Obama for president
Palin's rise captivates us but nation needs a steady hand
(10/25/08 19:37:58)
Alaska enters its 50th-anniversary year in the glow of an improbable and highly memorable event: the nomination of Gov. Sarah Palin as the Republican vice presidential candidate. For the first time ever, an Alaskan is making a serious bid for national office, and in doing so she brings broad attention and recognition not only to herself, but also to the state she leads.
Alaska's founders were optimistic people, but even the most farsighted might have been stretched to imagine this scenario. No matter the outcome in November, this election will mark a signal moment in the history of the 49th state. Many Alaskans are proud to see their governor, and their state, so prominent on the national stage.
Gov. Palin's nomination clearly alters the landscape for Alaskans as we survey this race for the presidency -- but it does not overwhelm all other judgment. The election, after all is said and done, is not about Sarah Palin, and our sober view is that her running mate, Sen. John McCain, is the wrong choice for president at this critical time for our nation.
Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee, brings far more promise to the office. In a time of grave economic crisis, he displays thoughtful analysis, enlists wise counsel and operates with a cool, steady hand. The same cannot be said of Sen. McCain.
Since his early acknowledgement that economic policy is not his strong suit, Sen. McCain has stumbled and fumbled badly in dealing with the accelerating crisis as it emerged. He declared that "the fundamentals of our economy are strong" at 9 a.m. one day and by 11 a.m. was describing an economy in crisis. He is both a longtime advocate of less market regulation and a supporter of the huge taxpayer-funded Wall Street bailout. His behavior in this crisis -- erratic is a kind description -- shows him to be ill-equipped to lead the essential effort of reining in a runaway financial system and setting an anxious nation on course to economic recovery.
Sen. Obama warned regulators and the nation 19 months ago that the subprime lending crisis was a disaster in the making. Sen. McCain backed tighter rules for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but didn't do much to advance that legislation. Of the two candidates, Sen. Obama better understands the mortgage meltdown's root causes and has the judgment and intelligence to shape a solution, as well as the leadership to rally the country behind it. It is easy to look at Sen. Obama and see a return to the smart, bipartisan economic policies of the last Democratic administration in Washington, which left the country with the momentum of growth and a budget surplus that President George Bush has squandered.
On the most important issue of the day, Sen. Obama is a clear choice.
Sen. McCain describes himself as a maverick, by which he seems to mean that he spent 25 years trying unsuccessfully to persuade his own party to follow his bipartisan, centrist lead. Sadly, maverick John McCain didn't show up for the campaign. Instead we have candidate McCain, who embraces the extreme Republican orthodoxy he once resisted and cynically asks Americans to buy for another four years.
It is Sen. Obama who truly promises fundamental change in Washington. You need look no further than the guilt-by-association lies and sound-bite distortions of the degenerating McCain campaign to see how readily he embraces the divisive, fear-mongering tactics of Karl Rove. And while Sen. McCain points to the fragile success of the troop surge in stabilizing conditions in Iraq, it is also plain that he was fundamentally wrong about the more crucial early decisions. Contrary to his assurances, we were not greeted as liberators; it was not a short, easy war; and Americans -- not Iraqi oil -- have had to pay for it. It was Sen. Obama who more clearly saw the danger ahead.
The unqualified endorsement of Sen. Obama by a seasoned, respected soldier and diplomat like Gen. Colin Powell, a Republican icon, should reassure all Americans that the Democratic candidate will pass muster as commander in chief.
On a matter of parochial interest, Sen. Obama opposes the opening of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, but so does Sen. McCain. We think both are wrong, and hope a President Obama can be convinced to support environmentally responsible development of that resource.
Gov. Palin has shown the country why she has been so successful in her young political career. Passionate, charismatic and indefatigable, she draws huge crowds and sows excitement in her wake. She has made it clear she's a force to be reckoned with, and you can be sure politicians and political professionals across the country have taken note. Her future, in Alaska and on the national stage, seems certain to be played out in the limelight.
