Luke Spencer's Hate Blog: rockync Cmt

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Friday, June 10, 2011

Political Choices

SAW 20110610.

This is a post from my WordPress blog Stay A While, along with the comments. I decided to duplicate my WordPress blog posts (along with all comments) on Blogger for posterity. Also because I lost my WordPress password and haven't been able to recover my account. So I just copied everything over and changed the publish dates. Anyway, enjoy.

Subject: Voting.

If you vote, are you going to vote for a partisan ideology, or what's best for America?

Are you going to be led by some party talking points, or policies that will really help America?

Will continuing to cut taxes be the answer to our country's problems? We have had 30 years of the "cut taxes" policies and see where that has got us.

Extremism cannot govern the country; which is why we cannot seem to solve our problems. Extremist politicians are controlling the debate.

Has common sense and common sacrifice disappeared from the American people's character? Seems so.

Do you think a minority viewpoint, or party can govern? The Green Party has a good candidate. Ayn Rand (political cult of the last century) has current followers like Mr. Ryan. Is Mr. Ryan's budget realistic, or going to work for America?

Can we finally (since the Regan tax revolution) accept that the "cut tax" ideology has not worked, in fact made things worse?

Will we be better off with a President who doesn't even know what Paul Revere did?

Seems the current crop of candidates (Republican) can only add material for our society's comics.

Lots of questions, that need some serious contemplation.

As the saying goes: We need serious people, to help solve our serious problems.

"Now is not a time for partisanship, it is a time for citizenship". (President Obama)

7 Responses.

01. June 11, 2011 at 8:21 am.

Leslie Parsley: We are a country populated by people with diverse views, which is why, imo, I don't think an "extremist" party of either political persuasion can get elected. And, frankly, this is the only thing that gives me a glimmer of hope for 2012 – providing people can actually cast their votes. : (

Loving your blog – very clean and crisp looking.

02. June 11, 2011 at 12:56 pm.

TOM Wordpress: Hi Leslie, thanks for stopping by.

I never used to hate the political opposition, but lately I have found myself thinking just that.
There have always been extremists in politics, but never so close to majority.
The Reagan revolution also brought in the right wing Christians and leaders like Helms. For me, that’s when it all started getting crazy and unhealthy for America.

03. June 11, 2011 at 4:13 pm.

dmarks: I was going to make a comment somewhat similar to Leslie's, as I read your post. Now I read hers, and I really don’t have anything to add. Good comment.

04. June 13, 2011 at 8:36 am.

dmarks: I hope you put your Magritte post back up. I just made a new one, and was going to link to it.

05. June 13, 2011 at 9:32 pm.

Lou: "Now is not a time for partisanship, it is a time for citizenship". (President Obama)

Hmm too bad he didn't sem as concerned before the election cycle

06. June 14, 2011 at 2:14 am.

TOM Wordpress: I guess I could have put a date on that quote, but then I would miss the fun of comments from idiots like "Lou".
President Obama said that shortly after he won election, about 2-1/2 years ago.
Thanks for playing "Lou", to bad you have no clue what you are talking about. Try thinking for yourself, and stop "goose stepping" to the idiot, hate filled Republicans.

07. June 14, 2011 at 10:29 pm.

rockync@earthlink.net: iGood points Tom. We Americans need to have serious debate on serious issues. We can't afford the lazy acceptance of the same old canned rhetoric. This country will not survive the reinstitution of policies proven to be disasterous to our economy.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Financial Addiction

SAW 20100102.

Subject: I'm a dead man.

I am unusual. I never had a credit card, until I was 43. I did not need one then, except there were things I could not do, even if I paid cash – like rent a car.

I paid cash for my home, my truck, all my purchases, and of course, I had no credit rating, or credit report history. That became a problem. So I got 3 credit cards and made minor purchases on all of them. Then I took out a $5,000.00 loan, with my truck as collateral, just to have and build a credit rating.

It worked. Soon I had an American Express card, with no limit. I was getting all sorts of solicitation to sign up for more cards, and to take out new loans from different banks. That was the first blast of never ending offers to extend my credit and my debt. I must have ended up on every mailing list in the country.

