Explore Chaos with Heather Walker

how exciting to be driving next to our next president!

Hey there, I just got back from the Nissan Pavilion myself.

Seeking68...I'd love to know what you felt about it.  Feel free to email on Keen if you do not want to post here.

It was pretty awesome, huh?

Donna... I'm not sure if he was in the bus, but it was truly neat.  

Wow, what an incredible political post!  I will stay tuned to see where you go from here.  :)  I share a lot of your sentiments, and I have a lot of the same concerns.  I am scared and awed about universal health care.  Having quite a few health issues myself but also directly in my family, I wonder, would this increase my taxes and put me just outside of them?  

I also loved this line you wrote, "Or are we just choosing the man who will walk us down the isle into an America few of us have ever seen and do not know enough to fear?"  I have asked myself this so many times this year, although now where near as eloquently.  

Very thought provoking...

Dear Heather:

This is a very thought provoking post and I am so in agreement with a lot you say but...I think we are being led down the yellow brick road a bit and I am dismayed at the innocence or perhaps ignorance of the world when they cannot see we are in a crisis.  Health care, elder care, child care, foreign policy, Iraq war, oil crisis and now...we are headed for a depression I believe and I think it is going to take a nation to face the fact that we have to have some leaders that will consider the needs of their constituents at home before they look outward.  I think the treaties we have with other countries specifically Mexico have to be revisited and I also think we need to examine our policy carefully when it comes to illegal residents.  I believe the companies that produce their products in other countries and take the manufacturing out of the US should have to pay a tariff when they try to sell their products in the US.  That would stop the rush to take their businesses out of the US and return the jobs that we need so badly in the manufacturing business that we have lost.  I have so many doubts about this man Obama and his ability to cope with the multitude of problems we are facing.  He does not have the skills needed.  I think the democrats made a huge mistake but I not a Democrat as I am an "other" and long for the day we can choose from a larger field of candidates.  

Thank you Heather for such an interesting, thought provoking post.  You are a treasure.

Rosie

Dear Math:

Great post but I am just upset with the Democrats and the Republicans so much I just cannot get excited about Obama.  I guess it is an historic event but if it was Colin Powell who was running I would be jumping up and down for he was and is a black leader to be proud of.  I am just not sure about Obama for what do we know about him and his wife.  His wife is downright scary with her anti american sentiments.  Her being the next first lady just puts me into a panic.  She is an angry bigoted women.  Someone I cannot put a whole lot of trust in.  I read some of the things she wrote in college and it made the hair on the back of my neck rise.  So I will watch carefully how this pans out.  I would have voted for Hillary because I remember the Clintons at least had a balanced budget when he was in office.  Right now I just don't know how I will vote.  I am really doubting right now.  Thanks for the great post and I like the way you think.

Raven

Raven, I agree with you about Colin Powell, I too would have not one single doubt to vote him into office. I too listened to Barack last night live. Like Heather, was looking for a reason to not feel as I do. I am not convinced he is the man to deliver all he believes he can. With the state we are in right now with our troops in Iraq, I do not have one ounce of trust in Obama as the right man for the job. His inexperience and altruism is enough concern to me. The public so easily becomes mesmerized sensationalizing him as an icon or a savior. Nothing convinced me last night any new glimmer of hope that he is. While I sensed him feeling just how surreal this moment is in history, in the coming weeks, there will be more doubts that surface. I would like for Hillary to be the nominee, however.......I am certain that I will not vote for Obama. It would take nothing short of a miracle to sway me otherwise. I also believe any true belief he has, becomes impaired by the woman at his side.

PS... Great blog articulated superbly!!!

Well, althought I like BO, lol as heather says, I too have so many reservations in regards to his foreign policy experience. I have heard some of the points he has made, in debates with Hilary, and I am not sure he is fully aware of the "big picture". I know he can get the smaller picture done. At the same time I am so wanting change..a huge change in our government. I felt more competant about Hilary as overall skills. I think politicians are actors..so it can be hard to judge but sometimes I feel he is saying things to be popular..versus Hilary I felt she had integrity and direction in her words. Maybe Im just full of smoke.

I don't feel real comfortable over McCain, as he seems so much a part of the old government. We require major turnover and direction. Feeling a bit of anxiety over the whole thing I must say.

everyone use to trust bush and look what he did to us. it is time to be open minded if we want change. colin powell was apart of the bush mess.

Everything cannot be blamed on Bush. I believe that America is at the precipice for change and at that same time, more vulnerable than ever in the history of our existence. The American Dollar is no longer our power source. I truly wish we had other options to choose from, but we don't. As a person and a belief system, BO can celebrate this truly remarkable place in history. And I truly believe it is all surreal to him... however I cannot go against what I feel viscerally. I have studied, and meditated and I used an open mind and heart to come to my decision. I weighed each side carefully...This election is unlike any other ... I am grateful and proud to be an American. However I feel our great nation is in for a surprise we will not be prepared for. I do not feel comfortable blaming everything on the Bush administration, or the administration before that or the one before that and so on.. some of the error in this Country comes down to us as individuals in the accountability and responsibilities set forth in our lives. Bush did not destroy our economy... Credit cards did... we as a people need to grow up. These politicians are not our savior or our saving grace. They are men and women just as fallible as each of us.. We should stand up and take responsibility for everything that we create, consciously or unconsciously.

