a brief time out for entertainment

Im taking a time out from reality to review The Cure's latest cd, 4:13 Dream.

I love this cd. Since purchasing it Thursday after work, I have listened to it pretty much non-stop. As I write this, its actually playing on my media player.


For those of you curious, I have included a few videos.


Underneath The Stars
A beautiful song. I have always loved long introductions when it comes to The Cure. It is such a "dreamy" song and the music itself is "lyrical". I cant help but sway along.




The Only One
Snappy and catchy song...reminds me of "The End of the World"




The Reasons Why
Great hook! I love how the lyrics are "put together" Another "dreamy" song.



Freakshow
One of my favorite songs on this cd. This song makes me dance around! Guitars!




Sirens Song
This song is fantastic. I am reminded of "Jupiter Crash"



The Real Snow White
One of my favorite songs on this cd. It definately hooked me.



The Hungry Ghost
Most defintately my favorite song!



Switch



The Perfect Boy




This, here and Now, With You
The first time I heard this song, I really didnt like it. It definately grew on me. Frank still doesnt like it. The best and rhythm of the lyrics are fantastic.



Sleep When Im DeadI initially bought this cd because of this song. I love the guitar!



The ScreamThis song is fantastic. After Freakshow, this is next. The build up is awesome!
Again, guitar!



Its over
Other than the fact that you get thru the entire cd to this point without any cursing, the f-word is dropped twice.




I have decided that the perfect Cure concert would include the following songs:

The Kiss
Figurehead
The Promise
Lost
Scream
Never Enough
Sinking
More than This
Like Cockatoos
Jupiter Crash
End

and of course, Letter to Elise

Pray for our Election (Novena)

I will be praying a rosary every day between now and Election Day for the end of a culture of death.

I pray that God will do HIS will to protect innocent babies in the womb.

I pray that God will give Americans the wisdom to form a conscience while casting their votes.


And most of all, I pray for the safety of our candidates and our country.

Self-mutilation anyone?

Lies, lies, lies....yeah (Sorry, got a lil flashback from the 80s there-Thompson Twins)

So this campaign volunteer, Ashley Todd, claimed she was "targeted" for her McCain sticker on her car. She stated she was knocked over, beaten and robbed, and then a "b" was carved on her face.

Um, anyone notice that the "b" on her cheek was backwards? And the footage from the bank? Well, she was NEVER there.

She now admits that it was a bogus claim.
It is unreal how far people will go to make others look bad.
I really have nothing further.

Your past AND present does NOT determine your future

During the October 5th homily at St Josephs, Father Richard Villa said a most profound statement."Your past AND present does NOT determine your future."


This statement has weighed heavily on me since hearing it. My past has certainly shaped my ideals, as well as my experiences have helped me form my opinions. I am also of the belief that every person we "touch" affects us in some way.

However, if our past were to dictate where our lives would lead us, some of us would have no hope. Heres where it gets interesting though. SOME people who have had horrible pasts, overcome their obstacles and become better "well-rounded" people for it.

Those who are currently struggling--can get out of it.
I happen to be attending a Bible Study on Joyce Meyer's "Battlefield of the Mind". And it gets straight to the point! You HAVE to change your mindset before you can do ANYTHING!


You arent going to get outta that "funk" until you get it in your head FIRST.
You have to be able to "see" the end result in your mind.


And - you gotta JUST DO IT!

Planet of the Apes response

Gary, dont take this the wrong way, but I absolutely LOVE you!


First, I would like to publicly say, I do not condone attack ads - PERIOD. I am sick of them, sick of what they imply and seriously want to know HOW to make them STOP! I dont want to hear them ANYMORE! Both parties have attack ads, and yes, they imply horrid things about their competitor. Sickening, I tell you....Both parties have labeled each other according to the "word of the day" theory....one day, racist - the next, socialist-communist......

There isnt a day that goes by that I dont receive some type of "activist hate" email.
Example: Those emails spreading Obama's muslim heritage (they always ask to send this on!) I for one, do not send them along, unless its to ask someone else their opinion concerning the email. I do not want to subscribe to the "fear mongering" and irrationality that does ensue.


I find myself insanely balanced in the middle with some of the labels thrown around.

• Does the "economist" in me beleive that the democratic platform is leaning socialist? yes
• Does the "conservative" in me beleive that McCain is a rino? yes
• Does the "Constitutionalist" in me believe that our country is in trouble? yes

I could go on....