Yet despite her formidable gifts, few who have worked closely with the governor would argue she is truly ready to assume command of the most important, powerful nation on earth. To step in and juggle the demands of an economic meltdown, two deadly wars and a deteriorating climate crisis would stretch the governor beyond her range. Like picking Sen. McCain for president, putting her one 72-year-old heartbeat from the leadership of the free world is just too risky at this time.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
"C" is for Charlie
She's all that and a bag of chips!
Fuss loves being outside and the weather has been great these past two weekends.
Her parents are happy too, because she sleeps through the night!
Yeah I'm still counting my blessings,
Friday, October 17, 2008
It's only hair people!
I'm a loc'd sistah. What made me loc was the fact my head was hot and sweaty, I didn't feel like paying a fortune to have it re-braided, and I'm extremely tender headed. It's the only reason why I'm loc'd. I've no spiritual connection, no epiphany, no drama, or any other life changing event to tell behind my decision. I saw it, I liked the look, I foolishly thought it was no maintenance. I'm enjoying it end of saga.
It doesn't break my heart when I see Black women with permed hair or, tastefully weaved hair, or any other hair style. It's their personal choice. I don't think it's about showing self hatred, or trying to be more like folk that have straight hair. It's not a slap in the face of our ancestors. Its a personal choice. If it's a particularly flattering style, I make sure I compliment the woman.
I belong to several natural hair care lists. I have to tell ya, the angst and the hoopla that transpires over hair is unbelievable. I don't get it! It's hair people! It's not that deep!!!!!!
OK so now ya'll know how truly shallow I am.
I'm still blessed,
Someone doesn't like shoes
Fuss didn't care to much for the new sneakers at first. She's much happier in her socks, or better yet, in her bare feet. She actually spreads her toes out so we can't get the offending items on her. She takes so many pictures standing up, people think she can walk. She believes she can too!
I love my Grand baby soooo much, and time is going by sooooo quickly. She's already 9 months old! Slow down Fussalicious, enjoy this time to the fullest!
Blessed,
The Washington Post Endorses Obama for President
Well said by the Washington Post
But Mr. Obama's temperament is unlike anything we've seen on the national stage in many years. He is deliberate but not indecisive; eloquent but a master of substance and detail; preternaturally confident but eager to hear opposing points of view. He has inspired millions of voters of diverse ages and races, no small thing in our often divided and cynical country. We think he is the right man for a perilous moment.
But Mr. Obama's temperament is unlike anything we've seen on the national stage in many years. He is deliberate but not indecisive; eloquent but a master of substance and detail; preternaturally confident but eager to hear opposing points of view. He has inspired millions of voters of diverse ages and races, no small thing in our often divided and cynical country. We think he is the right man for a perilous moment.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Height, Age, Weight, Health
Lately, I've been more conscious of my age (47), and my height (5' 7") and Weight (never you mind). According to the social security administration, I have to work another 20 years before I can qualify for full benefits. Excactly what there will be to collect is a great mystery to me, but I digress
I'm doing all the right things saving for my retirement, although, at this present time I refuse to look @ my retirement account, building my credit, and lately paying closer attention to my health, Hopefully it's not too late, and nothing unwanted is brewing in my body.
I'm challenging myself to eat more fruit and veggies, although it's hard finding those that aren't treated w/pesticides, and at least walk every day.
Even if you have health problems, eating and exercising, even a little bit can benefit you, (Provided your doctor says it's ok). I figure if it's God's will, I'm going to be 50. Why not be 50 with a healthier body and credit score?
Blessed,
I'm doing all the right things saving for my retirement, although, at this present time I refuse to look @ my retirement account, building my credit, and lately paying closer attention to my health, Hopefully it's not too late, and nothing unwanted is brewing in my body.
I'm challenging myself to eat more fruit and veggies, although it's hard finding those that aren't treated w/pesticides, and at least walk every day.
Even if you have health problems, eating and exercising, even a little bit can benefit you, (Provided your doctor says it's ok). I figure if it's God's will, I'm going to be 50. Why not be 50 with a healthier body and credit score?