EVOLU~

Bush went against the U.N. and started a war to win popularity. He avoided what was going on at home. So many lobbyist paid off politicians to vote for the problems we have now. All banks have to be regulated and go through our go'vt process. It was easy when you have corrupt politicains. People do not like Obama because he will not take money from lobbyists. He raised money the old fashioned way. The problem with credit card debt is that so many people lost their jobs so they used their credit to pay bills, house note, food, etc. They robbed peter to pay paul because they were unemployed. Not everyone is going shopping and eating out. I had to put part of my sons funeral on my credit card because I exhausted a lot of my immediate funds taking care of him. A lot of people have to put medical bills on their credit cards. We did create this mess by letting Bush in office. One day hopefully, integrity will be restored to our gov't where people are the priority and not greedy politicians.

Thomas Jeffwerson said it best a true patriot will question their gov'ts actions. when a person is proud of their country they must make sure it is functioning properly. some still believe in this war crap and that is fine. what have we accomplished with this war. the truth has come out several times that we were lied to . my republican friends are embarrassed to admit that they voted for Bush.

I don't believe that everything is Bush's fault. I don't buy it, I didn't then and I don't now. At the end of everyday, there is very little that can sway me away from my pride to be an American and how grateful I am to have the opportunities that have been offered to me. As far as war, as a humanitarian, I don't particularly like or welcome war. However, in truth right now, we have troops in Iraq, the bottom line is that I do not trust Obama to be the man that can carry out what he is saying he can. I am not convinced of it. My opinion has nothing to do with Democratic or Republican. In the end, it is merely my opinion. It is not as simple as lets remove the troops now. this will take an entire four year administration to carry out.
I cannot speak for others, and I won't. I am not embarrassed in the least to be an American on all fronts. I believe we are all going to be surprised.

Bo is not the man to lead this country and this is exactly why we will experience the turmoils and the down pours. We had a grand country many many eons ago. We lost, the truth and the meaning and some how the road to get back on.
This man may be nice, and he may be well spoken and assuring that does not mean he is able and capable to fulfill any role as a president to lead a world. Black, White it does not matter. Male, female does not matter at this point, the direction has been lost for so long.

If we believe that "parts, roles" happen for a reason than we will some how look in between the pages. We will not get better until things get worse. We all know that and this may be where the worse comes into play.
Obama is not steady on his feet and fast enough to walk this pace. The healthcare system will be rewired at the cost of the population of those that break free.
Choices are made by each and everyone of us, if we wear blinders than we wear blinders. If we have our mind and eyes wide open we will see exactly, exactly what is transpiring.
The credit score system will be leaving us soon, there are to many people suffocating. Our companies that have been charging outrageous prices will now finally be adjusted, things are not always as they seem.
The distance between countries that have served us will now be taking a front row seat in helping to balance our scales. Those that looked to be the "bully" will no longer be viewed as that role. We had to crash and crash hard inorder to rebuild, whether we understand that humanly, logically or not. Change is not always pretty and tied with a bow.
We as a whole collectiveness brought about these changes aware or unaware, and we will now be walking these roads together. This nation will no longer be a seperate entity that is operating on low vibration. It will be ready to endure just about anything that will be thrown it's way.
So when it all boils down to presdients, or congress, Political draw backs and choices, set backs and who will come in and take the reins. It will be the people those that have their heads on correctly and are willing to not be apart of the crash and burn. Rise above the immediate and look beyond the burning Bushes :)

I heard this morning that BO and HC had a private meeting last night.  Hmmm.. However, in lieu of the situation, when 9/11 occured, President Bush was put on the 'spot'.   "What are you going to do?"  "he's doing nothing", etc.  Alot of pressure.   Damned if he did and damned if he didn't.  

Even CA governor Arnold (can't spell it lol ) the Terminator, promised no lobbyist could affect him as he didn't 'need' their money and yet, he ultimately took it in the way of, particularly, the Indian Casinos, the only effect being MORE casinos and traffic which raised the price of car insurance in those areas which are generally in the mountians with curvy roads, etc.  

I have never seen more people (since it is so convenient) go to 'gambling addicts".  Has that ever been addressed?  No.  But that effects of damage and divorce are staggering!

So, this is a complicated election and frankly now that Senator Clinton is out, I do not know what I will do.  I cringed when she was called in the media "Mrs. Clinton" rather than Senator Clinton.  What does that imply?

So, here we go, Math, and all. I feel that I know what will happen but it is in the now and and I also feel changes are coming to expose BO to 'something' but I don't don't what.  Do we really want 'reverse discriminatin' in the White House?  I don't even know if that is true.  I do feel something about OB that is so perfect, almost like 'mass hypnosis' - rediculous?  Probably.   It's like he is 'too' perfect.  People are turning a blind eye to these things.  

What a mess!  

Obama is not perfect just honest and we are not use to honest politicians.