Our country is in trouble in many ways. Other nations do not respect our way of life....our answer? Change them? Change us?

I heard Obama say he was going to change the world- to me, that is a scary thought. Of course, I want the world to change - but I dont know if ANY of the politicians are able to do it. NONE of them have the "working man" view.

Obama has used the word "Change" in his campaign....however-Obama is one of the most liberal Senators-and votes to support his party. This is not change-we need someone who is WILLING to work across the aisle to really make necessary change.


My fear about this election has nothing to do with color. It has to do with issues. The sad fact is, that it really doesnt matter who "wins" - nothing REAL will occur as long as we hold onto "isms" and fear. Our country is wasting money on programs that do no good, and keep raising our taxes for programs that only sound good on the surface.

Follow up - socialism

I am just going to list some replies-and recent views....


With socialism and communism terms being thrown around so liberally lately, I felt the need to post their definitions (see earlier post)

Found this blog last week:
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Blog/Default.aspx?id=290462
This is a rather interesting blog, please note the aspect of the PERCEPTION of socialism on human nature.

Gary's response to David Limbaugh's blog:
http://garyarthuryoung.wordpress.com/2008/10/18/socialism-no-he-diint/
Gary has written a well-thought out response to his belief concerning socialist principles in the democratic party.


MY thoughts: Only Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and the democratic leaders know their motives. Whether they are truly for benefitting ALL American citizens, or for socialist principles - we will not know until after the results of the election.

What we do know is that the party platform spits out "social justice" in the form of socialist principles. Whatever you beleive, it is NOT in our Constitution to provide these services to our people.

Now what are commuters to do?

I am sure that this is a nightmare to hear for ANYONE who depends on public transportation to get to work.

Some people ride on public transportation as a necessity, others to do something good for the environment. As someone who travel on the roads everyday, I thank them for their assistance in relieving the congestion on the highways.

MTA is proposing some changes that will cut six bus routes (they are listed in the linked article), 2 commuter routes, and will end some routes earlier on the Penn MARC line. They are also proposing to reducing the amount of trains on the track, and cutting their Holiday Schedule.

I guess all those cars parked in the area park and rides will be on the roads with us. I thought the idea of utilizing public transportation was to reduce the amount of vehicles on our roads.

I guess we should be thrilled about attending public hearings, huh? Did they even listen at the last ones?

What are those who rely on public transportation going to do? Those without a car wont be able to get a loan....jobs will be lost....this list could get long.

Seriously, definitions -- Sound familiar?

Now, we rise into a category that is apparently very touchy...So here are the definitions courtesy of Dictionary.com


so·cial·ism
–noun
1.
a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole.
2.
procedure or practice in accordance with this theory.
3.
(in Marxist theory) the stage following capitalism in the transition of a society to communism, characterized by the imperfect implementation of collectivist principles.


com·mu·nism
–noun
1.
a theory or system of social organization based on the holding of all property in common, actual ownership being ascribed to the community as a whole or to the state.
2.
a system of social organization in which all economic and social activity is controlled by a totalitarian state dominated by a single and self-perpetuating political party.
3.
the principles and practices of the Communist party.

Random debate thoughts and "substance"

You will notice that todays blog has no link. I have done that on purpose since I am just going to provide my thoughts on the debate and some other random stuff.


I thought last nights debate provided an interesting view of the candidates for President. I enjoyed the back and forth between them and the allowance of responses.

I will not pick a winner, as both candidates had strong moments (debate wise). There were times when I wished it would stop....I feel as though Obama baited McCain into asking about some of the more recent "controversies". Obama was well prepared in his response. (Ill be researching later, to see if all the dots connect there)

Even though I disagree with Obamas health care plan (as well as McCains, I might add) as well as some other platform issues, he provided a well thought out description of what his would entail. I am sure that it won him support.


This morning I read Garys blog, and he is unsure about how 9/11 led to our financial mess. Here is how I beleive that it absolutely did.

After 9/11 occurred, resources went to our country's security. There were losses all the way around. Many financial companies lost everything on 9/11 (Remember hearing about companies having employees missing?)

The airline industry lost alot of money because we shut down air traffic completely. Many airlines either went under or merged with another company....jobs were lost along the way.

Do you remember the stock markets being closed? Unexpected closures affect the market, as well as the futures market (which I think is a load of crap-similar to the balloon effect in the housing industry)

I can remember like its yesterday hearing that AlQuada (sp) won a victory by destroying our financial center....and 2001 wasnt that long ago. If you look at the overall picture of the market pre-9/11 to present, you can see how the trend started.