Blessed,
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
Happy Anniversary!
Six years ago yesterday, we adopted the doglets. As you know Pooh Bear passed 7 months ago. Princess and I celebrated by just hanging out and doing nothing.....together.
Baby dog, as I sometimes call her, has a little more grey in her fur, her eyes are getting a little cloudy and her gait is slower. She can't jump on the bed or her favorite chair, and the stairs sometimes give her trouble. I'm not going to acknowledge what is to come. I'm just going enjoy the next 6 years and continue to spoil her rotten.
Here's to us Princess...two old girls hanging out together
Baby dog, as I sometimes call her, has a little more grey in her fur, her eyes are getting a little cloudy and her gait is slower. She can't jump on the bed or her favorite chair, and the stairs sometimes give her trouble. I'm not going to acknowledge what is to come. I'm just going enjoy the next 6 years and continue to spoil her rotten.
Here's to us Princess...two old girls hanging out together
The Look of Love
One of the positives to come from this long, tedious campaigning drag, is the look of love when Mr Obama is with Mrs. Obama. It's the same look she returns to him. I couldn't figure out what was different about this couple, aside from the obvious, but then it hit me. It's not the phony, pasted on smile I'm used to seeing in political candidates.
The picture of her leaning back against him with her eyes closed, and his mouth next to her ear is my favorite photo of the couple.
There is another where they're on stage, and he's leaning into her with the same expression.
Black on Black love is beautiful...ain't it?
Oh yeah, this link was forwarded to me by a friend. It takes a while to load, and you may want to turn the sound down: http://mysistagirl.com/myalbum.html
Hoping to one day add this to my many blessings,
The picture of her leaning back against him with her eyes closed, and his mouth next to her ear is my favorite photo of the couple.
There is another where they're on stage, and he's leaning into her with the same expression.
Black on Black love is beautiful...ain't it?
Oh yeah, this link was forwarded to me by a friend. It takes a while to load, and you may want to turn the sound down: http://mysistagirl.com/myalbum.html
Hoping to one day add this to my many blessings,
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
From the Washington Post
AIG Spa Trip Fuels Fury on Hill
Pressing Executives to Concede Mistakes, Lawmakers Blast Them About Bonuses
By Peter Whoriskey - Washington Post Staff Writer, Wednesday, October 8, 2008;
For some people at AIG, the insurance giant rescued last month with an $85 billion federal bailout, the good times keep rolling.
Joseph Cassano, the financial products manager whose complex investments led to American International Group's near collapse, is receiving $1 million a month in consulting fees.
Former chief executive Martin J. Sullivan, whose three-year tenure coincided with much of the company's ill-fated risk-taking, is receiving a $5 million performance bonus.
And just last week, about 70 of the company's top performers were rewarded with a week-long stay at the luxury St. Regis Resort in Monarch Beach, Calif., where they ran up a tab of $440,000.
At a House committee hearing yesterday, Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.) showed a photograph of the resort, which overlooks the Pacific Ocean, and reported expenses for AIG personnel including $200,000 for rooms, $150,000 for meals and $23,000 for the spa.
"Less than a week after the taxpayers rescued AIG, company executives could be found wining and dining at one of the most exclusive resorts in the nation," Waxman said in kicking off an angry hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. "We will ask whether any of this makes sense."
"They were getting their manicures, their pedicures, massages, their facials while the American people were paying their bills," thundered Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.).
The gathering was planned before the bailout as a reward for life insurance agents, a company spokesman said, and fewer than 10 AIG executives were present.
The hearing promised and delivered strident condemnations of the two AIG executives the committee had invited to testify. Sullivan served as chief executive from 2005 to 2008; Robert B. Willumstad served as chief executive from June until September, and before that was chairman of the board.
"Shame on you, Mr. Sullivan," said Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), noting that Sullivan was not giving up any of his $5 million performance bonus.
Over and over, the committee members vented outrage at having the federal government bail out the company, referring frequently to their angry constituents.
