This Just In! Earthquake in Virgina/Freedom For Libya.

And we thought yesterday was a red-letter day! Well I'll give a minute for the earthquake and then move on to the news of liberation. It's not everyday that I get to write on the minute something that happen on the day so I am going to take advantage of it while I can!

Today I experience my first earthquake though I had no idea that is was such a thing till I was told. I was lying down reading a book, although I should have been writing my book. I was feeling uninspired as I flopped down onto my bed. (This is definitely a case of be careful of what you wish for!) So as I read I wasn't surprised when my bed shook. I am a heavy set woman so that tends to happen. What really surprised me was when the bed continue to shake and the door started to sway. First thought? Really, I thought that at first the Super must be doing major work down in the basement. Second thought? Some workmen were working on a street two blocks from my home. "Gee." I thought. "I sure do hope that there isn't a gas main break." Then continued to read my book. Got up to try to bang out something on the laptop about this that and the other thing when there was a knock at my door.

My neighbor who had just visited me earlier to borrow some milk was the one at the door who told me as well as a neighborhood kid that there had been an earthquake. "Whoo!" Was just about the only thought that entered my head. So there is my personal take on the earthquake.

To be more factual or at least give you the news as I heard it. The earthquake in New York was not the epicenter. Apparently it started in Virgina and the wake of the quake moved up some minor fault lines up and down the East Coast. On Facebook many people text that the wake of the quake hit as far as New Jersey. On MSNBC's Comment page, many people even felt it as far as upstate New York and Ontario, Canada. It was 5.8 rated at the epicenter in Virgina and had shook the buildings in Washington, D.C. Thus far as I have read and heard there have been no reported injuries.

Quickly just want to add my five cents on what is happening in Libya. Currently even though the Freedom Fighters in Libya have taken control of Tripoli there is still fighting there by Gaddafi's mercenary and official army soldiers. Certainly this is a blow to a dictatorship that was long overdue. As of now even though they have taken Gaddafi's no longer Stronghold there has been no sign of the erstwhile Colonel. This blogger wishes the surviving fighters good luck and wants them to take heart. They have faced the Devil and won a major battle in the blow for freedom.

However it still remains what will happen once the fighting has stop and the rebuilding of a new government begins. What will happen now is up to the people of Libya. Will it become an enlighten citadial of modern democracy or will it become just another seat of power for a negative Mullah to take hold of and rule with dictatorship? Only time and observation will tell as this blogger prays for the end of fighting and the end of negative religious political evil.

And now it's time for the shoutouts as I give props for all the news agencies and websites that have help me enlighten you.

For Earthquake Coverage

MSNBC.Com
ABC News Broadcast
ABC World News &
ABC News.Com
Facebook

For Coverage on Libya
ABC News Broadcast
PBS News Hour
The Telegraph News London
from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8719193/Libya-rebels-capture-Gaddafis-lair.html

Thanks to all these sources for helping me to keep informed. However like I always say, it is my hope that all readers and viewer read between the lines and listen with only half an hear for what they in the media say. For you best understanding for what's going on in the world I recommend to use your common sense and listen to your gut. I outta here guys gotta finish that chapter in my book right! LOL Peace!

The Circus In Washington And Other News

Usually at this point you would see something typed in Italics explaining why is taking so long to write an opinion article in this blog page. Well I won't and I can't anymore. The only thing I can do is try to keep up. Your scoffing. I can tell your scoffing. Well I'd like to see anybody else keep up. I have to tip my hat to Journalist and Editors who do this for a living. But hey they have staff members! It's just lil ole me out here. But enough self-pity because I have come up with a solution!

I have decided to wait till at least the end of the previous month to write a review of sorts of what has been happening in Politics and World news. I might be able to handle keeping up with what has been happening during the last three weeks. To wit, The Circus In Washington.

Ah yes I have been watching and as a American Citzen I was going thru emotions that most if not all American Citzens were going thru. Oh My God! It was crazy! The U.S Government was down to the wire working on the U.S Debt. (You just have to capitalize that because it's that big!) Yet still had time for postering, blame games, and the usual insults. President Obama was busy trying to get through to the Republican Party that you can't have cuts to the budget without at least considering either losing the Bush tax cuts or at least raising the taxes on the 1% of the population that wouldn't feel a thing....the rich! But ah no! The Republicans with their "Leader" Republican Whip John Boehner decided catering to the rich and their poor dupes 'The Tea Party' was a better idea. The Tea Party had there Republican Freshman picks intrenched in Congress to fight against any tax raises at all. You would have thought that raising taxes on people who earn 250,000 dollars or more wouldn't hurt the Middle Class interest but as far as the Tea Party was concerned no new taxes means no new taxes.