Taxes, taxes, taxes.....
Do we really need to continue to raise taxes for the citizens? Can we seriously get an audit of everything by issue (education, transportation, outreach-services...etc) and cut the fat?

Lets stop paying for programs that do not benefit anyone. Little pet projects disguised as earmarks?

Some people look at how much money their Congressman-Senator, St Representative bring back to their district to help assist how they vote. I for one am embarrassed by this...oh yea, that new ball field at your kids school....thank you Delegate ______. You realize that this is NOT a gift for those he represents? Your paying for it thru higher taxes.

Now, I understand areas needs fields and parks, but our schools are FALLING APART. Have you been in some of the schools? Everytime it rains-trash cans in the halls where the leak is....no room for your kids? Lets bring in a portable classroom.

How about our teachers? They wont be getting a cost of living raise, and pay for items our children use out of their own pockets. Ever complain that you gotta spend a few bucks for Kleenex? Every school supply list in Baltimore County lists this item.

Our roads are a mess. And Baltimore City roads are unreal!


Money SHOULD be spent on the above mentioned items....not for some earmark/pork project for the district. This is a waste.

I wont EVEN start on the recent bailouts...its just so unconstitutional.

Why We Blog

Okay, first I need to say thank you to Gary. When thinking about what I was going to blog about today, I thought - hmm, why we blog. Gary happens to have this as his blog name....how appropriate a name. If you click above, it will take you to his blog.

Yesterday, while I was home- I was watching cable news. And I kept hearing these political commentators talk about the racism/sexism thing. So, I decided to blog, since I had so many thoughts in my head. (that and Frank tells me that they cant hear me when I yell at them)

What happened next was absolutely insane. Since posting both of those blogs, I have heard an earful....granted some people comment on the actual blog, but I received a few emails as well. My issue with sending a comment strictly thru email is - well, no one else can see em. I received 2 emails that were not pretty. One of them DEMANDED that I remove my blog. Now, I dont know how most people feel, but I will not remove this blog.


Here is WHY WE BLOG

I have an opinion. I want to express my opinion in a non-threatening way. I have views. I want to express my views. I have yet to really identify with the views represented in the media. Until the government passes legislation that prevents me stating my own opinion, I will continue to blog.

I have a registered domain that hosts my website, including this blog. This hosting is not free, I pay for it. And, until someone else pays this bill, MY opinion is featured.

Someone with enough knowledge to read a blog and email a response, can certainly create their own blog. You know, where you put your opinion. You know what? I might just read it.

And, if you already have a blog, send me a link. Just because you disagree with me, doesnt mean I dont want to know what we CAN agree on. (btw, read that blog)

And to those who haven't read thru my other posts, and who have formed an opinion on just that one post - shame!

Technology as a campaign issue-Obama endorsed

I usually spend my Tuesdays and Thursdays updating my personal sites and blogs, today just seems like Ive been hit with an opinion arrow.

Anyway, I subscribe to T.H.E. Journal. "Transforming education through technology."
Matter of fact, Ive been a long-time subscriber-I was introduced to it about 10 years ago while working for CCBC.

The reputation of T.H.E. Journal cannot be dismissed. There are many informative articles if you like to read about how technology can be used as an education tool.



Personally, I dont care who makes campaign endorsements. Normally I do not pay attention, since I have pretty made up my mind already. However, I will address T.H.E. Journal's endorsement.

It is no secret that our federal government did not plan wisely with NCLB (No Child Left Behind) and states and jurisdictions were misinformed about the programs. Our current administration should be appalled at the goals THEY set, but never accomplished (on average). Granted, there is NEVER enough money supporting our school systems, paying for qualified teachers, and for technology.

Our country needs a President who understands technology. We need something done so that our children are utilizing EVERY possible way to learn. Studies have shown that children with developmental disabilities as well as learning disabilities learn faster and retain more information when they utilize a technological tool. I have also seen the interest level rise when students learn that they can use the computer for projects.


And, since most people know who my "dog in this race" is - let me share with everyone something that may surprise you:


Democratic candidate Barack Obama has a technology plan that will provide support and direction that is crucial to our schools and students. After a quick review, his plan DOES seem as if he has subscribed to magazines of this type for years. (I disagree with posting student information online, no matter what type of security)

Republican candidate John McCain also has a plan for schools that includes use of technology. And while McCain has some decent ideas (concerning virtual learning), he falls short on the extense of the overall "project".