But neither Sullivan nor Willumstad acknowledged making any mistakes.
"Looking back on my time as CEO, I don't believe AIG could have done anything differently," Willumstad said.
Sullivan blamed "a global financial tsunami" and the "mark-to-market" accounting rules, which require businesses to value assets at market value, even if no sale is imminent.
"I have spent my entire adult life in service to AIG, and I am heartbroken at what has happened," he told the committee.
The committee members, barely concealing their frustration, seemed stunned by the duo's refusal to find fault with their own performances.
"Don't you think the management has some responsibility for what went on there?" Rep. John F. Tierney (D-Mass.) said at one point, his voice incredulous.
Sullivan responded that when they learned there was trouble with their investments, they put controls in place.
Tierney then questioned whether, at their compensation levels, the manager should have been "ahead of the curve" on such troubles.
"This is a fundamental failure of management," Tierney said, exasperated.
The executives sat stone faced.
The House committee, which took on executive compensation at bankrupt Wall Street firm Lehman Brothers on Monday, has received "tens of thousands" of pages of documents from AIG, Waxman said.
Those documents show that AIG executives may have played a more significant role in the company's collapse than either of the two executives let on, Waxman said.
On Dec. 5, 2007, Sullivan told investors "we are confident in our marks and the reasonableness of our valuation methods."
But just a week before, PricewaterhouseCoopers, AIG's auditor, had warned Sullivan that the company "could have a material weakness relating to these areas," according to minutes from the company's audit committee.
Moreover, as early as March federal regulators blamed lax management.
"We are concerned that the corporate oversight of AIG Financial Products . . . lacks critical elements of independence, transparency and granularity," the Office of Thrift Supervision wrote to the company on March 10.
Just as frustrating to the committee members, Sullivan and Cassano seemed to have been rewarded for their performance, even though the company plunged under their stewardship.
AIG lost more than $5 billion in the last quarter of 2007 because of its risky financial products division, Waxman said.
Yet in March 2008 when the company's compensation committee met to award bonuses, Sullivan urged the committee to ignore those losses, which should have slashed bonuses.
But the board agreed to ignore the losses from the financial products division and gave Sullivan a cash bonus of more than $5 million.
The board also approved a new contract for Sullivan that gave him a golden parachute of $15 million, Waxman said.
As for Cassano, the executive in charge of the company's troubled financial products division, he received more than $280 million over the past eight years. Even after he was terminated in February as his investments turned sour, the company allowed him to keep as much as $34 million in unvested bonuses and put him on a $1 million-a-month retainer.
He continues to receive $1 million a month, Waxman said.
Asked why they didn't fire Cassano, Sullivan said they needed to "retain the 20-year knowledge of the transactions."
"What would he have had to have done for you to fire him?" Waxman said.
Pressing Executives to Concede Mistakes, Lawmakers Blast Them About Bonuses
By Peter Whoriskey - Washington Post Staff Writer, Wednesday, October 8, 2008;
For some people at AIG, the insurance giant rescued last month with an $85 billion federal bailout, the good times keep rolling.
Joseph Cassano, the financial products manager whose complex investments led to American International Group's near collapse, is receiving $1 million a month in consulting fees.
Former chief executive Martin J. Sullivan, whose three-year tenure coincided with much of the company's ill-fated risk-taking, is receiving a $5 million performance bonus.
And just last week, about 70 of the company's top performers were rewarded with a week-long stay at the luxury St. Regis Resort in Monarch Beach, Calif., where they ran up a tab of $440,000.
At a House committee hearing yesterday, Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.) showed a photograph of the resort, which overlooks the Pacific Ocean, and reported expenses for AIG personnel including $200,000 for rooms, $150,000 for meals and $23,000 for the spa.
"Less than a week after the taxpayers rescued AIG, company executives could be found wining and dining at one of the most exclusive resorts in the nation," Waxman said in kicking off an angry hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. "We will ask whether any of this makes sense."
"They were getting their manicures, their pedicures, massages, their facials while the American people were paying their bills," thundered Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.).