I pay my balances off in full every month. I do not pay interest, or fees. I have been aware for decades that the average American is in deep debt. I astounded friends and family when I disclosed my buying habits, and even more when I told them I had no debt.

Since I was a kid, I had cash in my pocket, and if I did not have enough cash for a purchase I would go get more cash, or not buy. I only had a savings account. I opened a checking account just to pay by mail, my bills. I know, this sounds way to simple, to the point of being, not so smart. The older I got, the more cash I carried. Spontaneous purchases were limited to cash in pocket, which grew to a few hundred dollars.

Now that I'm sick, I am putting everything on the cards and paying only the minimum payments. The death insurance will pay the balances, after I'm gone. Except now the credit card companies have put limits on my accounts. Depending on how long I stick around, I will have to go back to cash, debit card, or check only.

The people's addiction to buy now pay later, has the average family in credit card debt between 10-20 thousand dollars, that usually does not include a home mortgage, or car payment. We do the same with our federal spending habits. We charge everything, somehow expecting to pay later. Now, the debt is so big, we cannot pay it. We got used to just printing more money, but that won't work anymore either. hyper inflation will be a whole lot less fun, than the mess we are in now.

It's time to get back to cash. Balanced budgets only. Start paying off our debt, which means a percentage of income goes to the debt. Is this going to be hard? You bet it is! The pain is payback, for our greedy, lazy, dumb spending habits. To simple, or to hard?

3 Responses.

01. January 2, 2010 at 7:07 pm.

rockync: When I was younger, we ran up our debt and paid the price.Since then, we have lived in much the same way you have with very little debt. I keep several credit cards but pay them off each month. I live with less because I can not because I must. It is amazing all the things I DON'T miss. I also realized some time ago that people and our government was living way beyond their means and knew something would give eventually. I had no idea it would be this bad. Maybe we will learn from this.

02. January 3, 2010 at 10:50 am.

TAO: I live in the first home I bought in 1989 and it is good enough. I drive a car that I purchased new in 2000 and I love that car. I have friends who live in gated communities (which make no sense to me because the gate only covers the road and then its a bunch of trees) I almost stopped sending Christmas cards out because it was impossible keeping up with all the changes in addresses…I see people I know and I also have a good idea how much they make and I just want to shake my head in disbelief... since when has juggling become a form of financial management?Of course they think I am the weird one because I relish the old and comfortable over the new…

03. January 3, 2010 at 1:24 pm.

Tom 5704: Hi TAO, How are things? When I see someone pay for a fifty cent pack of gum with a charge card, I cringe. When I see the government pay for a war – off budget, I cringe. When I see capitalism lowered to the level of a "magic money" process, I know we have lost our way. When I see the leading political power in the country claim tax cuts are the only way to build economic growth (when we are already multi-trillion dollars in debt) I know we are in deep trouble. Since people seem to think it's ok to run their private finances in debt, I guess they accept that it's also ok for government to do the same thing.

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Happy New Year

SAW 20091231.

Subject: I'm a dead man.

I'm taking a lesson from my Republican friends. They know how to forget reality ever happened.

I'm going to forget 2009 ever happened. For me, 2009 was (as the Queen would say) "annus horribilis". Part of what happened in 2009, means I won't be around long in 2010. Funny how life unfolds. Maybe not so funny, all the crazy ways people try to stop it from occurring. Certainly not so funny, how little people seem to cherish life, or how poorly they treat their fellow human beings.

I read in the Wall Street Journal yesterday, that there will be a one time, one year (2010) only ban on estate taxes. That could mean doubling the estate left to your family. So of course (as the article goes on) family members are trying to decide if they should pull the plug on Grandma, or Grandpa this year, instead of letting them remain peacefully in an unconscious state. Death and taxes? Please find more meaning in life, than that.

Some religious people, who believe in everlasting spirit, seem to want that to happen prematurely. I happen to believe in "Dust to Dust". If I am wrong, I will find out. If I am wrong, will I be aware of my Earthly experience? I won't be taking anyone with me, nor did I take anyone while I was here. The height of insanity, is to think I have a right, or duty to take someone out, as long as I'm going. It is totally correct to get them, before they get you.

