For God being all knowing, I’m amazed he didn’t make men’s feet smaller than women’s. Seriously, he had to know the hazards they’d create by leaving their boats-for-shoes all over the house for anyone and everyone to trip over. Give those who are more likely to pick up after themselves the big feet!
Archive for March, 2009
For God Being All Knowing
Monday, March 9th, 2009Touche’
Monday, March 9th, 2009My daughter will be 3 in a few weeks. She’s transforming into a girl. The baby/toddler stage is definitely history. If there is ever any doubt that I’ve shaped her to this point, I need only stop, look and listen for a bit.
A few nights ago I was cooking dinner while Olivia wiped down the refrigerator with a sponge. She likes to do various house chores as a form of play. I appreciate her interest and look forward to the day when her play cleaning actually results in me having less work to do. It seems I am always cleaning and recleaning. The never ending cycle frustrates me greatly, a point Olivia apparently has not missed.
So I’m cooking and she’s wiping and we are quite the team in the kitchen. All was well until I had the nerve to open the refrigerator for butter, touching her freshly wiped handle. “Moooooooooom!” she announces with her hand on her hip and her sponge pointed at my nose, “I just finished cleaning that!”
Oh, Livie, my dear. Boy do I ever know how you feel. My apologies, Sugar Lump. In the future I’ll do better so you haven’t labored in vain.
Rush To Judgment
Wednesday, March 4th, 2009Michael Steele blew it. Not when he criticized Rush Limbaugh, but when he caved under pressure and back peddled on his remarks. Rush Limbaugh may be the self-appointed leader of the Republican Party, but it is going to take the Party’s hired leader, Michael Steele, to package the Party in a less extreme way so more voters can identify with and support Republican agendas.
I get that Limbaugh doesn’t want Obama’s policy ideas implemented. He’s unapologetic for saying he wants Obama to FAIL, because he ‘means’ he doesn’t want Obama to succeed in getting things passed. He knows very well his words are being received as if he wants our president to fail in office, as in doing such a poor job the country spirals further downward. Michael Steele was right to call him on his divisive rhetoric. It makes the Republican Party sound petty and unpatriotic. By backing down against Rush and not keeping the goal of gaining more support for the Party at the forefront, Steele has failed miserably in his first challenge. The 30-some percentage of voters who are Rush fans are going to vote Republican no matter what Steele says against him. Those who are not Rush fans and feel he sends the wrong message for the Party and for America aren’t going to be convinced otherwise by Steele if he doesn’t find a way to assert himself and be less of a pundit’s puppet.
Why do I care? The moderate in me hates to see our government so out of balance. Having one party with such overwhelming control is not comforting, no matter which party I may support. The Republican Party owes it to America to get its act together. Too bad it doesn’t look like they’ll accomplish that anytime soon.
Cry Me A River
Wednesday, March 4th, 2009As clear as our current financial fiasco has become, people still aren’t willing or able to connect the dots on what leads to these types of catastrophes. I’ve read a few articles in recent history about credit card companies lowering credit lines without any warning or cause. Supposedly it’s unfair and an outrage to take someone’s $15,000 credit limit down to $7,000 when they haven’t missed a payment. Of course, there was no outrage when the individual’s line of credit swelled beyond their means without warning and for no justifiable reason. No, we are only to be upset when the reverse happens. In my nearly 20 years as a credit card holder, I’ve consistently had credit available to me at amounts well beyond my repayment capabilities. As a poor college student I managed to ‘earn’ up to $8,000. Right after graduation, when I was struggling to make ends meet in the real world, my credit limit was around $11,000. Fast forward to now, as a stay-at-home mom with no reportable income, my credit line is $20,000! If I didn’t have the good sense not to spend what I don’t have, I’d probably have to consider selling a kidney or something.
Get with it people! Credit card debt is the next bubble waiting to burst and rain its debris all over our already soggy economy. Credit card companies have surely witnessed the demise of mortgage companies that extended credit beyond realistic means. Not acting and reducing their risk before more credit that can’t be repaid is gobbled up makes sense.
The average credit card debt of American citizens is already staggering and capable of being problematic. With so many Americans struggling right now, it stands to reason many will be tempted to use their credit cards as a social assistance program. Available credit will be used and if it needs to be written off in bankruptcy, so be it. I’ve actually lost sleep over the past few days processing this inevitability in my mind.
There isn’t much I can say about credit card companies that is positive. I despise them. I am relieved to see them taking some action to reduce the pending disaster.