Not that the Democratic Party was any happier. Instead of supporting President Obama's need to compromise with the Republican Party they were mumbling and grumbling like children who had their T.V privileges taken away. With the cry "That's not fair!" As far as I could see it was a pout fest on that side of the aisle. What, did they have as a better idea? Don't, ask, me! There was some hope from the 'Gang Of Six'. The bipartisan group had plenty of of ideas on how to reduce the deficit but the Republicans poo, pooed, that idea because it heavy on tax hikes and promises of spending cuts, but devoid of details on how to make the sweeping transformative changes needed to solve our debt and spending crises. However the Republican ideas included cutting Medicare and other "Entitlements". Funny how things that would support people on the lower rung of the economic class when the shit hits the fan; (and it has already), is called "Entitlements". But a tax raise for the rich would be called hurting the "Job Providers" ain't it funny though? Oh well!

Long story short, the Debt Ceiling was raised and some cuts were made. A bit of a case of too little too late as far as the Stock Market was concerned. The U.S Credit rating was downgraded from an AAA rating to AA+. What the heck does that mean? Well as far as this Opinion Blogger was concerned it means that for the U.S to borrow money the interest rates will be sky high! How does this affect us as Americans? Got a house that mortgaged? Well look out for the interest to sky rocket! Want a loan for a Car, House, Small Business, or College Loan? Oh boy is that gonna hurt! And us poor slobs that have no Collateral for none of that? Well look out for higher prices on Gas, Food, Rent, and other needed "Entitlements".

Moving on into World News no end in sight for Libya and Syria in their fight for rights. Protesters in Syria faced down the Syrian Security Forces and 109 people died in the streets of Hama. Even though there was a decree by Bashar al-Assad to allow opposition parties in government the Protesters ain't buying it seeing how they just had to leave the city of Hama to escape possible snipers. Looks as if Bashar al-Assad is playing that old Biblical game "Don't Know What Your Left Hand Is Doing While Your Right Hand is doing something else."

It is getting harder and harder for anyone to understand why more can't be done to help the Protesters. Boiling it down for me is a disgusting job and I am trying to not let my Cynical Side become dominate. However for the 2 or three readers that might be reading this I can only say that Oil talks and other peoples rights take a walk off a short pier. Oh the U.S, Nato, and the European Union are all for sanctions but sanctions from what I am able to glean from the history of them seems to only affect the average citizen in the country it is trying to punish. Doesn't make sense to punish the good with the bad and for Bashar Al-Assad it's like water off a camels back.

Meanwhile in Libya another step forward means another step back as the fighting continues there between the Freedom Fighters and the slowly eroding (and I mean really slowly) Libyan Army. Although gains have been made with the help of Nato there has been rumors of a set back in Bir al-Ghanam though the rebels have denied it. Then there was news of Seif al-Islam el-Qaddafi , he vowed in an interview to strike an alliance with a faction of radical Islamists among the rebels challenging his father’s rule. Enter scoffing here---->...............According to most News sources it seems to be a move to split the rebel forces. As if there isn't a bit of a split inside the rebel forces which again the Freedom Fighters have deigned. No matter what your thoughts on the issue if there is no changes in the now civil war this will go on for quite a bit longer than first thought by the supporters of the Arab Spring. This Opinion Writers prayers and meditations go out to the Libyan people.

Well that about covers it. If you want more news about what's going on in your local area may I suggest you read your local news and keep your eyes glued to the T.V News cast. As usually with one ear out listening or reading in between the sound bites and the lines.

However least I forget I have to give a 'Shoutout' to my references and sources for all things newsie. I would put it all in Italics but hey I've got some T.V to watch and a life to live so here it is unvarnished.

New York Times.Com
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/04/syria-protesters-reject-assad-gesture
Google
Charlie Rose -PBS
ABC Nightline News
&
Wikipedia

Enjoy your life as much as you can and stay tuned for next month. You want to see if I can kept up don't you? ;)

American Citizenship- The Forgotton Arguement

With all the fuss over our President's Citizenship and further talk on what makes an American I just had to put my five cents in. I mean never mind the utter ridiculousness of the nonsense that has been going on for the last two years. I am not even going to go there. Stuff like that has been going on since the first colonists landed and settled on Plymouth Rock. And like those first visitors (yes, I said visitors) to this land there has always been a question everyone seemed to forget to ask.