The gathering was planned before the bailout as a reward for life insurance agents, a company spokesman said, and fewer than 10 AIG executives were present.
The hearing promised and delivered strident condemnations of the two AIG executives the committee had invited to testify. Sullivan served as chief executive from 2005 to 2008; Robert B. Willumstad served as chief executive from June until September, and before that was chairman of the board.
"Shame on you, Mr. Sullivan," said Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), noting that Sullivan was not giving up any of his $5 million performance bonus.
Over and over, the committee members vented outrage at having the federal government bail out the company, referring frequently to their angry constituents.
But neither Sullivan nor Willumstad acknowledged making any mistakes.
"Looking back on my time as CEO, I don't believe AIG could have done anything differently," Willumstad said.
Sullivan blamed "a global financial tsunami" and the "mark-to-market" accounting rules, which require businesses to value assets at market value, even if no sale is imminent.
"I have spent my entire adult life in service to AIG, and I am heartbroken at what has happened," he told the committee.
The committee members, barely concealing their frustration, seemed stunned by the duo's refusal to find fault with their own performances.
"Don't you think the management has some responsibility for what went on there?" Rep. John F. Tierney (D-Mass.) said at one point, his voice incredulous.
Sullivan responded that when they learned there was trouble with their investments, they put controls in place.
Tierney then questioned whether, at their compensation levels, the manager should have been "ahead of the curve" on such troubles.
"This is a fundamental failure of management," Tierney said, exasperated.
The executives sat stone faced.
The House committee, which took on executive compensation at bankrupt Wall Street firm Lehman Brothers on Monday, has received "tens of thousands" of pages of documents from AIG, Waxman said.
Those documents show that AIG executives may have played a more significant role in the company's collapse than either of the two executives let on, Waxman said.
On Dec. 5, 2007, Sullivan told investors "we are confident in our marks and the reasonableness of our valuation methods."
But just a week before, PricewaterhouseCoopers, AIG's auditor, had warned Sullivan that the company "could have a material weakness relating to these areas," according to minutes from the company's audit committee.
Moreover, as early as March federal regulators blamed lax management.
"We are concerned that the corporate oversight of AIG Financial Products . . . lacks critical elements of independence, transparency and granularity," the Office of Thrift Supervision wrote to the company on March 10.
Just as frustrating to the committee members, Sullivan and Cassano seemed to have been rewarded for their performance, even though the company plunged under their stewardship.
AIG lost more than $5 billion in the last quarter of 2007 because of its risky financial products division, Waxman said.
Yet in March 2008 when the company's compensation committee met to award bonuses, Sullivan urged the committee to ignore those losses, which should have slashed bonuses.
But the board agreed to ignore the losses from the financial products division and gave Sullivan a cash bonus of more than $5 million.
The board also approved a new contract for Sullivan that gave him a golden parachute of $15 million, Waxman said.
As for Cassano, the executive in charge of the company's troubled financial products division, he received more than $280 million over the past eight years. Even after he was terminated in February as his investments turned sour, the company allowed him to keep as much as $34 million in unvested bonuses and put him on a $1 million-a-month retainer.
He continues to receive $1 million a month, Waxman said.
Asked why they didn't fire Cassano, Sullivan said they needed to "retain the 20-year knowledge of the transactions."
"What would he have had to have done for you to fire him?" Waxman said.
I want my freaking money back!!!
...and then I want your lying, stealing, crusty asses tossed under the f-ing jail.
From the Washington Post:
AIG Gets More Government Bailout Cash
Only one day after it was revealed that AIG had sprung for a $440,000 spa vacation shortly after getting an $84 billion government-loan bailout comes this report: The government is loaning AIG another $38 billion.
AIG, the world's largest insurer, said it has already drawn down $61 billion on its $84 billion line of credit from the government. AIG's financial products division got into the mortgage-backed securities market and incurred billions in losses, sending the entire company teetering toward bankruptcy. The $84 billion loan was meant to help prop up AIG.