If Barack Obama stops the bashing (I wish McCain would stop also) and brings THESE ideas out to the public, he will win the election by a landslide.

And now - for the other ism

The other ism is Sexism


Im just so sick and tired of hearing about sexism in politics. Of course, with a Hilary Clinton in the primary, and Sarah Palin in the general - this is a HUGE topic.

The difference I am referencing refers to how women are perceived based on party affiliation.


In the primary, Hilary was running for Prez. She gained support from many woman's groups. When she did not win the primary, focus centered on whether or not, Obama was going to pick her for VP. When he did not pick her, those groups were "incensed".

However, when it comes to Republican VP pick, Alaska's Governor Sarah Palin, the same groups that spoke publically regarding how important it was to have a WOMAN in the White House, now support the democratic candidate, who is a man.

She successfully cleaned up the corruption in Alaska, and really is there for the people. However, due to her party affiliation, she is treated like a monster.

Its no secret that the democratic and republican parties have their own sets of beliefs and values, but its now at all time low when we do not consider someone to be a woman just because we do not share the same beliefs.

Isms from my perspective

EDITOR NOTE: There are some clarifications made: 10/14 4:29

This is bound to make some of my friends confused.....
Everyone on cable news is talking about isms.....racism, sexism-


(Edit)
This blog is a response to how the media (cable news) is covering race in the current election
(end)

As a 30-something white woman, I am told that I do not understand racism. I beg to differ. Granted, being white does factor in - but I do not see myself as a racist.

As anyone who knows me can attest, I have friends of many races and even have friends whose social, religious, and political perspectives are much different from my own. I do not always agree with them, but that is not what makes someone a racist.

For those who are interested, I currently work in Southwest Baltimore at a predominately black United Methodist Church. It is the best job Ive ever had-even though my pay scale does not reflect that. (I make good money considering I work for a church part-time) but who makes what they think they are worth?

Many of the conversations I have had with my (edit) democratic friends at my church and some of the members at the church where I work, (end) have been centered around Barack Obama, which is no surprise. Obama is a man who has loads of charisma. Something that many black men in politics HAVE to have.

My problem is: As a Christian Conservative, I cannot vote for Obama. He does not represent Christian social values-and while most people understand my opinion, many take it that Conservatives are racist.

And, while that may be true of some, it is not the general consensus that Conservatives are racist, we just want a candidate that we can relate to.

As someone who has a large circle of varying political, economic and religious friends....I cannot understand the opposite factor for many of them. Almost every single one of my black friends are simply voting for Obama, just because he is black.

Many of my black friends are PRACTICING Christians. I do not understand how those who go by the name and principles of most denominations, can vote for someone who does not support what they beleive in-but will vote for him simply because of his race.

It is my opinion, that THAT is what racism is.

Utah students can report bullies anonymously

Brigham Young University student, Justin Bergener, has created a website that allows students and parents to report bullies anonymously. This is a great idea, especially in today's world.

Recently, "snitching" has gotten a bad rap. Granted, its never been "cool" to snitch on your friends, but with the increase in online bullies and many children resorting to suicide as a result, this could be a good thing.

This system, in use in Utah, could also be a tool to report suspicious activity (i.e. Columbine) and save many additional lives.

Let's hope the rest of the union utilizes this technology.
http://www.schooltipline.com/en/

After the last debate, do we NEED Budweiser as a debate sponsor?

Generalizations from this article:


-Even though sponsors do not receive any "recognition", many feel it is their civic responsibility to sponsor a debate.


-Corporations are "barred" from giving campaign contributions, but can donate to the Commission on Presidential Debates





Well, well, well....I watched the last debate and was pretty much bored out of my mind, with the exception of being repeatedly told that the candidates made the rules that they were breaking.


Im guessing that Budweiser hoped to make the next debate a little more interesting....guess they didnt figure that the International Bottled Water Association would get there first....(haha)

What we CAN agree on

I have many different friends. Moderates, Conservatives, Democrats, Republicans, Liberals, and many other. We all have our own ideas and moral compass. Thats really not a surprise - considering I have NEVER met someone who agrees with me 100% of the time.

Because of the ugliness of the current election (on both sides, I might add), I have heard all the ways we are different. However, I am going to take a different approach, I am going to list SOME of the ways we can ALL agree (for a change).

No matter where you stand, we can all agree:

1) We want our children/families to have a future. This covers all aspects - whether it be education, environment - whatever! We may not agree on how to accomplish this, but we all want it.

