Job Creators

That's the latest name for the wealthy.

Job Creators.

As if the rest of the country is waiting around for the 1% to get their act together and get on with the creating.

I don't know any wealthy people. I imagine they are busy, creating jobs. Perhaps the jobs are shy and they have to coax them from the corner. Or, maybe they are growing them in the basement with a grow lamp.

I'm sure they'll be a big announcement when the jobs are ready.

Funny thing, I always thought I knew job creators. But since I don't know any wealthy people, I must be mistaken.

I wonder what I should call the shop owner that opens a store and hires two sales people?

I wonder what I should call the artists/artisans that have a gallery where they have people do stuff for them for money?

I wonder what I should call the owner of the dance studio that tripled in size in the last five years and added loads of new instructors?

I wonder what I call the architect that brings on a new graduate to help with small projects?

I used to call them friends and neighbors.

I used to call them the middle class.

I used to call them the future.

I know one thing, I can't call them job creators.

They're not wealthy enough for that.

Church of Me

I’m not a religious girl. Never have been. Oh sure, I was a church-goer at one point but that's cause I was a kid and I didn’t have a choice.

My parents weren’t particularly religious. Dad was raised Catholic but the only time I saw him in church someone was either getting married or buried. Mom was raised Protestant – Congregationalist to be exact. She was only slightly more religious than Dad. She took us to church every Sunday for a while. I think some of the older sisters were actually confirmed but I don’t ever remember making the jump from Sunday School to upstairs (that’s where the actual churching took place).

I went back to church several years ago. I started attending a local church just as it was being rocked by a semi-scandal and that was enough for me. My feelings about religion confirmed again. I guess you could say the thing that bothers me most about religion is people.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand the comfort and solace that people find in religion and it’s trappings: community, camaraderie, kinship. I have a good many friends that are religious and their faith informs their actions and rises them up. I’m not talking about them. No, I’m happy that they have found a place of fellowship and trust. A place that gives them joy.

Good people, leading good lives. They act as beacons of tolerance, of acceptance, of love.

Not them. No.

I’m talking about the lunatics.

Those that use religion as a weapon.

Those that use religion to justify hate.

Those that use religion to carry out murder.

Those that use religion to carry out social justice.

The intolerant.

The superior.

The god warriors

Those who claim to know what God wants and who he favors.

Ah, no you don’t.

Cause if the hate and vitriol spewed is coming directly from God or Jesus or Yahweh or Mohammed then they can all, collectively, bite my shiny metal ass. Cause they all suck. Hard.

The Jesus that I studied. Yeah him. He was tolerance and love. He was a bit of a hard-ass on some things but the overall message that I got: love and tolerance; helping and sharing; open hearts and minds.

I live a good and decent life. I’m fair and honest. I don’t lie or steal. I don’t take credit for things I haven’t done. I don’t hurt people. I help strangers and friends.

I could, very easily, not be that way. It’s in me. I know it is.

But it is not the me I choose to be. I need no higher power to inform my actions; only me. I have to live in me and if I choose another path, I’ll still have to live with myself and I can be kind of bitch. So yeah. I’m good with who I’ve chosen to be. I answer to me.

Those people. They are not religious. They are evil.

The worst kind of evil. Evil that disguises itself as righteousness. But evil nonetheless.

And they're giving religion a bad name.

Christian’s are bearing the brunt of my wrath since that’s my history. It’s what I was born into and semi-raised in. Make no mistake, I have no tolerance for their counter parts in Judaism or Islam either.

Entitled

You’re goddamn right I’m entitled.

Know why?

Stuff doesn’t get built without me. Kids don’t get educated without me. Patients don’t get care without me.

This country doesn’t exist.

Without me.

That’s right. I said it.

Nothing gets done without me.

Me. 

I am the middle class.

I’m more important than the wealthy that this Congress is hell bent on protecting.

Because of the recession I’m more lower middle than middle middle but I’ve been poorer than this before and things will bounce back (I hope). I have the important things: health, family, a warm puppy.

What I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around is this ridiculous idea that by raising taxes on the wealthy we kill the economy. Ten years ago the Bush administration cut taxes on the wealthy; the so-called “job creators”.

What happened?

Did the economy expand and lift all boats? Did the middle class experience job security and prosperity?

Ah, no.

