1, April, 2009: The Date Tells The Tale

April Fool's Day

Today was spent reading online blogs and posts. The Telegraph.co.uk got alot of my attention.

It began for me when I read a story about President Obama's gift to Queen Elizabeth II.

He gave her an iPod.

It really seemed like an April Fool's Day story. I mean, after the fiasco last month when President Obama gave British Prime Minister Gordon Brown a 25 DVD set of American Movies.

In the world of Political gift giving, it was less than the best chosen. And the set wasn't even formatted to play on DVD players in Great Britain.

Now, to be fair, I didn't even know that DVD players in Great Britain played in a different format. Well, I think that is just plain stupid. A different format!

The Prime Minister gave President Obama a pen carved from the mast beam of an old British sailing ship. The ship was last used in the service of freeing slaves, (or some sort).

As I said, this was last month.
It raised a giant scandal.

Add to this a few other perceived slights made during the Prime Minister's visit by the White House. It is enough to say that more than a few of us began to wonder if, (or what) slight the Obama's might make during their G-20 visit to London, U.K.

It was all the talk today.
Many wondered if it were not an April joke.

Sadly it was not.

Our President, Barack H. Obama, and his wife, Michelle graciously gifted Queen Elizabeth II of England... with an iPod.

Shocking!!...........Scandalous!!

This story topped and ousted one of the best April Fool's stories I had seen in a while. (This one had me researching!):
President Obama Tells GM and Chrysler: No More NASCAR

That story, posted by Car and Driver Magazine was all the buzz..........until Obama gave the Queen an iPod.

30 at last count the pages of comments about the iPod gift at http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/toby_harnden/blog/2009/04/01/barack_obamas_gift_for_the_queen_an_ipod_your_majesty?com_num=20&com_pg=1

Many blasting Obama. Others using the comment board as a forum to snipe. Some saying the most ugly things about Obama. Now, I will be one of the first to tell you that I did not vote for him, but he is My President.

I do not have to agree with him, and doubt that I will very much if these last few months are any indicator.

I draw the line at making slinging racial slurs and posting stinging "us" against "them" rants. (Yes, I know, the Democrats won.)

Mud slinging and name calling are easy and do not take much thought.
IMHO these are the bastion of the truly misinformed. The idiots.

So, if only the Obamas could have stopped at the ill considered gift. But No!

Later I decided to view a youtube video of the President and Mrs. Obama greeting the Queen and her husband, Prince Phillip.



Did you watch the video?? I gasp in horror as I saw the First Lady push Prince Phillip out of the photo. In the video you can clearly hear and see the Prince show Michelle where he wanted her to stand and also tell her to stand there.

I had to look at it again. Then I saw the handshakes. Barack Obama just consumes the Queen's hand with both of his. The look on her face said it all.

You simply DO NOT DO THESE THINGS!

If I had not caught the tweet about the video I would have only known of the photo. The photo shows President Obama, Queen Elizabeth II, and Michelle Obama. Poor Prince Phillip was cropped right out of the photo.

As a photographer I say: How Rude!

Needless to tell, but my day was spent surfing the web, reading articles on the visit.

(did you know that some people think that Barack Obama is not a U.S. Citizen...that he was not born in the U.S.?? I didn't until today.)

Later I found a story on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to Mexico. Her faux pas at the Shrine to the Virgin of Guadalupe two days ago...........but that will be for another day. My head hurts

I'm not a HAPPY CAMPER

"We The People", may fast becoming, "We The Enslaved", IMHO.

I read and listen to the news daily. As of late, I am starting to fear what I am hearing. (For those of you who may at first say to themselves that I probably watch only Fox News, WRONG.)

I do watch Fox News. I also watch CNN, BBC, NBCLA, CBSNY. I read the NY Times, Reuters, AP, CBS, ABC...................... it looks of interest I click on it.

And what I am hearing and reading makes me wonder if we don't need Senator McCarthy back in Washington.

O.K. McCarthyism may be a bit strong as an antidote, but

"we gotta do something!" if "We The People" stand silently still for too long, "We The People" may cease to exist.

AM I ALONE HERE IN FEELING THIS WAY??

Am I??

I hear and read of our Law Makers in Washington D.C. enacting selective legislation to punish only the AIG executives who were given legal bonuses. (Or will this legistlation affect others??..Hum??)