2) We want to feel safe and secure. In our homes, jobs, on our streets.

3) We all want the government to spend OUR money wisely.

4) We want our country to be protected.

5) We want our freedoms.

6) We want to be able to express our opinions without fear of retaliation from the government.

7) We want to worship in whatever religion, freely.


How else do we ALL agree?

Fantastic idea about campaign finance

Okay, Ive been thinking....how does one get the "favors" out of the election process? I have been telling my friends this idea, and they think it will never happen. (I know if it takes away money, it wont be popular)

But anyway, I wanted to post my idea before some yahoo who gets tv time says it. Just remember, you heard it here first.

Read on
The issue really is how to keep special interest OUT of our election process. Make it fair for everyone.

We all know that lobbyists and other special interest groups donate massive sums of money to political campaigns. And- we all know how long this election is taking. Its no wonder that campaigns on both sides of the aisle spend enormous amounts of money.

We need to do something about what the REAL reason is that Americans stay home instead of voting. Plain old APATHY. They dont care. Yes, that amazes me-but people know that politics is all about who spends and collects the most money.


Lets stop campaign donations PERIOD.
During the primary election, a certain amount of money is put aside so that it can be distributed among the 2 candidates of each party for each office sought.
Example: Governor (each party has 2 candidates)

Those winners obviously move onto the general election.
Now, heres a plan for equal footing and no special interest.

Each primary winner receives a set amount of money.
(I should tell you that this would be taxpayer dollars. The amounts needed would be set-without increases, with the exception of cases where representatives are added. This money would be included in our budget.) Each candidate would be allowed to purchase radio ads, tv ads, and newspaper ads. Campaign ads would not be as expensive, since there is a limited amount of money for the candidates to spend.

No campaigning would be done until 45 days before the election. You will also notice that I did not include yard signs or bumper stickers (and other misc campaign items). These items are costly for many campaigns these days, and after any election, are thrown in the dump.

Campaign mailers will be a thing of the past. The cost of postage is expensive anyway, and it usually requires alot of coordination of campaign volunteers.

This would ease the burden of work needed and focuses the election on the issues and not who has the nicest mailing, the prettiest yard sign etc. Our country focuses on the wrong things.

We need to stop allowing special interest groups and lobbyists to ruin our election process.
Your thought are welcome.

Real tragedy from this financial mess

Just what I was afraid of: taking the tragic way out of a situation when there are alternatives.

The financial state of our economy as well as the personal debt of many American citizens has led to the second suicide related story of the week.

The details of this story are really not important.
The fact remains that many Americans have too much pride to "suck it up" and get things done.


Is the debt of the American public so bad, that the alternative to paying it down is suicide?

I have personally known and personally know the trials and tribulations of living within your means. I know what its like to HAVE to live this way because of stupid financial decisions. However, I have had to pick my life up and be responsible for what Ive inflicted upon my wallet and credit score. And rebuilding is long and hard.

The best feeling in the world is being able to say: I am debt free and living within my means.

Not everyone SHOULD own a home

I do not know Janet Albrechtsen of the Wall Street Journal, but I like the way she thinks.


Not everyone SHOULD own a home.
As Janet points out, maybe only a foreigner could say this...but I am an American, and I tend to agree with this statement wholeheartedly.

Citizens need to start learning to live within their means. If this means you can only afford an apartment, so be it.

When I was 6, President Jimmy Carter signed the Community Investment Act. This allowed banks to give loans to low income people.

Maybe we should ask these people if they were educated enough to know what they were signing.


Here's something else: Refinancing your mortgage to get a better interest rate or consolidate loans? Was your homes "worth" inflated?

There are so many homes for sale - and so many homes being taken off the market because they cant get the asking price. Homeowners cant sell their homes for less than they have "invested" in them due to personal debt.



Now, does anyone else see where our troubles lie?

What do you make of this?

Please read the article linked in the title.

I am not sure what to think about this story. Normally, Ill read something and have a definate "take" on it. This story is different.

Short version:
Ms Polk, who is 90, decided to ignore foreclosure proceedings. She ignored visits to her home with the exception of removing notes left from the deputies trying to serve her the eviction notice.

Deputies attempted to communicate with Ms Polk at least 30 times with no luck.
Apparently, a neighbor climbed into a second story window and found that Ms Polk had shot herself twice in the chest.

Friday, Fannie May decided to "forgive" her loan, and gave her the house outright-stating it was "the least they could do, given the circumstances".


