Trippin' Out in the Deep South

Out of Hibernation

2010-02-24T20:35:00.000-05:00

I have been occupied a lot lately with things going on, so I haven't made an entry in a while. Boohunney's boyfriend had his appendix out and I turned the big 5 OH and friends have been calling and some travel as well and work has had a lot of challenges..... But, I am going to try to get back in the swing and write.

So, getting up to speed:

My favorite string of thought, as of late, is coming from digby. She is really getting into the "producer/parasite" thought pattern that is so much part of the right's nonsense. About a week ago she wrote the most amusing post on people that rave about Ayn Rand..... Anyway, everyone should read digby, everyday.

There is going to be a "Health Care Summit." I don't think it will matter. This is drama for ugly people, politics. But, I do think some ok progress is being made.

For some one that was growing up in a time when it was news that State's were actually ratifying the ERA amendment, I see now that we have gone full circle with "Slut Shaming" gone wild! There are people out there that want to criminalize a miscarriage. It's bad enough for these folks that want government forced births, but, if a woman doesn't get pregnancy right (intended or not) and miscarries, she is a murderer.

Fox News can't spell. I can't either. But, I liked the dgbhdgsf or whatever. That was funny.

Torture is not effective. (or is it affective?) Well, that news is not sitting well in some sectors.

If white people put planes into buildings after writing a suicide protest manifesto against the government and taxes they are not domestic "terrorists." Yeah, ok?

I Joined a Credit Union: Part 3

2010-01-26T05:53:00.000-05:00

Tim Geithner said to leave your money in big banks......

Glad I joined the Credit Union....

h/t to Atrios

Citizens United vs FEC

2010-01-25T07:29:00.001-05:00

I think I am going to puke.....

More later.....

Roe v Wade: 37 Years

2010-01-23T10:19:00.000-05:00

In the early 70's and 80's, when I was coming of age, the resources to young women to have control of their reproductive health were more widely available than today. Public Health clinics were more numerous, non profit clinics for women were not haunted by anti choice groups outside their doors and a young woman could go to a private practice for services without fear that her parents be contacted thus violating her privacy. My experience in school was everyone was fully educated about how our bodies worked, we had discussions regarding our sexuality, contraception, disease and so on.

Slowly, but, surely through the years this has been eroded by decreased funding, outright bans (Hyde amendment) and lobbying from religous and anti choice groups.

It really pains me to know women that are not much younger than me not value themselves to believe that full access to reproductive health information and services is about freedom to make choices about her own health and life no matter what her religious views are. I find it hard that, feminist or not, some believe the state would be better at making choices for women than for themselves, putting themselves down as second class. I find it hard to believe that some feel that God justifies killing a physician practicing legal medicine.

Amanda says it well.

Coakley Defeat Referendum on Obama's "Bipartisanship"

2010-01-20T18:31:00.001-05:00

So a virtual unknown right wing candidate beats out Martha Coakley in Massachusetts for Ted Kennedy's seat.

How could this happen? Who is to blame? Oh, my! What is the left going to do?

From Digby:

"The Democrats are all running around this morning looking panicked and freaked out which doesn't give anyone confidence. Everyone seems to forget that a year ago, Obama only had 58 votes in the Senate and everyone was in a state of near hysteria over his massive institutional power and soaring mandate. Now he has 59 and he's suddenly impotent. But this reaction was sadly predictable. And the message from the media and their centrist muses is also predictable --- move right immediately. SOS."

And Evan Bayh thinks that we should cater more to the centrists and the independents.

The problem has been that this overwhelming bipartisan need is stifling any real changes needed on Main Street. It is giving all the "changey - hopey" goodness to the Corporates Gods and leaving the rest of us behind.