Is this place ours?

No one wants to make that argument. This debate will not be televised on MNBC anytime soon. Oh occasionally you might see some documentary about the original settlers of a country to them they just called "The Land". (Heck what else are you going to call it? You migrate from one land mass to another land mass where you've never been before and your last thought is; "Gee, we're tired and hungry we should stop for a minute and name this place where we're at!") They were travelers who were hunters and gathers. Their main concern was to find a better place to live where there were more food. Boy oh boy did they hit the jackpot! Plenty of food, i.e prey animals like deer, buffalo, squirrel, and fruits on the tree and the vine. Many materials to make clothes and homes. Wow what I wouldn't give to be those first settlers! Up to a point!

I am talking about people who had been on this land that some other people got together and named after some Italian map maker. America. For millions of years they lived, hunted, gathered, developing their farming techniques, falling in love, giving birth, laughing, and crying; just living life it's self. Then the shit hit the fan with a domino effect their still reeling over. At this point you know who I'm talking about. The Native 'Americans' or The Peoples of this land.

That's why I just think it's soooooo hilarious to hear, see, and watch some people always squawking about just who has right to what. Who should be here? Who has a right to be a government official elected by the people? Who should be considered an 'American' citizen? Yada, yada, yap, yap! Oh God, (capitial G people, cause I sure hope he's hearing ya'll)! Really? Seriously! And if I'm having an OMG moment can you imagine how those people are feeling? Ever time there's a fight over immigration rights, a call for prevention of more immigrants coming over, and the latest nonsense which I refuse to mention, they must wince with the most unbelievable sub-concious pain that can be felt all the way to the future. Where I'm sure there will be the most facinating talk about who is the best citizen who really belongs in power on that space station colony in space over that moon near that planet where those native aliens live.

Maybe before Tea-baggers, Anti-immigration proponents, and Politicians with a popular axe to grind, start using a lack of a birth certificate as an issue maybe they should remember the people who didn't bother asking for one in the first place. Bet your bottom dollar some tribes wish they did.

Next week- I promise I will write my Essasy on the still ongoing situation in Libya. I might even write some views on what's ongoing in Syria. More research is needed either way.

Update: Libya

Looks like the U.S.A is currently pushing for NATO to run things from now on in the Libya fight for freedom. Which means yet again I may have to change the title of my next essasy. I advise those that maybe reading this to stay tuned to your local news broadcast to keep abreast of the situation. Meanwhile before I develop another opinion I too will be watching the news. (Mostly Charlie Rose.)
I will be giving any readers interested more update to follow.

Oh, Shit! The Revolution Was Televised!

Oh Shit! The Revolution Was Televised!

This essay was written before the new developments with the U.N involvement with the approval of the Arab League of a ‘No Fly Zone’ over Libya. So of course my readers (whoever you are) must please excuse the datedness of this essay. As it stand the next essay to follow ‘A fine time to be neutral! Do something Washington!’ title will of course have to be changed. The new title ‘Situation Libya- The ‘No Fly Zone debate.’ There is always an apparent down side to writing a blog article when you have other interests beyond trying to add your thoughts to the various opinions out there in the world. (One of these days if my “readers” are really, really, good I might right an essay on why I do this facata thing in the first place.) Meanwhile the upside to be just one step behind all the news out there in the world is that I get to have a fresh new take on situations. Believe it or not it’s not always not the smartest move to be stuck in your opinion, being set in your ways about an opinion you feel strongly about can really leave you looking like a fool, a stubborn one at that, plus you can never learn new experience in life if you never have an open mind. That being said I still believe some of my original premise that the current situation needs to be supported. However this preface is turning into another article. So ‘readers’ here’s “Oh Shit! The Revolution Was Televised!”

And it was on the internet where it all started. Wow! I mean wow! Talk about coming out of left field. Like I said at my introduction to this piece; who would have bet on a revolution happening in the Middle East? Not me? Not all the political pundits out there who were to busy demonizing Middle Eastern cultural, religion, and politics. Not the many people who were buying all the propaganda since 9/11. I being one of those people, after a while of course I went back to using my sense of fairness and realize the difference between Muslim Fundamentalist Terrorists and every other Muslim in the world. The powers that be of course just love it when we fight and fuss at each other for shear bullshit. It takes away from all the cold callus crap that they throw at us year after year, decade after decade. But I digress.