IMHO, if these people were not offered retention bonuses they would have probably jumped ship and left AIG to look for other jobs.

A Retention Bonus is what an employer offers an employee to keep them from leaving a failing, or merging company. As per human nature, when a situation is perceived as endangered the first impulse is to flee. These people at AIG had/have a unique skill set that IS/WAS needed at AIG.

IMHO any effort not taken to retain these employees would have been paramount to malpractice.

Now I see our Lawmakers in Washington D.C. trying to work their way into MORE private businesses. Making it their business how much money a person can earn at selected positions. Are they attempting to create a NEW CLASS SYSTEM?

I watch as Cuomo, (N.Y. State Attorney General) tells those who received bonuses at AIG that unless they return the bonus monies he will publish their names on a list. Pure Extortion IMHO.

What, or WHO gives Andrew Cuomo the RIGHT to EXTORT money from the AIG execs?? Any one here smell the ghost of Joseph McCarthy[ism] here???

And then I wonder what next?? If TPTB in Washington decided that certain people earn too much money and begin to force down the pay that people in a high paying field receive.....Will they not pay less in taxes?

Less Earned=Less Taxed (in an ideal world) Are they not, to paraphrase, "Shooting the golden goose." In this scenario, my taxes go up. Your taxes go up.

Let's not forget:
Card Check Forced Unionization.
Universal Health care Socialised Health care.

And more that I just don't bring to mind at the moment.
Oh, Yeah! I am tired of being called names by the Government.

..Nation of cowards..., United States Attorney General Eric Holder, Feb., 2009.

With all of this at the forefront of my mind, I am ending my post, and going to look for my pitchfork and torch. (In these times it might not be paranoia.)

I might need them when the mob starts.

What Do You Mean I Already HAVE a Blog??

What do you know. I already have a blog. I know that I have often thought of beginning one, but not that I had begun already.

Seems that I opened this account back in 2006.

In my own defense, I have been a bit busy.

Tomorrow is my, (and my husband's) 10th wedding anniversary. I wonder if he will remember. I know that we can't afford to go out, so I do not think I will mention it.


Then I wonder if NOT mentioning it is a bit passive-aggressive. You know, not mentioning it, letting the day go by only to later realize that my hubby will feel badly as he thinks that I know that he forgot it.


This is how "we" celebrated Valentine's Day. We couldn't afford to celebrate that day either, so I just let it slip by. I figured that it would be a relief on both of our parts to just not worry about scraping up a few dollars for this and that. (He did feel bad.)


Life has changed since 2006 when we could easily go out on a Friday night, enjoy a buffet and a bit of shopping. I miss those days.

Reality for me in 2009 is not having enough buckets to catch the drips coming through the ceiling when it rains.


Reality is no longer drinking milk with meals so that there is some for my child's cereal in the morning.


Reality was never speaking about any of this, holding instead my tongue with a stiff upper lip.


A stiff upper lip is highly over rated!


I am sick and tired of remaining silent!

So I decided to blog, and discovered that I had already established one. In 2006.



Like I said, I have been busy.



My oldest son is no longer at college.

At the beginning of his 4th year, discovering that school loans have all but vanished, he joined the Marine Corp.

In his defense, he has wanted to do this two years earlier. The very thought of my son in a Wartime Marine Corp scared me to death. I became hysterical and he relented.

He did quite well on the ASFAB, an aptitude test given recruits, to show what and where they will be of the best use. The test showed that he would be best utilized in the Intelligence field, and would do great at Quantico. Even recommending that he work security for the President.

The only hitch there, is that he owes $$ on college loans, so mo Presidential service.

Since we are at war he is learning how to, (in his words), "blow things up, and man the 50 cal."

He calls me on the weekends when he has Liberty. I do not know how I will handle it if or when he is deployed. I am already having nightmares about it.

My father was a Marine. My husband is a Marine vet. I wanted to be a Marine. I sure am not happy with my son being one! I'll admit it, I'm selfish about my kids. I want them alive.

I'm scared.

In the last 3 years:

My brother died of cancer.

My oldest son has joined the Marine Corp.

My youngest started High School.

All too much has changed in my little World, and I DO NOT LIKE IT!

Cats, Kids, Husbands..............And Neighbors.

Hello.

I could not log in yesterday, (when I remembered that I had a blog. It's a new thing, O.K.!)

I got in today. I really hate it when you get server malfunction messages!

