fortunate (?) enough to born human? Was I a drop of water before? Will I be a frog next?
I now understand why some people start to have a “mid-life crisis”. But don’t worry; I don’t see myself hopping into a convertible with a Barbie riding shotgun. However, I have been in a slow if economy-hampered process of reinventing my career. Based on my intellectual potential, I’m probably “supposed” to be in middle-management now if not Vice-President of whatever company. Then again, I’ve been surprised by the paths taken by many of the high school alumni I’ve rediscovered on Facebook. So I don’t necessarily feel that “underachieving” is a bad thing. In fact, I’m probably happier now than if followed the so-called traditional path.
Still…I HATE winter.
On the one hand, there are a few causes for celebration: the birthdays of my lady Cathy, my Mom (even though our relationship has deteriorated), and Martin Luther King. Ironically Rev. King and my mother share the same day. But immediately after those dates come some difficult reminders of loss, some of them very fresh. Cathy’s birthday is followed just two days later by that of her deceased son Tommy. By the time I finish writing this, it will be the first anniversary of the passing of Cathy’s aunt Beth whose birthday is a day later. It was a difficult time managing both our jobs with the canine legacies we temporarily inherited just as we had adopted two feline sisters. And those cats arrived in part because of the passing of my own feline buddy Homes two years ago this month.
Thinking about all this loss got me to thinking about death in general. People die every day, of course, in ways that are sudden and agonizingly slow, painful and peaceful. Besides the streak of celebrities that left in 2009, I’m also starting to experience the loss of people that were close to me. I’m starting to acknowledge the reality that both of my parents may not be here in the next ten years. And finally I came to the startling reality that I too am going to die...and that by some measures I may already be halfway there. And that makes me sad... and scared.
As you all know, I’m not particularly religious. So I have no idea what’s going to happen to me after I pass away. Truthfully, no one else really does either, although people’s faith tells them what they might expect. I guess that’s what faith really means: to believe that by following one’s spiritual beliefs that the next existence you’ve been promised will happen. Without that anchor, I’m left to ponder the meaning of life. How did I become fortunate (?) enough to born human? Was I a drop of water before? Will I be a frog next?
I now understand why some people start to have a “mid-life crisis”. But don’t worry; I don’t see myself hopping into a convertible with a Barbie riding shotgun. However, I have been in a slow if economy-hampered process of reinventing my career. Based on my intellectual potential, I’m probably “supposed” to be in middle-management now if not Vice-President of whatever company. Then again, I’ve been surprised by the paths taken by many of the high school alumni I’ve rediscovered on Facebook. So I don’t necessarily feel that “underachieving” is a bad thing. In fact, I’m probably happier now than if followed the so-called traditional path.
Still…I HATE winter.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Regular readers will probably rub their eyes a few times out of disbelief when they read the following statement:
Scott Brown deserved to win the special election for the Massachusetts Senate seat.
Not that I particularly supported his platform - although I appreciate that he's relatively moderate on some social issues - but because his opponent Martha Coakley basically treated the election as a coronation after winning the primary. (I mean, come on, going on vacation in the middle of a campaign??? Seriously???) And her making fun of Brown pounding the turf around Fenway Park? So yeah, Brown deserved to win. But I'm obviously not thrilled about it.
If anything, his imminent arrival may open Obama up to what I thought were some reasonable ideas from the Republicans in Congress. One being tort reform on doctor malpractice suits. As I may have said before - I'm too lazy to look back on here LOL - I think a cap on "pain and suffering" is reasonable since that is something that is not quantifiable. I don't think there should be a cap on paying for actual medical care as many medical misfortunes can last a lifetime.
I have mixed feelings on the idea of allowing insurance companies free reign on all fifty states. Granted, there are some states where the choices are few and the premiums are correspondingly high. However, I also foresee larger companies using their economies of scale to undercut smaller companies a la Wal-Mart, resulting in an oligarchy of companies.
So has Obama managed to do in only one year what took W a total of six? Well, I'll concede that regaining that 60th Senate seat is not realistic at this point. But I do think some honest attempt at common ground and compromise is good. Like I've said all along, one can draw many parallels between the behavior of certain principals during the previous administration and the complete flip-flop once the current administration began. It would be nice to know that both Democrats and Republicans have learned from being in each other's shoes. One can only hope.
Scott Brown deserved to win the special election for the Massachusetts Senate seat.
Not that I particularly supported his platform - although I appreciate that he's relatively moderate on some social issues - but because his opponent Martha Coakley basically treated the election as a coronation after winning the primary. (I mean, come on, going on vacation in the middle of a campaign??? Seriously???) And her making fun of Brown pounding the turf around Fenway Park? So yeah, Brown deserved to win. But I'm obviously not thrilled about it.
If anything, his imminent arrival may open Obama up to what I thought were some reasonable ideas from the Republicans in Congress. One being tort reform on doctor malpractice suits. As I may have said before - I'm too lazy to look back on here LOL - I think a cap on "pain and suffering" is reasonable since that is something that is not quantifiable. I don't think there should be a cap on paying for actual medical care as many medical misfortunes can last a lifetime.
I have mixed feelings on the idea of allowing insurance companies free reign on all fifty states. Granted, there are some states where the choices are few and the premiums are correspondingly high. However, I also foresee larger companies using their economies of scale to undercut smaller companies a la Wal-Mart, resulting in an oligarchy of companies.
So has Obama managed to do in only one year what took W a total of six? Well, I'll concede that regaining that 60th Senate seat is not realistic at this point. But I do think some honest attempt at common ground and compromise is good. Like I've said all along, one can draw many parallels between the behavior of certain principals during the previous administration and the complete flip-flop once the current administration began. It would be nice to know that both Democrats and Republicans have learned from being in each other's shoes. One can only hope.
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