Nationl Christmas Tree?

Does anyone else think having a National Christmas tree on the grounds of the white house is a clear violation of the separation of church and state?

What if it was a big cross?

A menorah?

A national prayer rug pointed to Mecca?

I don't really care what religion the first family chooses to practice but do we really need to nationalize it?

Weekend ReCap

Don't even know where to start this one...had a great thanksgiving and a relaxing weekend.

Watched Four Christmas's it was good, watched What Just Happened apparetly I am not smart enough to see why this was a good movie, watched UP and loved it.

Now I am a little drunk in a hotel room half way across the country in Philly missing my boo and my little animal farm.

Long weekend...shaping up to be an even longer week...and what can I say I am just tired...Night all

My Message in a Bottle

A blog is the modern equivalent of a message in a bottle.

Cast from island to island in hopes that someone finds it.

That someone reads it.

That someone reads my SOS.

That someone reads my message in a bottle.

Clever Little Vampires

What if the myth that you can ward off a vampire by wearing garlic cloves was actually started by a vampire who used your own fear to help him season his next meal?

Garlic flavored blood might be a delicacy? Clever little guys aren't they.

I bet if vampires were real the population would be getting uglier.

Logic:

One:It takes a while a drain a body of blood.

Two: vampires have increased sense of smell.

Chances are the would not be targeting people with bad BO or lots of body hair.

I mean who would want to sit and suck on a hairy, fat person who smelled like crap?

Thanksgiving

What am I thankful for?

You:) I know it was a sometimes rocky year but with everything in me I would not have gotten through it without you and your help:)xoxoxoxoxo

No matter how much longer it might last I am thankful that I have a job and was able to take care of a lot of financial junk this year.

I am thankful for all of the new friends that have come along this year and all the old ones that I have had a chance to reconnect with.

I am thankful I have been pretty healthy.

I am thankful for the fully stocked bar in the basement.

I am thankful for Animal farm that is my house.

But mostly I am thankful that I am still here moving on, life is a precious gift and I am thankful for all the people in my life who help me make the most of it:)

Thanks:)

You Know Whose Stock is Up?

Here Comes Organizaed Crime

Prohibiton was a boon to organizated crime because it didn't deal with curbing demand just supply and when ever there is demand there is going to be someone there ready to fill that nitch.

Turning off peoples access to credit, turning them away from conventional means to get loans and financing is providing an excellent oppertunity for organizied crime in the form of an old classic called loan sharking.

You thought the spread was bad on your subprime payment option interest only loan was bad? You should see the points on these finacial transcations.

When you said you wanted Wall Street to quit getting your money, is this where you envisioned it going?

Who is to Blame for the Recession?

We often hear government, wall street, mortgage companies but I wonder why we never hear consumers? You know the people or more specifically Me. I am the reason for the recession. If you are in the majority chances are you are too.

I knew what I should have done. Save money. Live below your means. Don't leverage yourself beyond your income on intangible assets like eating out, going to bars traveling.

We have a responsibility problem in this country. We point fingers at faceless enmities like the GOP, Democrats, Wall street.

We need to look in the mirror and own up to main streets portion of the responsibility.

Easy credit was like a drug and consumers are junkies going through withdrawal pointing fingers.

They were just giving us what we wanted.

That is why I have renamed the recession to the intervention.

Weekend ReCap

Friday

Pre-Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving with friends anchored around an ugly sweater theme. Always a good time:)

Saturday

Fixed the sink

Did some homework

Finished The Winners Manual by Jim Tressel a little too much god in it for my taste but overall a good message.

Went to Tailgate for a few beers


Sunday

Homework

Did some work work

Football watched the Vikes give it to um....Do I foresee a Colts V Vikes Superbowl?

Picked up poop

Watched Notorious it was a cool story but terrible acting, felt like it was a senior high school play.

Awesome little dinner party.

AMA's yawn

Blogger Warning - Gifts

New laws are going into effect that may change your blogging business model.

FTC will now have the right to fine you $11,000 per instance of giving a product review that you are doing in exchange for free product or money without disclousing the relationship.

Here are the new FTC Guidelines and a couple of voices of reason on what you can do to protect yourself from liability.

Voice One - Getgood
Voice Two - Aviva Directory

Why Preventing Gay Marriage is a Civil Rights Issue

Keep in mind this example will vary from state to state based on laws and fees.

For an $85 marriage license a couple gets the following rights
- Joint property rights - If the partnership is dissolved they are split 50/50 or if one person dies the other gets the property without it being taxed by the state in most cases.
- Medical oversight if one becomes unresponsive
- General power of attorney
- Protection from testimony with contempt
- Joint car insurance \ homeowners discounts
-Increased retirement savings caps and plans
etc

It is possible for a gay couple to get these rights BUT

- Form a partnership or corporation to protect joint assets $500 ( this type of partnership may not be available in all states)
- Form a trust to transfer assets if someone dies without having to pay taxes $1000-2000
- Living will for Medical Oversight - $300
- Power of Attorney - $200
etc

Even then these rights are not the same or all inclusive as those of an opposite sex couple.

So it is a human rights violation in this sense that we are discriminating.

If you walked into a store and were told because you had red hair you had to pay $5000.00 for an item that I can get for $85 because I am gray by definition your civil rights have been violated because you have been discriminated against.

When one person gets legal rights and protection under the law at a discount to someone else there is something wrong that needs to be addressed from a human rights point of view.

The intent of our system, the beauty of what America is lies in the fact that all people should be treated equal under the law.

The law and the rights of the people should not lie on whether you are rich or poor, black or white, straight or gay, religious or not.

I don't care if you don't like gay people, I don't care if you are the biggest homophobic in the world. Be a patriot. Be a real patriot. Fight for those who you may never know. Who you may not like. Fight because you believe in the ideals of this country that so many have died to uphold.

Honor their sacrifice to insure that we can live in a land where we are free. Where everybody even if you don't like them is equal in the eyes of the law.

Call your congressman and demand that civil unions be recognized.

It is time to stop all the rhetoric about being proud to be an American and start being American.

It is time to be a patriot

A real patriot.