w e l l ~ B L O G ~ t o ~ y o u ~ t o o !

23 February 2005
*cough* *hack* *wheeze*  
I have been afflicted with the plague. Not really. Just a severe cold I like to joke and call the plague. I should stop that because The Plague still exists and pops up every so often.

Right now, I've progressed to the stage of coughing up the contents of my lungs. This, despite the imagery, is a good sign. My voice is also coming back.

You've heard of the adage that women tend to turn into their mothers? Well, in this case, it's true. This is the first time that I have gotten a cold and lost my voice, whereas it happens to my mother all the time. I wonder, then, if it will be a trend and I will start loosing my voice when I get colds. I don't, however, really want to do field research on this.

Liz the Mischievous renovated @ 10:44 (0) scribes commenting

08 February 2005
Freedom isn't free... it costs a buck-o-five.  
An anonymous commenter on a recent post said something to the effect of:

Why aren't the American Press delving deeper into the Bush Whitehouse's activities? Why isn't he questioned publically on his policies and made to answer tough questions? Why is it that there aren't more editorials like this one, that say these sorts of things? Could it be that our "free" American press, really isn't in fact, free? If you turn to the BBC, you will see all kinds of stories that do just that. It is extremely discouraging to me as an American citizen to have to look outside of our country to find out what's really happening here.The only programs I see on the television that question Bush and his tactics, are either on Satellite television or PBS. Note, PBS has lost a large amount of government funding. Hmmmmm....

Interesting points that bring up questions that I have no answer for. I am not in the press. I cannot answer for the press. I know what I hear on NPR--which usually is very good at putting out pieces that make you think. Then again, NPR falls into the same category as PBS--they're donor-supported.

I do know that Bush is remarkably press unfriendly. He doesn't have press conferences. There is no transparency in his administration. Too much transparency, in my opinion, would show that it's all a bunch of smoke and mirrors. Bush has gone to such lengths as to remove the press bathroom in the Whitehouse. Absurd as it sounds, it's just another sign. He also reportedly won't read/watch the news unless it is 100% supportive of his viewpoint. I don't know the truth to that.

One would think that in an atmosphere like that, that the press would feel free to issue critiques and point out inconsistancies. Except it seems that the press attempts to curry favor and not say things that are important to know.

It wasn't until after the election that it was pointed out that Congress had to issue emergency legislation change to up the maximum amount of deficit that the government could go into or the US government would have defaulted. Do you realize how frightening that is? Why wait until after the election? (side note: stupid Democrats for not pointing this out earlier) Sure, it could be construed as partisan, but it was also FACT.

Now, Bush II has put forth his proposed budget, claiming that he wants to lower the deficit in four years, yet this budget has conveniently left out continued funding for the Iraq War/Occupation and he has left out start-up costs for his Social In-Security needless overhaul. Where is THAT money going to come from? More deficit spending. I will not trust this man with my retirement money. He can't balance his own budget, and I'm supposed to trust his idea with the future of my money? I don't think so. True, I'm from the generation that has always counted on working until 65 instead of 55 or whatever, and then probably even having a job in retirement. This is the generation I am from. HOWEVER, minor changes to Social Security could leave the program solvent for another 75 years or so. And wasn't the crash of the stock market in '29 and the Great Depression that proved the source for needing Social Security? So now we want to go back to this volatile market to risk our futures again? That makes sense how?

These are things to think about, American Public. It is probably no secret whatsoever that I did not vote for this man. I did not want this man to be my President. I didn't want it in 2000 and I didn't want it in 2004.

In 2006, the entire House of Representatives comes up for re-election as well as a thrid of the Senate. There is one way to stay this maddness, and that is to get another party in charge. Without the Republican party to back him on his policies, perhaps there can be change and policies that make logical sense. Perhaps there will be less "terrorists are going to get you, so give up all your rights so we can protect you" going on.

People who give up their freedom for safety deserve neither freedom or safety.

Liz the Mischievous renovated @ 10:31 (0) scribes commenting

04 February 2005
Something else to be shocked about  
A study by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation shows that American Youth are not getting properly taught what the First Amendment means, and all the freedoms therein. Among the findings of the study are:

--> Nearly three-fourths of high school students either do not know how they feel about the First Amendment or admit they take it for granted.
--> Seventy-five percent erroneously think flag burning is illegal.
--> Half believe the government can censor the Internet.
--> More than a third think the First Amendment goes too far in the rights it guarantees.

Hm. No Child Left Behind. Hm.

Liz the Mischievous renovated @ 10:20 (0) scribes commenting

Back on the Soapbox  
Intriguing Slate story. It compares our lovely fear-mongering, emotional-terrorist President to North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il. I can't say as though I blame them or fault them for pointing a few things out.

The more I hear every day about what Bush II is doing, or rather trying to do, the worse I feel for my own country. Maybe I'm just bitter because I'm part of the group he is trying to royally screw (sideways with a flaming canoe) on Social Security. Now here, the thing I thought about Social Security was that it was supposed to be SECURE. The stock market is NOT SECURE. Moron. Don't take my goddamned money away from me.

Of course, it all boils down to this: would you trust a man who took a blanced budget and a surplus and ran it up to the largest deficit in the history of the country in under two years to set fiscal policy for your future? I don't think so.

I shudder to think of what history books will look back on this time and think. What will this 'era' be, this decade we're in in which America has gone insane.

Read the article linked above. Bush II is a heck of a lot more like a dictator than we think. He got himself re-elected by spreading fear and quelling the press, lableing people that speak out against him as traitors to the country, playing on the basest of emotions and encoraging hatred. He's at it again with this 'Social Security' overhaul.

Unfortunately, there are a good number of morons in this country who will believe that he is doing good. No, he's not. He's setting himself up for a pretty life and screwing everyone else. Who needs the poor and the less-well-off?

Normally, I can wrap myself around the motivations of insane megalomaniacs. I haven't yet figured out Bush II.

Why haven't more people realized that Bush II is also a terrorist. Verbal and emotional abuse are just as abusive (sometimes more because of their easily-hidden nature) as physical abuse. Well, I contend verbal and emotional terrorism are just as damaging and destructive as physical terrorism.

My only hope is that in 4 years, we can get ourselves out of this abusive relationship.

Liz the Mischievous renovated @ 09:29 (2) scribes commenting

02 February 2005
Joyous Imbolc  
Happy Spring everyone! It's fun when Mother Nature goes along with your personal beliefs about the seasons. I keep hearing people talking how it seems 'like spring out' only colder. Because it IS spring! At least in my world. In my world, spring has already come upon us. It's fun in my world.

My seasons make things like: "A midsummer night's dream" and "In the bleak midwinter" make actual sense. Midsummer and Midwinter are the solstices. It always confused me as to when Midsummer was, and why Midwinter was taking place when supposedly 'winter begins'. Ha. The Celts and other ancient societies had it right. The solstices and equinoxes are the MIDDLE of the season. And then things make sense.

So, happy spring!

Other site-wide news: things are happening over at Verbosity, if you're interested.

Liz the Mischievous renovated @ 13:01 (0) scribes commenting