Drew Weston knows this bipartisanship just ain't gonna cut it:

"The White House has squandered the greatest opportunity to change both the country and the political landscape since Ronald Reagan. It should have started with a non-watered-down stimulus package big enough to stop the bleeding in the job market -- and a smack-down of any Republican who dared to utter the word "deficit" after 8 years of reckless, unpaid Republican spending. It should have followed with stringent regulations on Wall Street and protection of homeowners and small businesses instead of with a jobs creation program inside the administration for failed bankers and failed regulators. A stimulus -- including a jobs program -- strong enough to prevent the hemorrhaging of 700,000 jobs a month and a muscular approach to the bad actors who had crashed the economy would have gotten the public firmly behind the President and the Democrats, demonstrating to the average voter that they have a choice between one party that's on their side and another that's not. Instead, the White House just blurred the lines between the parties so the average American couldn't tell the difference."

But, I wouldn't expect any push for progressive causes from our President because he isn't a progressive.

I hope this isn't breaking new for you.

Calling Out Hate Talk Regarding the Disaster in Haiti

2010-01-19T10:39:00.001-05:00

It amazed me during the Katrina disaster how the insensitivity and the lack of humanity just bubbled up from the hearts of some people.

"And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this is working very well for them." Barbara Bush regarding Katrina refugees in Houston. I can feel the love......

"When these Katrina so-called refugees were scattered about the country, it was just a glorified episode of putting out the garbage." Neal Boortz on victims of Katrina. But, this asshat never claimed to be sensitive. He just wants to keep selling advertising.

A few folks have taken up the ball on insensitivity and bigotry in the wake of disaster in Haiti.

I could make a huge list of things written and said that is insensitive and just plain stupid, ignorant comments about the disaster in Haiti and its people.

Pat Robertson is there with a greatest hit. His "Deal with the Devil" comments takes this Talibangelical dipshit to new lows. Susie Madrak's post over at Crooks and Liars talks about Haiti's real deal with the devil in a historical context.

David Brook's drivel in the New York Times on January 14th is eloquently translated by Matt Taibbi at Truth/Slant.

And if you have Pat Buchanan scolding you for insensitive remarks about the disaster in Haiti, well then.......

MLK Jr Day: Time to Give to the Community

2010-01-17T19:53:00.000-05:00

January 18th is the day to celebrate the birth if Martin Luther King, Jr.

Historically this is a day of service to the community.

The Great Recession and earthquake in Haiti has brought forward many opportunities to be of service to so many in need.

Give blood, clean your closet out and donate items, donate some time or money to anything you feel may contribute. The AJC has suggestion for us in the Atlanta area here.

Coakley - Brown Race Tight

2010-01-17T19:26:00.000-05:00

The special election race between Republican State Senator Scott Brown and Attorney General Martha Coakley seems to be in a dead heat. President Obama traveled to Massachusetts this Sunday to get the out the Democrats out to vote.

"The president made a direct appeal to independents who are trending away from the Democrat and sought to court voters angry over Wall Street abuses. He assailed GOP candidate Scott Brown, who downplayed his party affiliation during the campaign, as just another typical Republican who sides with special interests" according the AP.

The media has predicted gloom and doom for Coakley. Some polls are showing a four point lead for Coakley, but, a heavy turnout would help.Organizing for America (OFA) has sent over 3500 volunteers and Dem volunteers are jamming the Coakley headquarters.

Quite frankly, the need to save the Senate seat is obvious. The need to save this Senate seat from the health care ~~reform~~ industry handout is not so important. Between how a Cadillac health plan is defined (vision, dental and yearly cost) and the mandates I have really lost all interest. Really the bill should be killed.

Oh, and BTW, Obama had no plans to go to Massachusetts until the shocking trends in the polls showed Brown gaining. Maybe he just wanted to make sure the corporate whore Senator is his type of corporate whore.

Why Orange Teams Are Wrong:Tennessee Fans Go Bezerk

2010-01-13T18:15:00.000-05:00

Lane Kiffin's decision to leave UT for USC Trojans did not sit well with Tennessee fans.

From the Huffington Post:

"Riots broke out across the Knoxville campus and flames are visible in some photos posted on Twitter. Fans even went so far as to deface the legendary Tennessee Rock, scrawling numerous obscenities and threats"

Well, the students past the spelling test on the rock... as well as the anatomically correct diagrams.