Soulful Purpose,

You touched upon a feeling that I have about the current state of our economy....it had to happen.  Aside from the literal sense of ebb and flow, cyclic economies, and all things must come to an end...there is the esoteric sense of....we NEEDED to change.

The American people (me included) are SOOOO used to luxuries that we often fail to even address their significance or presence in our lives.  Bottled water, organic milk, frozen foods, FRESH food, Starbucks (et al), soft toilet paper, running water, cheap gas, air conditioning, leather car seats that heat ones arse in the winter, pedigree pets, bug spray, vibrant green lawns, Wal-Mart, PhDs, paperback books, birthday parties with clowns, cable TV, TIVO, satellite radio, On-Star, DVD rentals, $25 hair products, high speed internet, multiple phone lines...shall I go on?

Universal healthcare?...We are eating/drinking/driving/reading/watching/shopping/ surfing/and wiping our arses with it, right now.  We made the choice.  "Shop till you drop", "Because I'm worth it", or "The good life at a great price"...how about LIFE INSURANCE to cover your debts if you kick it unexpectedly?  How about not eating that big Mac to save on future health costs?  How about PLANNING ahead and thinking about the future, while you sit and bitch about the Today?  How about going out for a walk or bike ride when you can?  How about NOT buying the next James Paterson novel and instead put it into your savings account...if you have one?  

Americans of the last several decades have a sense of entitlement. Simply put, they believe that...even if they cannot afford it, they are worth it.  And what we are finding out is...sure you might be worth the Prada bags and the Blackberry, but you were also worth a 401k and dental health.  A choice was made.  WE made it.  We are still making it.  I will never support paying for health insurance for a person who has more cable channels than I do or binge eats themselves half to death.  

We need to change, each of us.  Do you have life insurance?  A 30 year term life insurance policy for a healthy female for $400K is about $30 a month. In the event of a terminal diagnosis, half of the funds can be paid out before death for end-of-life care.  Because I care about YOU and also your families, I suggest you look into this.  There are less expensive options, too, but older people and those with poor heath or unhealthy habits will find it costs more to insure.  Don't think you have the money to insure your spouse...consider that when weighing payments on THEIR postmortem debts.  Find a way.  You're clever.

I'll be posting a blog tomorrow about healthy financial choices.  I am not trying to be pedantic.  I am merely trying to stress the importance of OUR CHOICES.  We need to stop consuming and start produces and planning and LIVING for more than material things.  Stop blaming and start taking responsibility.  Think.  Act.  Prepare.

As for bankruptcy and credit...yes, things are changing legislatively.  WE made them need to change.  A credit rating is simply a factor of your assessed credit worthiness.  Lenders tend to not know you personally, so they have to make an assessment of you on things they can know, such as Past credit history, income, and debt to credit ratios.  If you screw-up, the numbers go down.  If you remain stable and rely on credit rarely, the numbers go up.  This is simplifying it, of course.  But a credit score does not define you, just as buying that butter soft red leather Coach bag does not define you.  We make our choices, let's make them wisely.  

Bankruptcy's leading cause is NOT healthcare related, as many think.  Yes, there is a correlation to high debt coupled with insolvency events...such as death, illness, job loss, or divorce.  Divorce is actually linked at a higher statistical correlation than health issues or death, but only when coupled to an existing high debt ratio.  Job loss is the number one reason for bankruptcy.   (See www.uscourts.gov/adminoff.html)  We can never be ready for these things, but we can be better equipped to deal with them financially.  You cannot brag about your income, then turn around and cry credit victim.  There is a correlation, here, too.  

OK.  I've gone on long enough.  

"You work in a job you hate, to buy stuff that you don't need, to impress people that you don't like."
- Unknown

AND FWIW....I put little faith in the U.N.  It is little more than a loose collective of power seekers, many who use that power for coercive gains.

The U.N. is unaware of their own global footprint as they clunk about my planet.

Corrupt politicians and the U.N should ALWAYS be used in the same sentence.

When you open your eyes...read "The U.N. Exposed : How the United Nations Sabotages America's Security and Fails the World"  

How interesting to learn about U.N. officials and child sex trafficking.

Sending you blessings of light always. Thank you for sharing and posting

Dear Heather:

You are so correct about the UN.  I am a patriot but even my Father warned about the corruption in the UN 30 years ago and I totally agree.  There is corruption with politicians also and our family has lost two of our loved ones in the Iraq war.  The way our soldiers are being treated right now can be laid at the footsteps of Cheney and Bush but I agree with Evolu totally that Bush cannot be blamed for it all for we all are a little guilty of being complacent like Soul tells us also.  

Personally I believe we are moving into a healing process and we are going to be more concerned about what transpires on our own shores from now on.  The UN would bankrupt us totally if we allowed it.  I personally know two past members of the UN and their stories will come out one day and it will make you shudder and cringe when you hear it.  Bravo to you Heather for this blog for it is a great way to counteract some of the Rah Rah Rah we have been hearing without anything to back it up.