My take:
I feel for this woman who chose to attempt to end her life instead of finding some type of program to help her.

My problem is that Ms Polk has been mentioned by Dennis Kucinich. If others have issues such as Ms Polk, will they attempt the same way out? Will mortgage companies keep forgiving loans if people attempt suicide?

My response

My friend, Gary has written the above-linked blog. Gary and I went to school together, but we have different visions. From the blogs of his that I have had the opportunity to read, they are very well written-and very put together. However, I do disagree with his "take".

So here is my response (and since my name was mentioned, feel its necessary)

I must confess that John McCain is not my first choice for President. I was torn between Sam Brownback and Ron Paul. However, the voters chose McCain in the primary, so that is the hand the Republicans have been given.

I for one, was NOT excited about this election until McCain chose someone who has similar values as my own. I had heard several rumors that Rudy Guliani would be the pick - which I did not especially support. I respect Rudy for what he did after 9/11, but he is not a social conservative. Sarah Palin energized the Republican base just on that fact alone.

Gary stated that the Republican Party represents a certain platform, and while that is true....it is also known that democrats outnumber us almost 2 to 1. This statistic alone prevents Republican elected officials from seeing their agendas advanced. (And to steal a quote, not to be snarky) This also makes those elected democrats happy.

What has occurred in the last 8 years has almost been unavoidable. After 9/11 most Americans wanted to retaliate against those responsible...and it wasn't just Bush who beleived that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

And while I am not especially fond of war (remember I AM pro-life), I have to allow our government to pay our military for being there. Our soldiers have families that they have left behind to fight for freedom, whether you support the war or not.

I agree that there has been corruption and scandal on BOTH sides. Anyone who claims one side is "pure" is lying. Our economy is just the start....Right now those WE elected to serve as OUR representatives are not listening.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, instead of figuring out WHY our economy is the way it is...they are "bailing" those banks and companies out. Why isnt anyone investigating the business practices that led us to this downfall? I dont care if its a democrat or republican to blame, the taxpayers shouldnt be responsible to pay for their mistakes. Are our elected officials hiding something? We dont even know, because the public has not been given an opportunity to take part in the process.

Moving on to the next part of Gary's blog, we are asked if we feel that Sarah Palin is qualified. Honestly, none of the candidates on either side can be called qualified.

Obama and Biden both have "shady" pasts....Obama, who is running for President of the United States refuses to wear a flag pin among other things because he does not want to appear to be partial-doesnt want to play favorites. Seriously! Isnt the President supposed to be partial to the USA? Biden has plagarized material, and has some major snafus when speaking. Neither one respects life enough for me personally. Obama wont even support children born during abortion procedures.

McCain on the other hand, ruined campaign finance. (in my opinion) I will address that in a future blog. I wont go farther...since the democrats do enough bashing. Sarah Palin's only REAL problem is the Bridge to Nowhere. Since I am not nearly knowledgeable on this subject, I wont go into detail.

Gary also brings up the issue of race. Its no secret that Obama is black....no big deal there. And while he beings up a valid point that Keyes is a loon (I do agree with him there) there are many black Republicans that arent loony.

There is one black Republican that everyone in the state of Maryland should know...Michael Steele, former Lt. Governor. I personally know and respect Mike, hes a great guy and shares the values I deem important. But, because he is a Republican (pro-life as well) he is not considered "black" by many of his peers. I have been told by many of my black democratic friends that they wouldnt vote for Mike because he was a Republican and even said that they dont consider him black enough.

Now, its no secret that I am a white woman, but I have no clue WHY they say that about him.

Again, the bailout...
Gary-heres your explanation-in simple terms

Banking institutions were "asked" to change their lending practices so that more Americans (there were also rumors of illegal aliens also) could own homes. Sounds like a good idea...right? Well, no. These banks allowed people to obtain morgages without proving they could afford them. Some never even proved they were gainfully employed. This led to several problems-as Im sure you are aware. Many could not afford their house payments, which led to defaulting on mortgage loans, and finally foreclosures.


The possibility of a depression could occur, however, in order to get to a depression, our economy MUST have two straight down quarters (this is a recession). Believe it or not, that hasnt happened yet.

Mass unemployment, skyrocketing prices are all effects of a recession and depression.
Of course, then comes other problems associated with recesssions and depressions....which is mass crime.

A loan should be hard to get. You should have to prove you can afford to repay a loan without defaulting.

I hope that answers your questions.