Warning: Images at link NSFW.

Orange teams are wrong, really.

Go Dawgs.

I Joined a Credit Union Part 2: Move your Money Movement

2010-01-13T05:30:00.002-05:00

I wrote an earlier post on closing my accounts at the "too-big-to-fail-bank" and moving to the credit union. I have talked to friends about this and two people I know have done this as well.

The Huffington Post is promoting a "Move Your Money" movement. Here is a posting with a video from Bill Maher regarding this populist movement.

You can find a credit union at this link.

Let's face it, "The Masters of the Universe" are only getting more powerful and using our tax money to stay in power and these clowns feel they "earned" all this by bringing the economy to its knees. These are not achievers or producers. They are crooks.

This is a movement that the Left and the Teabaggers can get together. Lord, I NEVER THOUGHT I would ever say anything like that.

Cagle's Senate Budget Task Force

2010-01-12T20:51:00.001-05:00

Lt. Governor Casey Cagle has announced the members of his task force to make recommendations regarding the state's budget crisis.

According to the AJC "The members of the seven-member task force are: Max Blocker, of PricewaterhouseCoopers; Monye Connolly, president of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Geogia; Greg Duncan president of North American Operations at UCB, Inc.; Edward Heys of Deloitte & Touche; Ronnie Labrato of Georgia Power; Kelly McCutchen of the Georgia Public Policy Foundation; and Suzanne Sitherwood of Atlanta Gas Light."

Pretty much a "Who's Who" of business. The Georgia Public Policy Foundation is an alleged non-partisan, "pro-market" think tank that are proponents of privatization of public services and tend to lean against environmental regulation. The others are from Georgia's largest businesses.

This group looks quite similar in make-up to Sonny Perdue's task force leaders to solve the ongoing Chattahoochee River Basin water wars: John Brock, chairman and CEO of Coca-Cola Enterprises, and Tim Lowe, president of Lowe Engineers, are co-chairmen of the Governor’s Water Contingency Task Force. In an article by Jay Bookman in the AJC the 87 member water task force has just one environmental group represented.

The budget task force will make recommendations before the end of the session,

Stay tuned to see what policy changes will be recommended to benefit the big businesses of Georgia and some folks running for office this election year.

Georgia's Lawmakers Begin 2010 Legislative Session

2010-01-10T18:54:00.000-05:00

"The budget is in bad shape," said Rep. David Ralston (R - Blue Ridge), in reference to the many cutbacks that will have to made during this year's legislative session. Tax collections for the first half of the fiscal year were down $1.1 billion. Part of this has been offset by $1.4 billion dollars of stimulus money and state reserves. However stimulus money is expected to decline after the beginning of the next fiscal year in July. Lt. Governor Casey Cagle will introduce a committee of seven executives from Georgia companies and accounting firms to make recommendations on state government restructuring before the session is over in February. This has been reported in the Rome News - Tribune.

"In the General Assembly, so-called study committees are often created to research issues between legislative sessions, usually made up exclusively of lawmakers and offering their recommendations either jointly to the House and Senate or to one of the chambers. However, no chamber in recent memory has called on a committee entirely of outsiders to research during a legislative session and report back before adjournment."

Ethics, transportation, education and the banking crisis in Georgia will also be hot issues.

This is also an election year.

As they say, "Get the popcorn ready!"

City of Milton, GA Ends Privatization Contract with CH2M Hill

2010-01-08T19:27:00.000-05:00

According the the AJC Milton, Ga has ended its privatization "experiment" of city services. CH2M Hill was contracted to perform the "day to day duties" of municipal government such as sanitation, keeping the roads in good repair and keeping up with zoning compliance.

“We just elected to eliminate the middle man,”according to Chris Lagerbloom Milton's City Manager.

The municipality hired 20 of CH2M Hill employees to stay on with the city AND GAVE THEM A SMALL PAY RAISE with existing benefits. One employee said that CH2M Hill did not offer her to continue working for the company according to the article.