Rosie

for years up until recently, medical bills is the number one cause of  filing for BK. if it is unemployment, now it is because people have to use their credit cards to survive. Hilary took 450k from lobbyist when Bill was president and down went her healthcare plan. she sold us out people. she will again if given the opportunity.

the bottom line is that no Bush went against the UN and we are member of it and have to abide by it. as far as child sexual abuse we tend to condone it in our country. we let a republican senator off the hook for having an affair with a child and the excuse was theat the boy was 16 so he was of D.D.'c legal age.
we have issues here.

No Donna.  Please reference it.  These stats go back to 1992 (ish).  It is not medical bills but joblessness...and even then it is coupled with exisiting debt.  I'm not debating this.  I gave a url for reference.    
Debt happens.  I have debt...I just make sure my life insurance policies are current so I will not die leaving it to my spouse/children.  
Yes, much horrible events happen on our shores by politicians (dem, reps, ALL)...the point was the UN is not a holy entity and should not be used as a contrast point to Bush's errors.  You may look Bush look GOOD by comparison, not your intent, I'm sure.  
MEMBER of the U.N?  The UN can do little without the U.S.  Where do you think the troops come from?  The money?  The U.N. would not exist if not for the U.S being a member.  And membership of the U.N does NOT mean abiding by it.  Does sovereignty mean nothing?  

Personally I am glad you surrendered the Clintons as your hereos, finally.  I knew you would see truth on it eventually.  Barrack, on the other hand, IS a worthy hero.  I doubt anything crushing about him will come out...and what does, he will weather well.  He is a good man.  And by the same token, so it McCain.  

i like Bill because of him i am dr donna. he made it possible for me to be who i am today. no other president ever opened the doors for education the way he did. he made the loans limits possible and the way to pay the loans back.  but hilary is a different story. the lobbyist got to her like they do all politicians. mc cains wife has a lot of money in the middle east and she had to start selling off her investments to cover herself. Obama no dirt to be found. he will not let a lobbyist get to him. they tried to go after him with his preacher drama but then mc cain had his own preacher drama. i think that obama will do us proud. if he loses i will leave the country. i am tired of the mess.

McCain is solid, and I know people so want to dig up cr*p on him.  I feel the same way about Obama.  People want him to fall.  Do I think the tapes of his wife's racial slurs are "dirt"...not personally.  I hope white America understands her and that her view is not taken out of context by the media.
I was going to say something derrogatory about Bill, but it's not really worth going there.  He is what he is and no one is ever going to change it.  I just am glad he will not be first lady.

FWIW...*I* like you because you are Dr.Donna.  Granted, I'd like you even without the "Dr" part, but it is vital to who you are.  It is part of the struggle~accomplishment beast we all learn to take charge of.  Bill did not make you a doctor, YOU did.  He did not create the loan bill, though he did modify it.  But one good move does not define a man, or Bush would be a saint.  It is the balance AND the sum of all things that makes a person.  Bill just does not rise above the bar I set out there.  To be great, one must be better than me...otherwise *I* should be the one doing it.
Sincerely, I'd hate to see you leave the country, but I know if this nation changed in a way I could not endure...I'd probably do the same.
I'm tired of the mess, too.  I want people to start taking accountability for ALL of it!  

Dear Heather:

This is such a great blog I think you will have to start a new one before this one gets so big it takes all day to read the comments!  I am amazed how people get attached to the labels they attach to everything.  I personally liked that the Clintons balanced the budget and I would have rather have a man that is a little kinky to one that is downright imperious to other's needs like Bush and Cheney is.  I served in the Iraq war and unless you have been there you cannot know the crap our government has got away with.  I cannot even get proper medical care right now and it is because the current Administration has circumvented our rights and we the public let them do it.  People forget that it is not just the pres that does things but it is the VP, the Military Advisors, the corporate money etc that is behind a great deal of what goes on.  To blame Bush entirely is foolish but I tell you I blame Cheney for a lot of things that are going on in Iraq especially the Halliburton mess.  Just my opinion however!  Keep up the great blog Heather for this topic we could go on and on about for weeks on end and never reach a conclusion or an agreement I am afraid.

Raven

i like that we all have our opinions and we should think difeerently. it allows for creative solutions. i am concerned about mc cain the way people are concerned about obama. i want to live in a country where we are first and we stop focusing on our " enemies".
you know it is hard to work hard have insurance and the insurance does not pay because it does not have to pay when we get sick.
i was considering alternate jobs to pay my sons medical bills. i.e. stripping.  i want us to make sure that home is the priority and not iraq. mc cain wants to stay in iraq. why?
if i go to france, i have my needs met and me and my dog bubba joe can kick back and sip wine.
yes i made myself a doctor but there was a specific bill that helped so many of us afford school while bill was n office. just don't give him an intern or soul food and he will stay out of trouble. lol!!

Dear Heather:

You know this is a great blog but I take exception to those that say that Obama does not have any ties to corruption.  He has to date taken at least $300,000 in campaign contributions from oil company execs.  That is a pretty big payback he is going to have to deal with.  He is not above any other politician and he is as corruptible as the next guy.  Power corrupts in itself and before we start thinking he is a saint we should look back at the Jimmy Carter presidency.  Jimmy Carter was another "good man" who was going to change the world however the other rotten apples in the government never let him have the opportunity and he became very ineffectual.  I don't think Obama can carry it off personally no matter if he is pink, green or purple.  This is not about race specifically although it is historical that a women and a black man are vying for the nomination for president.  I just think we are putting to much hope in someone so inexperienced.