Any who, when I first heard the second shot heard around the world my first thought was of course as mentioned earlier was “Wow” then I listen to the anchorpersons on the T.V news networks and the pundits on Charlie Rose. (By the by if you really want all the real deal blow by blow your best bet is to watch Charlie Rose on PBS. More lately in other articles about how the Republican government in Congress screwed the American People out of another positive free thinking organization.) It really brought home the real ideals of Democracy.

Now when your average person, no matter where they from, think about democracy they automatically think America. No matter the varying opinion of American Foreign policy or American Government interference. But ask any political historian that hasn’t been indoctrinated by the American mythos and they’ll tell you; democracy did not start nor does it end with the United States Of America. I could go on about the Greeks, Romans, and the Magna Carta-brought to us ironically from England, but then I do not think there is any person that has patience with a ten page essay on that? Sufficed to say anyone with half a brain must realize that the foundation of most democratic countries owes a debt to those mentioned and many more. Democracy can be found in Italy, France, England, and Canada. Look east in Eastern Europe and people were fighting for their unalienable rights in Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Kosovo.

Many people like myself had doubts that in regions like Egypt, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, and yes especially Libya. I mean along with almost everybody that watches the news and hears every C.I.A conspiracy theory or story out there has heard about the U.S government support of countries such as this, (for the exception of Libya believe or not), facing the facts or stories that because of one interest or another; Oil, so-called Political Stability, plain ole Economics. Whatever! You name it there always seems to be a reason for letting civil liberties falter. People, brave people have been thrown into prison, killed, tortured, because they dared to blow the whistle on these dictatorships that flourish for whatever cold-hearted, so-called logical reason that some governments can name. The thinking that someday, some how the security of Democracy in Democratic countries, the interests that seemed important at the time will do some good in the long run.

We citizens in these democratized countries who live in shear bliss of ignorance of the hard fought revolutions that brought us here have no idea what our current democratic governments have done in the name of stability and how unstable these countries under these dictatorships were and are. So we’re so surprised at this because we have forgotten that civil rights didn’t start with Martian Luther King or Gandhi, freedom wasn’t something that was forged at Valley Forge, for a people to feel like they have some sort of control over their lives in these countries they just can’t pick up a picket sign and protest in front of their local government with no more stress than standing behind some barricade and a couple of local police force. No in order to fight for the same democracy that you and me take for granted these people have to face military force, detainment, torture, and martial law. One day we in the Western democracy will have to face the fact that freedom aian’t free for anyone. Working for it takes work that I don’t think the average person in a free democracy would have the strength for.

So bravo to the brave people in Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya! Unlike that old saying from the sixties. The revolution has been televised!

The Tea Party Whine

The Tea Party Whine

The Republican party have created or has at least had a hand in creating a monster. A seven headed hydra called the Tea Party. I say that they had at least a hand in it because when you look closely at the Tea Party you will find that this party has a lot in common with the current Republican Party. I know I’m not the first one to make that inference but the way the Tea Party is acting one would think that they were just these sweet misunderstood naive middle-class infants that just want things the way they used to. You know before some minorities became the majority and defeated their petty, vindictive, insane, dictator?

Yes well though I’m sure they miss the days when taxes went high in just about every Red state in the union. The Tea Party seems to suffer from a kind of insane amnesia that makes them totally forget the last eight years. I know there is such a thing as selective memory but come on! But hey I’m just some blogger who is just your average American who watches the T.V news and reads the paper from time. What do I know right? So of course this blogger has decided to do some research and find out about these Tea Partiers.

Are they blind dupes of the Republican Party? Are they just a bunch of dissatisfied Middle-class sore losers? Or are they the slack-jawed shock troops building up to just one more Republican coop? Who are these Tea Party whiners really? Let us start at the beginning.

Let’s take a look from the beginning, shall we? It all started out quite benign. One girl in college practicing her fundamental America rights. As American as Apple Pie but of course just like real apple pie, once you look closely at the nutrition list you see how really unhealthy that apple pie really is. (Do you know how much calories there are in apple pie? Real apple pie with brown sugar and lard in the crust? Whoooo! You don't want to know!) But you will want to know about Keli Carender. Ms. Carender an actress, Math Teacher, and improv comedian with a democratic boyfriend woke up one day to find herself interested in the 2008 political race as a voter but none of the candidates appealed to her. Like most people of the year her age the whole get out the vote thing attracted nearly apathetic young people. Of course when the powers that be decide to use the youth vote they conveniently forget that getting young people interested in the political arena is a double-edged sword. It cuts both ways. You can't get young people interested in politics and voting as a way of getting their individual voices heard and then expect things to go the way you want. The Democrates via President Obama found out the hard way.