The city will save about $1 million dollars a year. How about that " business is more efficient than government?" What the hell happened here?

During The late 90's and early 00's water privatization in large cities was viewed as a way for municipalities to save revenues. Mayor Bill Campbell of Atlanta in 1998 entered a water works contract with United Water Services. The Atlanta Business Chronicle in August 2002 detailed the souring of this relationship between Mayor Shirley Franklin and United Water. The complaints from the city included "billing, maintenance, timely emergency responses and consistent record-keeping." During this time I do recall friends of mine getting water bills that were up in to hundreds of dollars for one month's use. The Downtown area's antiquated water system was in desperate need of complete overhaul as storm runoff and sewage were going through the same lines and the city was levied huge fines from the EPA for all the disrepair. United Water was just not the answer to all these issues.

So, free market folks, tell me why this did not work?

Remember when President Bush proposed that part of payroll taxes for Social Security into private saving accounts that would be invested in stocks? These accounts are like 401(K) accounts. Let me ask you this: over the past ten years how much did you earn on your 401(k) after the the market booms and busts and all the fees? Probably would have done better putting it in a jar and burying it in the back yard. Privatized accounts would have been reduced as much as 20% to 30% by fees charged by investment bankers, trustees and account administrators. "This occurred in Great Britain, Chile and other countries that adopted privatization. In both Great Britain and Chile, privatizing Social Security has been judged a failure because retirees' benefits were greatly decreased by 'fees.' " More facts on that here.

I am not against companies doing business and making a profit. I am against business taking over functions that the government should handle. Things that are for the public good, that everyone needs, that will benefit everyone. Like education, health care and clean water.

Damn. I am such a commie.................

How is this Affordable Health Care?

2009-12-29T05:30:00.003-05:00

Reagan was elected in the early '80's when I was coming of age. When I was working for a pizza franchise back then I has free medical, hospitalization, vision, dental, disability and life insurance. This job I had was above the minimum wage but, I was by no means rich. In fact all full time positions I held came with these benefits. Those were the times of high interest rates so I suspect the premiums paid by my employers were then fairly low and the insurance companies were investing the premiums with great returns and able to pay claims easily. I guess the population then was much younger overall so less expensive to give care.

The '90's, as I swung into full career mode, health care changed a little. Co-pays, much higher deductibles and co-pays for prescriptions were appearing. I work for a small research lab and the owners were beginning to feel the strain of higher premiums. Folks in our small workforce were having the normal life things going on: having kids, the beginning of relatively normal chronic ailments, mostly things that folks that are approaching middle age have. The owners of this business prided themselves by providing health care for free to us, but, it really staring to cut into their bottom line.

That was when I began to really notice the creeping health care crisis. Hillary Care was killed and problems of folks getting coverage really started gathering steam.

In the late '90's I was self employed. I bought a "catastrophic" health plan. I was in great health at the time, so I figured that was all I needed. Boy, it was real expensive. $200.00 a month got me a $5000.00 deductible to pay for the hospital. That was all I got. No doctor visits, no prescription, no primary care.

I don't really have to go much more into time to demonstrate how costs for health have just skyrocketed in to the stratosphere. For the past 9 years or so I know a lot of folks that have not received any real raises because their employers want to keep high quality health care for their employees. So many have lost jobs and lost employer coverage. Those who can afford it face uncertainty in the health care market that what they buy from these health insurers will actually cover them.

I posted a while back why the Senate Bill was a real bad deal for the middle class. I used Nate Silver's graph of a family of four's cost under this plan. Nate Silver argued that this was such a better deal for these folks. Good Lord. He exposed himself as an out of touch member of the elite. Dang. (And I actually wanted him to be my boyfriend. I think smart is real sexy. Oh, well. Sigh.)Nate actually thought that a family cutting back on luxuries could make it. Got news for you, Nate, a family of 4 on $54,000 a year HAS NO LUXURIES. OK? You can return to Versailles with the other out of touch librul elites, now, and have this absurd conversation with your other friends. You are not helping, sorry. Your arguments are getting in the way.