Keep up the good blogs Heather for they get us all thinking.

Willow

Raven,

It is never about reaching an agreement.  EVER! (as in "no wire hangers..."  -Mommy Dearest.)

I think it is about sharing freely.  I tell you, I would have been completely obvlious of just how important Barrack is to so many had I not gone last night.  And they were wonderful people.  And very diverse.

I think the mess in Iraq is the mess in Iraq.  It is definately the Bush administration's mess, but it is not rooted with Bush.  They just choose a (well-tread)  path for a pre-exisiting issue.  I'm actually sitting around men in camouflage right now, and whenever possible I question, no, I _interrogate_ them about their views on Iraq.  Many of them here have been over there...and wish it on no one.  I considered the Navy at one point, but knew I was not willing to sacrifice my life, and opted out.

As for Halliburton, it is a mess, but still a leader in the industry.  The entanglement of politics and business is historical...(i.e. have nothing to say that has not all ready been said.)

The good news is...if oil is the true motive for war...Russia is up for "sale" soon.  They'll just mossey on over to siberia with Schlumberger and Baker Hughes...  


 
 

Donna.  Why strip...go work for BILL!! ;-)  

I like McCain BECAUSE he did not ride the Bush coattails, and he very well could have.  He has stood up for his own beliefs...soft man with a hard shell.

I absolutely agree that home is a priority, but we must recognize "home" is surrounded by a global entity.  There is a yin-yang thang going on.

Willow...I love J.Carter.  And peanuts.  And even though Jimmy got a political foothold through dishonest means, I have to say I don't blame him.  He was/is a humanitarian with deep-running opinions.  He felt the need to try to change the world.  He failed.  But, as you pointed out, he was strong-armed.  But he also had a crappy foreign policy.  I forgive him the latter and applaud his post-Washington efforts.

I think all politicians have ties to corruption.  Six degrees of separation.  It's a matter of how much did they know and should they have questioned more before acting.  Much like what has been questioned about Bush lately...
 

"if i go to france, i have my needs met and me and my dog bubba joe can kick back and sip wine. "

I would like DrDonna to elaborate on this ...

i can not work for bill i have bad knees!

i have friends who live in france and they have a better system that is more efficinet. better health care, a nanny who is there when you first give birth, chiropractic is better there. everything is more accessable. when we help people here, we call it welfare and we dregrade people in need. other countires just help without the judgement.

Well....France does have better wine than the U.S.

(says the wine snob)

we do have some great 2 dollar trader joe wine.

We do?!  

(( Grabs bags and Heads off to Trader Joe's))

Donna,
I am French ( as well as American) and lived there for 40 some years and my entire family is still there. If you think that what you mention as great advantages is free, well, this is not the case at all.Their system is in grave deficit anyway. What you think they get for free has been previously paid out of pocket by the horrendously high taxes, an average of three months salary per person per year.In other words, people subsidize the hospitals , the schools, the doctors  in advance .When you are not sick and have no kids you pay all the same...for the rest of the population.Most of them also have complementary insurance on top of the governement one paid by their salary monthly that covers only 75% of the expenses so they have nannies or helpers when needed.. BUT IT IS NOT FREE...........When I gave birth, I stayed in the hospital for "free"  7 days in a lovely room, the two times, with just the TV to pay for. Why? I had already given so much out of my paychecks I thought I deserved a bit of my money back for once!

my friends are bragging a lot that live there. even in the movie " sicko " michael moore mentioned some perks also. i will check it out more.

There are no perks... it is not the paradise you think it is.
Plus the Governemnt is in your face and in your affairs. If you work independently, you give back 75% of your income... no one uses cash, you need to have a paper trail to justify anything you do...your bank account is scrutinized....Believe me, I know both sides well and still have affairs over there.
I chose this side of the pond  to live and have my daughter in school. The rest of the family envies us....

Hi, Heather... sorry I used your space :)
You will never forget being in the same room as our future - maybe- fierless leader.... these experiences stick... I met  President Chirac  once and my older daughter went to his " Grande Ecole"  and met him several times...he could remember everyone's name easily, this was impressive...Now I am a little perplexed by the craziness surrounding BO and the enthusiasm he raises, it is borderline fanatism to me....  I'm still learnign about America, I guess...

So many typos : fearless among others.
learning is another one, sorry

Harmony,

I am trained to ignores typos  ;-)  You should have seen my initial blog.  Posted it before reading back, a grave sin!

You know, I grew up in DC in a very politically active family and have been up and down American politics.  Yet it still intrigues and excites me.  You could say it's in my blood. Mostly though I think there is no greater example of a chaotic system than American politics.

I want to thank you for using *my space* so wonderfully.  I think you gave Donna (and all of us) something to think about.

I personally think healthcare should be addressed at the state level.  Health care is not a power granted to the Federal gov't through the Constituton - not a hard OR soft power.  Therefore, by law, it is to be a power of the state.  Additionally it is more manageable at this level and more likely to ACTUALLY be done.