In fact, more jobs were lost by the middle class than in any other time in our history. Wealth has concentrated at the top and the middle class started to die. It's almost done.

So what have we learned?

Tax cuts for the wealthy do not create jobs or stimulate economic growth.

So why are we still having a debate about this? 

Following World War II we had a tremendous boom in this country. More people owning homes and automobiles. More kids being sent to college. More security and more prosperity.

Know what else we had?

A tax rate of 90% on the wealthy. NINETY PERCENT. And they stayed wealthy. They invested their profits back into their companies and everyone prospered. Everyone.

Know what the current tax rate is? 35%. Yup. 1/3 of what they paid historically.

And where does that leave the country?

In a huge recession. 

Wealth hoarded by 1% of the population. Public education in disarry from years of deepening cuts. An infrastructure that is, quite literally, falling down. A high infant mortality rate and some of the most severe poverty in the industrialized world.

And I’m called entitled. You’re goddamn right I’m entitled.

I’m entitled to a living wage.

I'm entitled to not being bankrupted by a sudden catastrophic illness. 

I'm entitled to expect that my children will receive a proper education in a public school that doesn't suck.

This fight isn’t about legislating the poor into prosperity; it’s about not killing the middle class. It’s about being fucking fair. It's time to reframe the argument. The bullshit arguments about welfare queens and crackheads are just that, bullshit. 

This isn't about middle versus the poor. It's about them versus everyone else.

It’s about the middle class.

It’s about me.

It's about fucking time.

They only call it class warfare when we fight back.

Modern Day Barbie

Comes with web savvy and an incredible collection of handbags 

I love technology. Just about all of it really. But computers and the internet have to be my favorites. The internet is just made of win. On the internet I have a couple of favorite places, Facebook being my current number one. This blog is another. I'm also a HUGE fan of the dvr.

But this blog is about more than what I like.

This blog is a call to action! ACTION People!

I want something.

Two somethings, actually.

They're simple things, The technology exists; all it needs is a movement. A demand. A full-blown temper tantrum if that's what it takes. I'm prepared to do what needs doing. My only problem, and this kills me to say, is that if it's only me ranting, no one will listen. We need a movement. A well-planned and organized movement. I, of course, will lead this movement since it was my idea and I am, after all, a spoiled brat.

Demand One

A LIKE button. For all things electronic (to start). All news stories, emails, blogs, blog posts, online retail items (especially bags), everything and anything. I find myself irritated and frustrated when I can't register my appreciation for something because the LIKE button is not there. NOT THERE. Why is it not there?

Who do I see about this? I demand a LIKE button.

Demand Two

A rewind button. FOR EVERYTHING! Not just for the dvr. No. I want a rewind button for everything. Radio, check! Kids, check! Pat, check x infinity. It goes hand-in-hand with the pause and fast-forward buttons that I'll be demanding next.

Who's with me?

We the People! You’re doing it wrong…

Apparently, we should be taking our cues from North Korea and Afghanistan. At least according to the latest ridiculous re-post going around on Facebook. So much is wrong with this statement that I’m having a hard time articulating my thoughts since I’m shaking my damn head so freaking HARD! And I’m not even talking about the factual errors contained in the post.

“If you cross the N. Korean border illegally, you get 12 yrs. hard labor. If you cross the Afghanistan border illegally, you get shot. If you cross the U.S. border illegally you get a job, a driver's license, food stamps, a place to live, health care, housing & child benefits, education, & tax free business for 7 yrs. No wonder we are a country in debt. Re-post if you agree ♥”

Perhaps someone can explain to me when, exactly, We the People decided we should look to third-world nations run by and for thugs (and I don’t mean Cheney) as a fucking beacon that should inform the policies of the USA? Seriously people, North Korea? Afghanistan? These are the countries that WE should be looking to? Are you FUCKING kidding me?

We are the shining beacon in the world. We set the standard that all others should aspire to! We are the land of opportunity. An example of all that can be accomplished when you choose the rule of law and not religion as the basis for a society.

We the People!

Not crazy Kim Jong Il.

We the People!

Not the freaking Taliban.

We the People!

The fucking People.

Of the United States.

As in America.

Yeah, remember that next time you think it could possibly be in the best interest of the world that We the People follow a backwater communist nut-job or a backwater religious patriarchy filled with zealots and religious intolerance.