Marcy Wheeler spells this out for the ones who don't get the point that the Senate Bill helps only the health providers and really screws the middle class. All this brings a real moral dilemma to bear, because, there is a lot in the bill that will help the extremely poor. No wonder there is such fierce arguments regarding all of this.

The fix is in. This is a "bail out" for health insurers , no doubt. I hope those elected in Congress up for re-election next year enjoy the dollars they earned by screwing us.

Oh, BTW, a few blogs posted this link to see how different folks will come out under the senate and the house plans. Worth looking into........

Taking Time this Season

2009-12-29T04:30:00.001-05:00

I have been enjoying the season and taking more time with the folks and relaxing a bit. I have all kinds of ideas for posting in the coming new year. Also, I have gotten out my blogger handbooks to learn more and add some bells and whistles and really learn more (pretty much for my own satisfaction.)

I will be heading down to the "Forgotten Coast" around Apalachicola, FL for the New Year's holiday. Hope to talk to the folks at the "river Keeper" group to get an idea how the Chattahoochee/Flint Tri-state water wars are playing down there.

I feel asleep so early last night I am up so I brewed some coffee and hopefully can write a few posts before my departure.

He Heard Exactly What We Heard On Meet the Press

2009-12-21T21:08:00.001-05:00

I hit this link on Crooks and Liars and this was so funny......

This was exactly what I heard. I said I don't watch the Sunday shows because there is the internet...

So funny!

Poll Numbers on the Public Option and Mandates

2009-12-20T10:00:00.003-05:00

It has really been a long week. The Senate bill on health care is nonsense.

Daddylonglegs told me last night that so far most of my postings had a snarky "Paula Dean" tone to them, but, when I got on the Senate bill I switched to a "Molly Ivens on a quart of tequila" tone. Fair enough.

Here are some poll numbers at DemocracyforAmerica.com. These numbers really paint the picture of how every imaginable demographic's opinion on the public option and mandates. Down here in the Deep South...... well they are tripping out in the most willfully ignorant way. It is pretty clear the for the most of the country mandates and no public option are not popular right now.

I am going to watch "Meet the Press" this morning. I usually don't watch the Sunday shows because I get so annoyed and there is plenty of "post game" analysis on the internet.

Update: Howard Dean was awesome on Meet the Press! Run (again), Howard, run! Markos, too.

Kill the Bill: Outrage on the Left

2009-12-18T14:58:00.006-05:00

The healthcare debate is exploding with outrage.

Taylor Marsh has a post that expressing outrage at the mandates for health care but no public exchange or option basically giving the Health Insurance Industry the monopoly. A video is included of Dylan Ratigan smacking down Rep. Wasserman-Schultz after she avoids any explanation why health insurance stocks are rising rapidly. Ratigan says it pretty plainly the fix is in and she is supporting it.

Marcy Wheeler has a post that the mandates for health care are "Neo - Feudalism." She suggests if this becomes law the health corporations will have an even stronger grip on our govermment just like the miltary contractors. Marcy's post pretty much sums it up: if this passes we will have no power to fix it.

Please check these posts out!

Joe Klien: Idiot

2009-12-17T21:03:00.003-05:00

Dear Joe:

I know you are well insured, That is a fact. And I feel you missed your calling as a sports reporter. It is easy for you to say...... I read your post.

I am having a hard time here. What part of "moral" are you saying? I am not getting this. What you say?
It is my "moral" obligation to give to a for profit organization by gubmit mandate?? YOU ARE AN IDIOT.

The moral responsibility of individuals to buy in seems obvious as well: If you're 25 and healthy, and intentionally uninsured, you're asking the rest of us to pay your way when you have an accident and turn up in a hospital emergency room. Furthermore, if you're 25 and healthy, you won't always be. Someday you'll be 80 and frail--and you'll be looking to younger, healthier people to expand the pool and keep premium costs relatively low.