I'm enjoying hearing all input.  We the people are the collective voice, but we also must listen collectively.  

Thank you all.  

i like paying taxes when i get the perks from them. i will still leave the country if mc cain is president. i must go. i love the idea of living in france. my chiro buddies like it there.

I think the path that suits us best is that which we belive in.  Donna, I have friends from/in France.  Mixed views.  I liked Harmony's input, useful information.

In the end, that which resonates will carry us through.  If France is pulling you, then I get that.

I think you can get disability in France for bad knees, no?  ;-)  

Yeah bad knees make it difficult! LOL good one DrD

By the way I worked for a major reserve winery for a bit. Told you I one of my degrees was bio with minor in chem.. guess who are most frequent customers who flew in, the French! LOL

Just holding my space till I can come back and comment later for I am truly concerned not about what is "going on" in our country but by the contents of most of these posts.....  wow....

I'll be back to you

Hi Heather et all,

   Hmm, political debates is something I have always shy-ied away from. While I do not have all of the answers, the ones I do have are the ones that will carry me through political selections.

    I believe over all we as a nation have been in trouble for many reasons. (I sent you a private email that went into a little more detail) One of the main lessons in life that we learn from the time we begin cognitive thinking is the relationship between act vs. outcome or cause and effect. These past 8 yrs have been careless not only by our administration (but mainly them) and by a majority of the American people.

     We didn't finish we started in Afghanistan and went on to pick a fight in another hot zone in the world. This has happened for a long time in our history, many conflicts or operations that many people are not even aware of. This depletes our resources as in our $$$, our soldiers' will to walk another mile in the jungle or the desert. I am a veteran and I joined because I am patriotic however, not a blind follower!

     Raven; my hats off to you! I do hope you get all the medical and emotional support you deserve and need. Which brings me to the concern over McCain's ideas to eliminate some of the GI Bill. I served 7 years myself on active duty and paid into the GI Bill. What most people do not know is that while on active duty and depending what your specialty  is you may work upwards of 90 hours a week with very little sleep, quite interrupted sleep and the pay is very lousy, not all what the majority of the population would believe. I did it because I believed it was my wright of passage as a Naturalized American Citizen, though I have been in the US since before I could even walk. I love this country but so many fractures have crept up within in our government structure. I can not pin point them but it has had me scared for so long.

    Too many people in America do not take the time to really listen and when we listen we learn, when we learn we become active participants in our surroundings which I think many of us have taken for granted and have come to expect the commercials to tell us what each candidate is for, doing and not doing. While this is fine, it provides and very incomplete picture of what really  is.

      As far as the current turn of events: Sen McCain, who I have deep respect for, I do not believe in his policy about the GI Bill. I paid into the GI Bill, and because of this it allowed me the opportunity to help fund my Bachelors and Masters Degrees. The 7 years I served where during the gulf war, and anyone who has done a 12 month tour in Iraq deserves their GI Bill providing they paid into it. War is war and those members should be honored for what they have provided to our country. While I DO NOT believe in this war (remember folks knowledge is power), I stand behind every one of our service members and what they face on a daily basis. Can you imagine hearing rocket propelled grenades exploding near by? See, this is what war is. Can you imagine taking a caravan into a town where you can be ambushed or a side bomb can go off at any time? This is war. We have gone into a country and turned it upside down for the sake of ??? hmmm weapons of mass destruction of which baby Bush knew there were none. Top analysts who specialize in weapons of mass destruction advised of such but he wanted to pursue this track. Anyway, you see McCain wants to continue this civil bloodshed and service member bloodshed. I can not tell you what the progress is right now. I have a very dear friend of mine who is Iraqi born and is a US  citizen. My friend is a clinical psychologist however, many of her colleagues were executed by Saddam Hussein's Baath party. My friend escaped never to return to the home country again. Others have been killed because of the unsettlement caused by US occupation. Everything has a time and a place. Saddam Hussein was a monster there is no denying that, but this war that baby Bush perceived to be in and out was obviously not very well thought through.

    Sen. Clinton, she is an amazingly strong and forceful woman but she has been wrangled in some heft little complications during her life long political career and while in the white house. I am not sure either way if she would or would not be the best choice to lead our country. I believe had she focused more on her own campaign rather than trying to attack Obama, she may have been in much better standing. When you attack someone you really put yourself out there and then you have defend your attack, that leaves limited energy to focus on the good that you can bring to the table. I believe she does have much good to do yet remaining in her political life and perhaps she will have more success in pushing through some of her ideas and policies while in the senate. By the way, I think it is absolutely wonderful that a FEMALE has finally been recognized and got as far as she did running a campaign for presidency.

   Sen. Obama, I am for change. I do now know enough about Obama and I suppose I need to get smart and begin conversations and research. I attended his speech at the Nissan Pavilion recently and it was interesting. I did not stay for the whole thing as you can imagine the traffic in the area is already deadly without having an event like this so just add this to the tail end of rush hour traffic. I did enjoy his speech and I am wondering how he will be able to deliver. This is not bashing Obama, but I kept wondering how this will all be wrapped up. The two men introducing him were Sen Jim Webb and VA Gov Tim Kaine. Each of their speeches smartly paid homage to Sen Clinton. Interesting touch that I analyzed as something brewing behind the curtain, only find out the next morning that a meeting between Obama and Clinton took place after the rally. Hmmmm. Just speculating here, and Obama wanting to assist Clinton with campaign debt. I guess I had better stayed tuned. While at the rally I, of course felt the energy and was a part of the cheering and yelling. I do want change and this status quo has brought our great nation to our knees in the global place.