If wrong, I had always envisioned a "Defending Your Life" type of process. Defeating fear, in all its forms, does improve the condition of the spirit of life. That of course, is only a reflection of the limitations of my human mental capabilities, but then so is God belief. When humans can believe that religious adherence is not necessary to achieve a higher level of a better human experience, maybe then killing in the name of religion will stop. I won't hold my last breath.

I started blogging because that was one thing I could physically do. I found it engaging and enlightening. It certainly did reflect the human experience from good, to bad, and everything in between. Anonymity seems to give people the freedom to speak. Like a quiet, shy person opens up, with a little help from a mind altering substance. Express whatever your mind is comfortable with, but neglect to improve your mind.

Thanks to all those (even the bad) who laid that experience at my feet.

I wish you a Happy New Year, whatever that means to you.

5 Responses.

01. December 31, 2009 at 9:22 pm.

TAO: happy New Years Tom... It has been a sheer delight to have made your acquaintance.

02. December 31, 2009 at 9:25 pm.

Sue: HAPPY NEW YEAR TOM!!!!

03. December 31, 2009 at 11:46 pm.

rockync: And I wish you a happy new year ~ whatever that means to you!

04. January 1, 2010 at 1:59 am.

Tom 5704: Thank you Tao,I know what you write is correct, because few are listening. That's usually the way it goes. Sue, Happy New Year! Keep supporting your President. He needs your voice, and things are going to get worse for him. Rockync, Thank you. It means nothing for me. I hope the meaning for you, is surpassed by what actually happens.

05. January 1, 2010 at 10:37 am.

rockync: Actually, Tom, I don't get excited about the change over and usually go to bed before the ball drops and all that nonsense. But the one thing I always do New Year's Day is I have my Dad and his family over for dinner. I cook him all his favorite foods (Czech) because my step mother doesn't know those recipes. It's a nice day to wind down, eat, laugh and enjoy each others' company. Not a bad way to kick off a new year.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Thanksgiving Eve Day

SAW 20091126.

Subject: Fictional personal story.

I had a lot on my list to do yesterday. I knew it was going to be a busy, hectic day. It has been raining all night. A cold rain. I heard the weather report before I went to bed last night. The rain is supposed to turn to snow in the afternoon. So I thought I would get an early start and be home before the snow came. The streets and the stores were busy.

First stop, the bank of course. On my way to the grocery store, my truck died in the middle of a busy street, in a heavy, cold rain. It was something electrical. A young guy in a beat up old junker stopped, came to my window, and told me to pop the hood. I got out and checked under the hood with him.

It was pouring out, and we both got drenched in minutes. My alternator was bad. There was an auto shop just two blocks away, but the truck would have to be pushed, or towed with no power steering, or brakes. The guy got a tow chain out of his trunk and hooked the vehicles together. We were both soaked by then, and the rain started to turn to snow.

Towing my truck two blocks was harder than I thought it would be. We got to the auto parts store, they had no service bays. The clerk at the store said since I did not live to far away, if I charged my battery maybe I could get back to my garage and get towed to a service garage from there.

So I went back out in the snow storm and disconnected my battery, carried it into the store and had it charged. Then I carried the battery back out in the storm and reconnected it. I turned off everything electrical including the heat and lights, and drove off. My house was five blocks away.

I made it back to my house. I had to get out and open the garage door, and just then the vehicle died again. I pushed the truck into the garage.

I called a service garage to set up a time to have a new alternator put in. I figured I would be without transportation for the Holiday weekend. It's been three hours since I first left on my mission of errands, and I was totally wet and cold.

The service garage guy said he could fix it today. It would take about an hour to put in a new alternator, and the towing would be free. I could not pass that up, as much as I wanted to just hit the shower and start a fire.

So I went back out in the storm, pushed my truck out of the garage and waited for the tow truck. The tow truck showed up five minutes later. We got to the service garage and they started on the job immediately. In 40 minutes my truck was fixed and running great. Minus 250 bucks, I headed home.