Hey, Dude, the plan does not involve any collective, gubmit program that can make that possible health "CARE" affordable that the people that need it the most..... We can't afford it now ..............

I hate you..... YUK

A Graphic Representation by Nate Silver Why the Senate Bill is a Shit Sandwich

2009-12-17T19:53:00.000-05:00

This is graphic on how better a family of 4 with an income of $54,000.00 is going to be "less fucked" by if the Senate version of "Health Insurance Reform" (not HCR) becomes policy. This family will be mandated to give up around 9.5% of their income to health care policy.

I just don't think any family of 4 that has an income of $54,000.00 could shell out that much. And I mean that is $500.00 dollars a month. That's a lot of money for a family.

I think the twenty questions, Nate, are moot.

This family is fucked, less fucked, but, STILL FUCKED by change you can believe in.

This is the Real Scary Thing in Afghanistan: Private Contractors No. 2

2009-12-16T05:21:00.000-05:00

Running behind this morning. I did want to post these articles I linked to from the Huffington Post.

President Obama to increase private contractors in Afghanistan .

That one is from TPMMuckraker.

This is an article in the Washington Post.

Scary. Really.

Couldn't Have Said It Better

2009-12-16T05:08:00.000-05:00

I have been watching closely the developments on the HCR Senate bill.

Big Pharma won out.... no surprises there.

Joe Lieberman is an ass hat.

There are so many things to discuss, but, I just don't where to start.

Daddylonglegs sent me a quick note that I saw this morning.....

"They are actually on Hardball right now selling this piece of shit health care bill. Incredible. Fucking rollover sellout pieces of shit."

I Found This On My Truck at Big Lots

2009-12-14T20:16:00.000-05:00

Really? Good.

Roadtrip!

2009-12-11T13:27:00.000-05:00

Heading for Nashville for the weekend!

This is the Real Scary Thing in Afghanistan: Private Contractors

2009-12-10T18:53:00.000-05:00

President Obama has said during his campaign that he would be sending more troops to Afghanistan. So, all the folks that are wringing their hands over this really should not act so surprised. The scary thing going on with the "War on Terror" or whatever it is called now is the extent that private contractors are being used. I have always thought extensive use of private contractors in these wars seems irresponsible and dangerous. My fears is that we will be fighting the power of these contractors at some point in the future.

Here are some very scary statistics from Facing South's Sue Sturgis.

More on Mayor Wiseman in Arlington, TN

2009-12-10T18:17:00.002-05:00

Last Sunday in "Letters and Opinions" I had a post about Mayor Wiseman of Arlington, TN accusing President Obama of using his speech on Afghanistan to block the Christmas message to be aired on the "Charlie Brown Christmas Special." Wiseman even had the honor of being one of Keith Olberman's "Worst Persons" this week.

But, wait! There is MORE! A gentleman named Rick Kelly in Tennessee took offense to Mayor Wiseman's remarks and thought he was obligated to voice his opinion to the Mayor. The Mayor using a nome de plume
"City of Arlington" shot back at Mr. Kelly. The exchange is rather exciting.

You can experience all the drama, fireworks and the comments of bystanders at Southern Beale.

It's a hoot!

The Double Secret Senate Health Care Plan

2009-12-09T17:55:00.001-05:00

I have been "Googling" all about the Senate HCR proposals and I can find few facts, but, piles and piles of speculation with opinion.

Here are what I think are some facts. There will be a Medicare buy-in for people 55 to 64. I am pretty sure this is in there. There is an option to buy into a national non-profit group overseen by the Office of Personnel Management. The details on this are sketchy. Reid's version would allow states to opt-out. This has been batted around all along. Senator Franken proposes an amendment setting mandatory loss ratios creating more competition. I didn't hear repealing exemption from anti-trust laws for insurers. Reproductive rights should stay intact.

Tonight is the big double secret meeting. Hopefully, this won't be a dress rehearsal for some kabuki theater.