    The sad thing is that I do not know if it will make a difference which one takes us (as someone stated earlier) down that yellow brick road, or something to that affect.

     We have to really police our own before being the world police and world moderator. Our arrogance has got to stop. I have had many laughs when I would hear baby Bush make his speeches, and thought to myself is this really the leader we elected for our country in front of the eyes of the world? Let's just take something recent: baby Bush went to Saudi to do what? and when did he do this? Now, think of how he has displayed his bully attitude in the past, now he wants to go to a supplier who incidentally is holding the cards, and make demands to increase production to make our prices come down. He really needs to have some guidance.

Just a side thought: If I were to call one of the advisers on here and tell them I am the one paying you and you will do as I say, then 2 weeks later, call you back and ask you to lower your prices, how would that sit with you?

Anyway, I hope I did not offend anyone, for this I stay away from religious and political discussions; they are too loaded with emotion and opens the floodgates to irrational thinking. I just wanted to share some of my own observations and invoke thought for readers of this blog.

I want to thank Heather for the opportunity to blog on here and her interest in my view points on the rally, which as you see, nothing is ever that simple that I needed to talk a little bit about the surrounding topics.

By the way, I am neither dem or rep, I simply vote depending on what the heavy topics are, policies, and of course the candidates. I refuse to pigeon hole myself and label myself into one though process.

Thank you all for sharing as every single input is oh so valuable and brings with it a different perspective.

Respectfully,
Seeking68

seeking88, what an inteliigent post. thank you for your input

if we do not blamebush than we should blame ourselves for being clueless about iraq and arrogant enough to tell another country how to run their house when do not run our well. afganistan was the problem how did we end up in iraq and why did us americans buy the baloney. what was gained by this war. nothing! mc cain plans t stay in iraq indefinitely. why. stupid i guess.

i was watching the news this am.
bankruptcy filings are up 49% country wide. up 92% in los angeles county. orange county which is a second beverly hills is up 153%. now it is due to the sub prime loan fall out which our gov't allowed.

the key is to wake up to what is not working for us. a gallon of gas is 4.49 where i live. diesel is 5 bucks a gallon.

people think obama does not know foreign policy but he voted against going to war in iraq so he knows something. he will save our country.

Donna, I want you to consider something when it comes to the geographic areas you spoke of.  California has had a struggling economy for years.  It is literally a poverty state.  One of the major reasons I left was for just this reason.  I needed economic stability, and I did not feel it in California.  This is why I returned to the East, specifically DC.  The writer's strike, according to the Milken Institute, cost Cali over 2.1 BILLION dollars and 37,700 jobs.  My point is that this industry-related event is directly and almost exclusively responsible for a sudden down turn in the local LA/OC economies.  You will see exaggerated financial figures that are extreme next to almost any other area of the country, ignoring those suffering from natural disasters.  It’s ironic, because L.A/OC used to be the solid parts of Cali economy BECAUSE of the film industry.  

However, the housing issue is a real and solid issue.  It impacts me as a home owner and me as a citizen.  I do care.  It impacts both the value of my home and, if needed, my ability to use my asset as collateral (I never would.)  I am not sure bailing out individual home-owners is a feasible solution.  But more so, buying a home with adjust rate mortgages (ARM) was a choice and many people did not consider the long term risk...what if the interest rates go up.  They looked only at the immediate benefit of have low rates at the time of purchase.  En masse, they took a risk.  Similarly, I also do not feel people who bet their lives on a hand of poker should be bailed out.  Real estate is, and historically has been, a risk.  We were living in a bubble.  

Can I say without offense that this does not sadden me, the housing market issue?  Honestly, it actually pisses me off.  I play Jenga, I know what happens if you build a tower too quickly without planning ahead...and I know what happens when those pieces are removed, one by one.  I do not just blame an uneducated buyer eager to have the pride of ownership.  I blame those who allowed a person with a low-risk threshold to acquire the mortgage to do so.  Laws will change because of what is now happening.  Purchasing a home will never in our lifetimes be as easy as it was post-millennium.

What to do?  Unfortunately, like any superficial wound, it must be left to heal.  Cheap credit must come to an end.  If one cannot afford to buy a Mac lipstick or plasma TV with cash, one should not be financing it.  It cannot be afforded.  

We must return to being a nation who lives on a dollar earned yesterday and not a hopeful dollar earned tomorrow.

OK.  I'm in a whirlwind.  I've gotten a few emails now about this.  I love the sharing!  One issue has been repeated twice in email, but also in comments here and other blogs.

There exists the idea that if Obama does not win it is because America is racist.  Arggghhhh.  Many people in America ARE racist.  So that has little to do with the outcome.  It's just the way it is.  But so many more people are not.  