I gave up on finishing the errands and went straight home It has now been six hours since I left home to do my errands. The whole incident was a bummer, but I thought I was lucky to get the truck fixed the same day.

It was snowing very hard on my drive back to home. When I walked in the house, the first thing I did was to light a fire in the fireplace. I stripped in front of the fire and headed to the shower. That hot shower felt so good. I put on a bathrobe, started the tea kettle, and put two chicken breasts in the oven to roast.

5 Responses.

01. November 26, 2009 at 7:41 am.

Shaw Kenawe: Great story, Tom.Great example of why I often give thanks: I'm thankful for the essential goodness in people.How could we not feel this way when Anne Frank, herself, wrote in the diary she kept while she and her family hid from the Nazis in an attic in Amsterdam:"In spite of everything, I really believe people are really good at heart."Happy Thanksgiving to you, and to your good Samaritan, Jeff.

02. November 26, 2009 at 2:10 pm.

Pamela D. Hart: Wow, Tom, you were very lucky that "Jeff" stopped to help you. It's nice to know there are still good people in the world! We just had some "car" woes. Both of our vehicles had issues. My jeep needed a battery; our truck needed $1,000 worth of work! Thankfully we weren't stranded either time!Let's see, Thanksgiving Eve, I just blogged and waited for my Dad to come over. He stayed the night as he is having dinner with us today. My Mom is in San Diego with my sister. I'll miss seeing my Mom, but my sister is lonely as her husband is currenly on the USS Nemitz and will be on it for the next 6 months. She needs family with her, too, and my Mom decided to stay with her this year. Our Thanksgiving dinners are normally large because my Mom usually does most of the cooking. We are kinda scattered this year. But it all worked out and we'll get together for Christmas. After dinner tonight we're going to play some board games and I even got instant lottery tickets for prizes. My Dad, husband and youngest son are VERY competitive. So, it should be a lot of fun! And the lottery tickets will make it even more interesting! I hope your day is very happy, Tom. Enjoy.

03. November 26, 2009 at 3:16 pm.

Tom: I want to thank Jeff H. again for helping me out!Shaw,Happy Thanksgiving!Yes, Life is all about other people and their basic goodness. I have been the beneficiary of peoples help many times, and I have tried to help people where and when I can.I'm new to this blog World and sometimes I wonder if people are still nice to each other, but everyday I am shown that they are.I understand (reading some of your blog archives) that it has been a tough year for you and your family. I hope this day finds reflection of the good family times, for you and your family.Life is for the living and living should be a positive experience, even if you have to force yourself sometimes.Pamela,Happy Thanksgiving!I also come from a competitive family of brothers (no girls-poor Mom). In that sense, what are the rules for splitting the possible lottery winnings?I'm sure your Mom would rather have everyone together. I think she knew your sister needed her company at this time.My parents have both passed on and my brothers are scattered all over the country. We have not had the big family get together, for many years. I thought many times I would not miss those, but I do.So with Mom gone, are you cooking?I'm cooking and watching the dog show (love dogs) while I blog this. It's snowing hear again today. Just right for a Winter Holiday.While the boys are arguing over a game, call your Mom and sister. They will enjoy hearing the commotion in the background.We as Americans are creating quite a commotion amongst ourselves. Lets hope as we enter the Christmas season, that it will be a loving family type commotion, not an angry family splitting type of argument.For both of you, blogging seems to bring a lot of anger to your blogs. Minds are not easily changed, neither are personalities. The best you can do, is what you two already do, lead by example. Maybe, just maybe, it will rub off on some of the hard cases.

04. November 27, 2009 at 12:57 pm.

rockync: Great story and I hope you had a good Thanksgiving after all that!

05. November 27, 2009 at 4:39 pm.

Tom: Hi Rockny,Yes, it was a nice quiet day with good food.I hope your day was what you wanted.Today I slept in, and I do not go shopping on Black Friday. Another quiet day.The Sun is finally shining today. The snow should be gone by Sunset.Everyone, have a nice weekend.