This is No Surprise

2009-12-09T17:37:00.001-05:00

South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford has skirted impeachment measures over his Argentine mistress, misuse of state planes and being absent for five days leading his staff to believe he was hiking the Appalachian Trail. He was facing over 36 ethics charges and possibly $74.000.00 in fines. Sanford will be facing the State Ethics Commission that may bring civil charges against the governor involving travel expenses and campaign money.

Many in the legislator did not think his conduct "did not rise to the level of impeachment." I guess his actions didn't meet their "high standards" for impeachment.

Really? WTF else would he have to do to meet this "high standard?"

Here is the story from The State Newspaper.

29 Years Ago

2009-12-08T18:09:00.000-05:00

It's Wrong to Throw Tomatoes at Sarah Palin

2009-12-08T17:52:00.000-05:00

Or for that matter, anyone else. I know that some people are laughing at someone throwing tomatoes at Sarah, but, it is wrong. It does not matter they missed, either.

You wouldn't want someone throwing tomatoes at you, would you? No.

I don't like her or agree with her very much at all myself. It is still wrong to throw tomatoes at Sarah Palin.

No. No. No. It is still wrong.

K?

That's a Lot of Water

2009-12-08T17:35:00.000-05:00

The Water and Sewer Authority in my county west of Atlanta put an information leaflet in my water bill that I received last week regarding the big floods of last September. There was a lot of road and culvert damage in the county and there are some roads and bridges that are not repaired yet. Overall, the county's response was pretty good to me considering the enormous amount of rain.

Parts of the county received 21 inches of rain in 24 hours. A 500 year rain event in our area is considered to be 9 inches in 24 hours. That's a lot of water.

On average, 25 million gallons of water enters the county's largest reservoir everyday. The day of the flood over 40 BILLION gallons of water went over the not yet completed new dam causing some substantial damage. That's a lot of water.

Sweetwater Creek rose high enough to cross over I-20 blocking the freeway for two days. The USGS said at the peak of flooding 28,000 gallons of water per second flowed past the bridge on I-20. That is a lot of water.

The damage to homes and property was extensive and by all accounts unavoidable. One potential disaster that was avoided was illness from water contamination. The "Code Red" system in the county was able to contact 124,417 residences to notify them to boil their tap water before use. Good news in a bad situation!

Book Review: Going Rogue by Sarah Palin

2009-12-08T00:45:00.000-05:00

Sarah Palin is a trulely amazing character. She came on the scene during the Presidential race like a bulldog. She wants to take on the corruption of Washington and replace it with a brand of her own. Sarah has drive and ambition.

In her new book, Going Rogue, Palin wants to reveal the truths about her faith, her life, her family and the campaign. I have read a few reviews of this book. But, I found one on Amazon.com that was truly compelling. You can find it here.

Georgia House Speaker Glenn Richardson Resigns

2009-12-08T00:14:00.001-05:00

Apparently it was no shock to anyone in the state that Georgia House Speaker Glenn Richardson has resigned. An attempted suicide attempt in November and his ex-wife going on tee-vee news last week in Atlanta saying that the Speaker had an affair with a lobbyist for Atlanta Gas Light made it nearly impossible for Richardson to continue as House Speaker. Richardson was the first Republican Speaker since Reconstruction and was once a star quality member of the Georgia GOP that was considered governor's material. A tasteful, journalistic account of the situation can be found here by the Gainesville Times.

Of course, we all like a little schadenfreude and that can be delivered. Mad Dog over at Left on Lanier gives a good condensed version on his posting from December the 3rd. Gray on his posting on Left on Lanier that the will be very little ripple effect for the Georgia GOP over this. Erick at the Peach Pundit serves up a juicy posting about rumors swirling around Georgia's finest members of the GOP and how they may make out in all this turmoil.

I was on Facebook today and one of my Paulding friends was tagged in a photo on Glenn Richardson's fan page. There were around 30 comments from well wishers and folks praying for Richardson. Bless his heart. I, of course, will refrain this holiday season from talking about this matter at any of the cocktail parties up Ga Highway 92. It just wouldn't be polite, no matter how many times I have heard "I love you, but, not your politics" from folks up there. I am sure they are taking this hard.