The New York branch of the Fed Reserve will borrow $37.8 billion in investment-grade securities from AIG in exchange for the cash.
During a hearing before the House Oversight committee on Tuesday, it was revealed that just last week, about 70 of the company's top performers were rewarded with a week-long stay at the luxury St. Regis Resort in Monarch Beach, Calif., where they ran up a tab of $440,000, The Post's Peter Whoriskey reported today.
Oversight committee Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) showed a photograph of the resort, which overlooks the Pacific Ocean, and reported expenses for AIG personnel including $200,000 for rooms, $150,000 for meals and $23,000 for the spa, Whoriskey wrote.
Today, AIG chief executive Edward Liddy defended the vacation by pouring gasoline on the fire.
Such trips "are standard practice in our industry," Liddy said, no doubt thrilling every other major insurance company.
In a letter to Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, obtained by ABC News, Liddy said the vacationers were largely independent insurance agents who had sold well for AIG.
"Let me assure you that we are re-evaluating the costs of all aspects of our operations in light of the new circumstances in which we are all operating," Liddy wrote. "We understand that our company is now facing very different challenges -- and that we owe our employees and the American public new standards and approaches."
-- Frank Ahrens
From the Washington Post:
AIG Gets More Government Bailout Cash
Only one day after it was revealed that AIG had sprung for a $440,000 spa vacation shortly after getting an $84 billion government-loan bailout comes this report: The government is loaning AIG another $38 billion.
AIG, the world's largest insurer, said it has already drawn down $61 billion on its $84 billion line of credit from the government. AIG's financial products division got into the mortgage-backed securities market and incurred billions in losses, sending the entire company teetering toward bankruptcy. The $84 billion loan was meant to help prop up AIG.
The New York branch of the Fed Reserve will borrow $37.8 billion in investment-grade securities from AIG in exchange for the cash.
During a hearing before the House Oversight committee on Tuesday, it was revealed that just last week, about 70 of the company's top performers were rewarded with a week-long stay at the luxury St. Regis Resort in Monarch Beach, Calif., where they ran up a tab of $440,000, The Post's Peter Whoriskey reported today.
Oversight committee Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) showed a photograph of the resort, which overlooks the Pacific Ocean, and reported expenses for AIG personnel including $200,000 for rooms, $150,000 for meals and $23,000 for the spa, Whoriskey wrote.
Today, AIG chief executive Edward Liddy defended the vacation by pouring gasoline on the fire.
Such trips "are standard practice in our industry," Liddy said, no doubt thrilling every other major insurance company.
In a letter to Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, obtained by ABC News, Liddy said the vacationers were largely independent insurance agents who had sold well for AIG.
"Let me assure you that we are re-evaluating the costs of all aspects of our operations in light of the new circumstances in which we are all operating," Liddy wrote. "We understand that our company is now facing very different challenges -- and that we owe our employees and the American public new standards and approaches."
-- Frank Ahrens
DONNA BRAZILE: “IF I WERE RUNNING THIS CAMPAIGN”
This is part of a New Yorker Magazine panel last weekend that included Brazile.
http://jezebel.com/5059945/donna-brazile-is-not-going-to-the-back-of-the-bus?cpage=2&sort=asc#viewcomments
you will have to highlight and copy the entire link to view the video
http://jezebel.com/5059945/donna-brazile-is-not-going-to-the-back-of-the-bus?cpage=2&sort=asc#viewcomments
you will have to highlight and copy the entire link to view the video
Friday, October 03, 2008
Time sure flies
I've lived in Grandma Land for almost 9 months! I remember telling my Mom that Fuss was "boring" because all she did was sleep, eat, poop and cry. Well, let me tell you, she's one wiggly little girl! She so busy chortling, crawling, rolling around, touching, tasting, pulling herself up, banging on things, and flashing that beautiful baby smile.
Time sure flies when you look at the growth of a child. Who knew last year that Ms. Wiggle and Giggles would be so busy?
Giving thanks for my blessings, and hoping you take time to realize yours.
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