Wednesday, October 21, 2009





About a year ago I sat down to do a bit of spleen-venting about the state of politics...


(it still applies)





I still feel these should be new rules for politicians:





  • Politics should not be a full time job (If you had to hold down a real job, maybe a bit of that smug, patronizing exterior would wash off).


  • Term limits are a good thing.


  • All politicians are overpaid (No ,you don't need another bloody damned raise, you're already overpaid and underskilled!). Considering how overpaid you happen to be; you are waaay too corrupt, it's not like you need to save for your retirement like real people, you have a guaranteed golden parachute!


  • 1st thing that should happen in a budget crisis: all political pay should be frozen (poof-gone).


  • Everyone should have the sweetheart deal medical coverage that politicians & their families get

  • everyone should have the sweetheart deal retirement benefits that politicians & their families get (for life! as if that isn't nauseating).


  • (As the previous two are not feasible- politicians need to feel the pain of half-assed coverage like everyone else. Want to know why healthcare issues are ignored? polotocians don't care,they don't see it as a problem- it doesn't affect them & theirs and they can't relate...force them to get crappy coverage too and it'll ZOOM to the top of the political radar)


  • No per diems- they can damn well suck it up and rent an apt in DC. (none of this 20 room house in the DC suburbs nonsense.) Better yet: Senatorial Dorms! Make them share a bathroom with their fellows. Don't cry about missing your families for a few weeks; try that nonsense on deployed military personnel and see how they weep for you.


  • Politicians should have to travel coach: 1st class or private jets beddamed. Get crammed in like sardines and I bet a Passengers Bill of Rights and air travel reforms get passed.


  • No more flaking on parking tickets or any other infractions and misdemeanors (levy those fines with regular increases & then during a televised debate: have a fine -enforcement officer collect the fees in front of their adoring constituents. (Look: your pol is a slacker-weasel scofflaw...)


  • Its a Democratic Republic (the people elected you to represent their interests-so you danged well better represent!)


  • We have to go thru TSA checkpoints: so should elected officials and mouth off to the police: pull jail time. No ifs, ands or whiny buts...


  • Rather than being seen as a right of political passage: cheating on your spouse should be viewed as being weaselly behavior committed by one whose word is worthless and obviously can't be trusted to honor any contract or deal (if sacred marriage vows can be taken so cheaply...)


  • Your office is not a dumping ground for loser relatives and current or former mistresses.


  • Hire Competent People dammit and maybe, just maybe, if you are honorable they won't be selling you out to the Media or some crappy Tell-All book...


  • Write your own danged speeches occasionally- enough with the professional spin-doctor crap... They can make a punch drunk boxer sound eloquent... If you cannot string two coherent sentences together; should you really be allowed to write policy for a nation?


  • Random Drug Testing... (most of our corporations and athletic teams require it and the military certainly does; shouldn't our Elected Officials have to stay clean?)


  • No concealed weapons w/o a permit (obtain one like anyone else, trust me, you aren't as special as you 'd like to think).


  • Cut back on most of the secret service details, sorry: after about 10 or so years does an ex-prez and their spouse really need round the clock babysitting? One would hope any codes they knew had changed...


  • Don't promise something just to get elected if you know danged well you aren't even going to pay it lip service (whatever that something happens to be).


  • Do your own danged shopping & see how expensive, frustrating, time consuming and irritating it is... (Also it might be an eye opener to see how expensive everything happens to be).


  • No weaseling out of anything (selective service, traffic infractions, substance abuse charges, battery charges) just because you're a politician or politician's family member, buckle down, we're all supposed to be equal in the eyes of the law, right?

  • While we're at it- curtail the perks that the PACs and lobbyists give pols to get what they want...


  • Pols must spend at least 10% of their month actually listening to constituents' issues -limit election ad time and funding... put the money to better use. How about funding those causes you tell your constituents you espouse.


  • Pols should have to prove they can hold down a job for at least 10 years and be self sufficient (no mommy/daddy/spouse/trust fundage): you can't chide people to 'pull themselves up by their bootstraps' while you have never had a real job)


  • Be accountable for both word and deed (especially in this day of cell phone, video and youtube). Now they won't be believed if they claim..."That's not what I said...", "I was misquoted...", "That was taken out of context..." (yeah, right).


  • Freedom of religion doesn't just mean for yours.


  • Crack open the bill of rights and get to know 'em every once and a while.


  • What the f*&% happened to "The Golden Rules"???


  • At least pretend it's a two (or more) party system rather than just one big pile of fecal-coated whiny, selfish, spoiled toddlers in overpriced suits.






whew!



*sigh, I needed to vent....I feel much better now..... So, did I miss anything??




Tuesday, October 20, 2009




oh this was great food, good music, laughter and fantastic crafts!
This year I've been really trying to reconnect with my roots- and what better way than a Food Fest? /yum./ Congregation Beth Shalom in Carmichael was wonderfully welcoming , (though I am rather ashamed to say that I've driven by them and never realized there was a shul right there...).
Once we parked we let the tasty aromas guide us to a wonderful assortment of dishes from veggie to meat to pastries. Naturally; we stopped by Canter's Deli's table to get a box of pastries to slaver over at home. What's a kosher food fest without a pastrami sandwich? Never fear: we devoured ours as we listened to some great live klezmer tunes. While we enjoyed our sandwiches our toddler cheerfully scarfed down a big bowl of chicken soup with matzoh balls.
From there was a tour through the craft vendor booths. The displays of handmade woodworking, jewelry, fused glass, ceramics, and crocheting were not to be missed. I had the pleasure of chatting with one of the artists. Marcelle Walliser (a talented maker of ceramic tableware, jewelry and judaica) is living her dream and doing a great job of it.
We admired all the congregation-made artwork decorating the halls and and I picked up a few goodies for our son and my nephew back east. Led by the sound of children's laughter we went to the playground and our little poopmeister went about burning off all the calories he'd consumed and got play with kids his age.
We had a blast-can't wait for next year!

Monday, October 19, 2009

Follow Through

Follow through is a concept that I truly need to apply to more facets of my daily life...I can't count the times I have started cleaning the living room and found a book I haven't read in a while, "OooooH- I like this author, I haven't read this in an age!"...delete 2-3 hours of productivity. Damn. "I'll start on the dirty dishes right after I clean up my email inbox"...20 in email links later and dinner is now officially late. Arg! While this has always been a bit of an issue for me, I swear, post baby- it is a chronic condition.
I lament to my husband, "I used to have a functional mid-brain, honest!"
...reply, "Yes dear" (The standard male answer when he is certain that whatever answer he supplies will have negative consequences).
Nowadays; if I don't make a list I don't remember it and if it isn't on the list it "ain't a gittin'" done. I used to laugh at the quaint Wives' tales of "Baby Brain"...Now I know better.
umm.....Now what was I doing again?...