You can fool yourself into thinking that it's harmless. But it's not. Actions have consequences. This kind of bullshit masquerading as Patriotism is dangerous. It relies on the inconsequential. It relies on repetition to propagate ugly, disgusting lies. It undermines democracy because it relies on fear and half-truths. It’s an abomination and it needs to be called out every time it shows up.

It is the antithesis of Patriotism.

Happy 4th!

If you asked me to marry you, I'd say yes...

That was what I said to Pat just before he decided to propose. What, I know how to seize an opportunity. Don't judge me.

We were in a bar in Baltimore. It had peanut shells on the floor and it kind of smelled. Don't remember the name of the bar. I could ask Pat but I don't feel like listening to the first time he went to that bar and who he was with. He can't just answer a simple question. No, that would be too easy. Instead he would rather see how long it takes me to have an actual stroke while he tries to remember the name of the kid who sat in front of him in third grade. Which, who cares! It's not even important to the story. Anyway, blood pressure is rising just thinking about it. Moving on.

We went ring shopping when we got back to Boston. I'm a low-maintenance jewelry girl. Not that I don't have expensive and impeccable taste it's just that I have a tendancy to lose and/or demolish things. All things. Especially shiny expensive things. Ask Pat about my Museum Watch. Yeah, took it off and put it in my pocket then I WASHED it. He still gets mad about that. I still have it. As a reminder. It sits, patiently, in my jewelry box waiting for the opportunity to mock me. And Pat.

Wow, I'm moving WAY off track tonight.

Poor Pat wants to be a romantic. He married the wrong girl. I don't want candle-light and rose petals. I don't want breakfast in bed. Want to be romantic, do the laundry (which he does), make dinner (or pick it up). I want real world stuff. Not hokey Hallmark crap.

He really puts up with so much. He should be sainted. Honestly. I'm not an easy person to deal with. I'm pretty low-key most of the time. No really. I'm fine until I'm not fine. Unfortunately for those around me, that goal post moves. A lot.

I'm thankful every day that he stuck it out. When we met, I wasn't interested in a relationship. I just wanted to party and have fun. I was coming out of a failed marriage and was looking for a good time. Then I met Pat. Eddie introduced us. Kept telling him he should ask me out. He kept asking. I finally said yes. I remember our first date. I went to his place in Field's Corner. He bought a pizza.

I never left.

Happy anniversary Pattycakes! We met 20 years ago and on Sunday we'll be married 18. You're the best man in the world for me and I'm so glad that I get to be your wife.

Courage vs Cowardice

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill

This quote showed up on my facebook wall recently (thanks Carol!) and got me thinking about how I define success and failure, courage and cowardice. During my deep thoughts, I stumbled across a memory of an exercise I was assigned in my first design studio in college. We had to base a design around courage and cowardice. Stop with the eye-rolls people, it was an important exercise! If only for the fact it made me realize that my brain does not work like normal peoples.

In a group of eight or nine, I was the only one that thought it took more effort to be a coward than a hero.  As I stood there in the front of the group, defending my argument it hit me: either these people are cracked or I was dropped one too many times as a child.

It was my first time standing in front of a group and defending my work. Was my view so far out of the realm of reason that no one else could get behind it? It may have been the first time that happened but it wouldn’t be the last!

My basic premise was that courage is generally based on adrenaline and opportunity. You react before you realize you should be covering your own ass then it’s over. Whereas cowardice creeps in, in small and insidious ways. You know, not speaking up when you know you should or not defending someone or yourself. It’s a thousand small acts not to mention the energy used justifying your actions to yourself. All the while hoping no one notices your cowardice. It consumes so much time and energy.

Like I said already, they all looked at me like I was crazy! Even the instructor!

Well time and experience has done nothing to change my mind. I still believe that cowardice is a disease that eats away at your soul and courage is a reflex. I believe the capacity for both lives in everyone but how you react to situations and opportunities is what makes you, you.

Personally, I think I have both aspects with the scales tipping more to courage than coward. I’m certainly opinionated and honest but I’m not sure that always means courageous.  Sometimes I’m convinced that I engage in a form of cowardice since I hide behind my outspokenness on occasion. Don’t ask me to explain that cause I can’t. Not effectively anyway. I’ve tried. You’re just going to have to trust me here.

Well I digressed a bit from the main point; what else is new? 

So what do you think? Where my studio-mates cracked or was I dropped one to many times?