(The internet version of a busy signal.)

Whatever my topic was, I have forgotten, my neighbor called.

Now "R", (as I will call him as he is one of those conspiracy people) always has a lot to say. Whatever my topic was is lost.

(My brain's version of a busy signal.)

His wife and I are fast friends. He is from the East Coast. He can, (and will) talk forever. Loudly. I think his volume control is broken. He is a Vietnam veteran with many medical problems. I do care, but he always has informational trivia about topics and can drone on and on.

This is when I sing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" silently in my head.

His wife and I are like two peas in a pod. We both love cats. The same television shows, shopping, ect.

She and I can talk about "something" and then, later on be shopping and she will remember what it was I wanted to pick up at the store. She has the uncanny ability to spot clothes I will love. And we both wear the same size!

While shopping, I figured out that she likes green, (not my favorite) so, for her birthday this month I was able to pick up a skirt and top she liked in her colors.

Shopping with her is fun. We can go on for hours looking at everything. Since her husband, "R" likes to talk, and mine likes to sit down,................well, it works out well.

We shop, the hubbies visit. We will go out on a Friday night, hit the buffet at the Red Lion, and then a few stores.

Walmart is open 24 hours! SWEET.

My son, actually one of 2 sons is in 6th grade and REALLY into climbing trees, wearing camo and repelling, [sic]. Since "R" spent years in the Army, he talks his ears off, and teaches him things. This works out well for both.

"R" even bought him a trumpet, and is teaching him to play it. My son is pretty good at it. The music gene runs in my family.

I can play the violin, viola, string bass and cello. My oldest can play the piano and the trombone. She bought her son a guitar, and I think she may be learning that as well.

My oldest son plays sports. My youngest daughter hasn't the patience yet for an instrument. She, (along with her older sister) enjoy singing. I was classically trained in vocal. My daughters enjoy kareoke.

Neither of my boys seem to be able to carry a tune, yet.

Anyway, as long as my #2 son can wear camo and hide in a tree on a rope, he is happy. My #1 son plays football at college.

I am getting old.

I guess I will save my cats for later.

Thanks,

Trpster :)

My First Blog Entry

Hello. Welcome.

Errr, Ummm, akkhhh. I thought to myself,

"Self, it might be fun to start a blog. Some blogs become famous. A part of the 'blog-o-sphere'..... that's what Wolf Blitzer on CNN calls it. Why not have my opinion(s) out there in the 'sphere'? (This thing got spell check??)"

Now, I have never blogged before. I have posted opinions to articles on/at Yahoo and other places.

I can be googled! I did it the other day! I put in "Trpster". I am googleable, therefore I am???

My topics of interest vary, as do my opinions. The best I can do is to tell about myselve, (not a typo).

I am a woman. I am a mother. I am a cat person. I have dogs. I am a sister.

My brother is a published, googleable poet.

I stay at home a lot and watch T.V. My television may stay on for more than 24 hours in a day.

I hate silence. I hate noise. I love information.

I watch soaps. I have followed Days pretty much from the beginning. My mom watched it. It came on right before I took my bath, before leaving for kindergarten.

I have watched it for years, video taped it when I worked. (The reason for buying a $500.00 programmable VHS V.C.R. in 1983)

I taped my stories, (and television college courses) back then. I am very loyal!

I worked, went to college, watched my soaps and classes, and raised my oldest child. I also had a "no-good-s.o.b.-of-a-husband" at the time.

About my soaps, I watch Days, Passions, and General Hospital. AND I HAVE OPINIONS on it.

I am disabled and home all the day. I HAVE OPINIONS ON THAT.

I watch T.V. news channels, AND I HAVE OPINIONS on it.

In the late 1980's I worked on major polital campaigns. Actually, I worked on them from the early 1980's up until the last of the 1990's.

I have shaken hands, gotten drunk, made telephone calls, played dirty tricks, and registered voters for any party, AND I HAVE OPINIONS on it.

I did most all of this in California.

Then, California went to sh*t and I moved out. I bought a bunch of acres out of state, a trailer, took my kids and hauled out. (I had left husband numbers 1 and 2 by then.) I was raising 4 children on my own.

Now I have a computer, satellite internet, satellite television, and AN OPINION.

I hope to share my thoughts, opinions, insights, and day with you, my reader. I hope you stick with me and interact.

Peace,
The Trpster