Tebow Wept

2009-12-06T22:25:00.000-05:00

Orange teams are wrong.

Florida lost.
Clemp-son lost.
Texas will lose soon.

Right and order has been restored.

Orange teams are wrong.

Really.

I Joined a Credit Union

2009-12-06T16:37:00.000-05:00

I have had a checking account at my bank for 20 years. When I first opened this account my bank was a statewide bank. I few years later a big regional bank out of Charlotte, NC took over the bank. My bank was taken over by a very big banking company based in San Francisco.

This very big bank got a lot of bailout money. I guess they used some of that to gain my bank, I am not sure. In fact, the change from my bank going from a regional bank to a part of a nation wide bank was almost unnoticeable.The biggest change was I receive a lot more junk mail from them.

I started to think about how my deposits here we being used. Are they lending money to local interests? Was there any way to know? How was the area benefiting from the deposits in this bank. It seemed to me that my big McBank really had to answer to the stock holders. Surging profits and a bailout just didn't seem right to me.

I decided to move my bank business to a credit union. Credit unions are non profit and member owned. The depositors are the members! The one I chose the members have to be residents of the surrounding counties in my area. The credit union benefits the members of my community.

Now the credit union is a little different than my old bank. The online services are not as high tech as the big bank. I was worried about ATM access, It has turned out that I have access to the ATMs at all of the location of a major grocery store chain.

I did have to call the credit union to ask a few questions. I was not on hold very long at all. I got a real person that lives here in my state. At the end of our conversation this real person gave me her direct phone number if I had anymore questions.

So far, so good.

Here is a link to find a credit union.

Letters and Opinions

2009-12-06T13:10:00.000-05:00

Tennessee Mayor Claims Obama blocked Peanuts Christmas Special

Alex Koppelman at Salon reports that the mayor of Arlington, TN, Russell Wiseman is accusing President Obama of using his speech on Afghanistan to block the Christmas message in the "Charlie Brown Christmas Special." The mayor posted this on his Facebook page.

The Commercial Appeal's Matthew Woo said only people on Wiseman's friends list had access to the posting. Woo reports Wiseman has around 1600 friends. You can read his article here. The best stuff is in the comments.

Larry Sinclair Sets Blogger Straight

Florida U.S. Congressional Candidate Larry Sinclair dropped Pam Spaulding at Pandagon a note about getting her facts "screwed up" on her post on Pam's House Blend on December 1st. Sinclair, you may recall, had a press conference at the National Press Club in June 2008 claiming that he and Obama had sex and took drugs together. Sinclair took particular offense to Pam not getting is criminal record correct.

Welcome to My Blog

2009-12-06T12:14:00.002-05:00

When I was in college I spent a lot of time just walking the stacks in the library and looking for anything that looked the slightest bit interesting. I would check out items pretty much at random and pick up all kinds of information, useful or not. That was a very long time ago.

Now with the Internet I have even more access to all type information I could ever want at the touch of a search engine. I have found all kinds of things on the Internet through the years. It is mind boggling what all is out there.

During the election primaries I gravitated to a lot of the more politically left of center "Net Root" blogs. I was looking for information, but, as the dramas unfolded from primaries, to conventions to the elections in 2008 the lefty group of blogs were becoming very entertaining. I was amazed at the tremendous amount of talent and creativity in some of the blogs I discovered.

I have lived in the "Deep South" all of my life. There is a lot politics, culture and lifestyle down here that is (to put it mildly) unique. But, I guess a common thread would be that the South is still part of the U.S. Hopefully, I will be able to find and post items of interest.

I, of course, have no delusions about my writing abilities or talents. I absolutely have no qualifications to make commentary except that I am a citizen and I do read a good bit. I do have a good sense of humor and I hope that will come out. Or, maybe, this blog will fall in the dust bin with the other abandoned activities like when I took up knitting......