Keli Carender not only got interested but she also got dissatisfied. The how and wherefores are to much to mention in this essay so please go read look here: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/us/politics/28keli.html Suficed to say Ms. Carender just wanted her voice to be heard and like many a budding activist she found that in order for her voice to be heard she must find other like minded individuals to back her up. Oh, she found them alright! And then that's when the pie started to hit the fan!

Groups fell under the Tea Party umbrella that varied from Libertarians to Right-Wing white power pundits. It will be up to the readers to judge which out of the many groups to be most concerned about. As for this writer the main thrust of this essay is to point out the Republicans who used the Tea Party for their own ends. As of this writing the Republicans have retaken the House due to the overwhelming 'support' of the Tea partiers. One of the many accusations that was brought up during the 'high' point of the Tea Party surge was Astroturfing. That is when a political group with an agenda; like the Republicans, who put into place a supposed grassroots organization with apparently no support from any political group at all. That means that anyone looking at a grassroots movement on the surface sees a group of people who are just your average citizen with a gripe that wants government to change certain policy. Only problem is once you look deep under the surface you find the puppet masters behind it all.

Now I don't know how stuff like that happens but I can give a good guess. One young person who just happens to be a Republican (or chooses to become one) gets like minded people together, a political group (let's just say, umm, The Republican party), co-ops the movement. Whether it's by monetary support, Public Relations, or Politicians coming out of the wood work 'all of a sudden' to support this grassroots organization. Something like that. At any rate as far as this writer can see it looked more like another subtle attempt of the Republican party to climb back into the political arena with a vengeance! Subtle the Republican party don't do so good. (Pardon the bad english. ;) ) Because to get on point, think 1995. The Republicans initiated a government shut-down putting the blame on the then Democratic President Bill Clinton and his policy. (Yeah, that worked!) When the public turned on them like rabid wolverines the Republicans were sweating it like a white supremacist at a million man march. (They must have heaved a sigh of relief when the Monica Lewisky 'scandal' broke out.) Now as then a lot is riding on the Tea baggers to back them up while they ride into Congress to burn and slash through every social program they can catch.

So Tea Partiers, what are they? Republican dupes or a grassroots middle-class trying to save their own asses?

I want to be fair I really do. America is about freedom of choice. But when the choice is either saving the middle-class on the backs of the poor yet again or going into another reccesion and using American know how and innovation to pull ourselves out of another economic whole, I say let's pull up our sleeves America and stop whinning!

Upcoming Essays for 2011

It's never too late to say what you think. So this year I will finally finish writing my essays on the Tea Party movement then I will write so much more as time allows. Here are the following titles:

Tea Party Whine
Who are these people? Before it was just another political splinter group, just another lame protest movement that probably thought they compared to the political movement of the 60's but were really just a mockery. Now they've placed Republicans into half of the Senate and pushed the Democrats back into a minority in Congress. Before I thought that there might be some people interested in them and what they stand for. Now I'm filled with unease with these people and the people they support. Stay tuned.

Oh Shit! The revolution was televised!
Who would have bet that there would be a revolution in Tunisa? Not a lot of people to be sure! But that there are three revolutions happening one after another? Amazing! So of course I had to write my take on it. And as soon as I write it you'll see it here first. :)

A fine time to be neutral! Do something Washington!
Of course once the 'Wow' factor had worn off, I couldn't help but to wonder what we as Americans should do to help. Should we help at all? Should we mind our damn business? American Foreign policy is kinda batting at 000 in things that American government shouldn't be involved in. Iraq keeps spring up as an example.
But in the case of Libya the American government should help. If only to clean up the mistakes of previous adminstrations. Although I'm not gunho for another war by any means perhaps a minor distraction of Naval boats just might give some of Muammar Gaddafi's paid mercenaries pause. Further research on my part might pull out some insights that some people might share.

So that's three of my planned essays. Hope I pull it off! Please stop by and read them. Even if you don't agree with my opinions I can only hope for some kind of dialog.