I'm white.  I may vote for Obama.  I take offense to someone indicating that if I do not it is because I am racist.  Just call me a racist an be done with it.  Done blackmail me into voting YOUR way.  I'm undecided because I see two strong me before me.  I want to make a good choice.

So I have to ask.  If it is RACIST to NOT vote for Obama because he is bi-racial...is it not racist to vote for him merely because he IS?

Just a thought.

if a person is republican, no they will not vote for obama because he is democrat. if a person started out liking hilary then they will resent voting for obama. my issue is that all major news outlets are stating that the white females will vote for mc cain over obama. why if they are loyal democrats. mc cain will set women back not move us ahead. i am wondering why people are so suspicious of obama. he is clean. we should of been suspicious of bush.

well..I dicovered I'm not able to go and edit my post so to add my thoughts so here goes. I decided I cant write what I was going to for it is counter to ever fear-based angry or sad or scared comment that has been left. Heather, you do a good job to try to strike notes of balance and groundedness but there is a huge negative swell-up here and frankly THAT's the thing(s) that needs to be disperced.

I am tired of all the simple analysis that dumps the whole past 40 years onto bush.... thank god he's been there for things would have been much worse then they were. He's only the president and the exwatergate congress did much to strip the presidency of its effective power and hand it over to congress. Those who get political here might like to remember that congress is ruled by the democrats. Bush is the 1st president in years that tried to bring out of balance issues back to the center. NOTE BIG TIME: BOTH the extreme left and the the right hate bush - now isn't that interesting. I'm not saying he's perfect...simply he was perfect for our times and 20 years from now people will begin (perhaps even as soon as 2012) to revisit his terms of office and see things differently.

There are so many issues that are not bush's doing. The housing issue isn't bush's fault... #1 ESPECIALLY in California you had left-based advocacy groups harressing legislature to make LAWFUL changes that basically forced lenders to give loans to folks under the guise of "multivulturalism" and "affirmative action" etc etc but it was giving loans to unloan-worthy people. hello? That was the seed of the beginning...

... many many issues have been too lax for too long and so perhaps it feels painful to begin a process of cleaning house and turning things around.

BUT ENOUGH with the down in the mouth pity party... the world is not falling apart...we are actually at the point of moving into an enlightened age. YES, everything that does not work will fall apart! ABSOLUTELY! But for my 2 cents that ought to be celebrated and cheered on. So look around and see that which does not work.... and watch it crumble and then ask why didn't it work. I believe you'll see most situations that were fear-based, that were co-dependant, that relied upon hand out of "rigging the game", that all these dynamics, while initiated with good intentions perhaps, all they did was undermine the gifted. Remember thoughts create reality. If you put all your thoughts and energy and focus on "ended poverty" you will ony generate more poverty for all the enrgy is going toward poverty.

I'm sorry to say but the word HOPE is demonstrative of fear-based mentality. COMPASSION is a sure sign that arrogance is in play. LOVE is the highest form of energy we have... not manipulated love, not power love, not controlled or doled out love, but unconditional love. Unconditional love requires that you set boundaries and you say NO to any energy, thought, person, system that operates differently.

I want the BEST person possible to be the president of the United States. I don't want a president just because well golly gee it will be the first this or that first that or how about a first time jew or a first time divorced person etc etc etc.  

It is time to realize that multi-culturalism only leads to greater diviion. The time to end diversity - - i.e. division, partition, the compartmentalization of our society, segmentation, breach, rift, disunion, rupture, estrangement, and alienation that all comes about becuase of good-hearten attempts at "multi-culturalism."  Its time to become whole again and to rejoice in all being in the same family, community, state, country, etc etc. And create your own family if the blood lines did not place you in a group that you energetically thrive in - - move to a new neighborhood if you must.... but let us not waste another moment thinking falsely that we are not the masters of creating our own life expereince.

While I didn't stop voting for Democrates, for I vote for the PERSON, I stopped being a Democrate when the left-wing radical fraction took control of the party and sucessfully sabatoged Hupert Humphrey's run for presidency againt Richard Nixon b/c he supported winning the Vietnam War, not just leaving it. I was 13 years old but an aware 13 year old. The Democratic party today is nothing like what produce JFK. From what I've read, seen, and experienced first hand I believe, while very liekable, Obama is no JFK. I'm not sure McCain will be a GREAT president but I believe in my soul that his presidency will lead us to a GREAT president.

Lastly, what I believe is ever MORE important is for people to think deeply about their own personal list of priorities of how we evolved to a more enlightened state. Below is the Copenhagan consensus of where to spend aid dollars in order to best assist the "poor":

1. Vitamin A & Zinc Suppliments
2. Passing the Doha Trade round
3. Iron supplements & Salt Iodization
4. Expanded Youth Immunization
5. Biofortification of seed stock.

LAST on the List??:
28. Diesel Vehicle particulate Control Technology
29. Tobacco Tax
30. Anything to do with Global Warming "control"

Keep in mind that 3rd and 4th world areas are MUCH different that the U.S. As someone who has travelled extensively to these areas I can say that first hand... their needs are different that our. Keep in mind that we are dealing TODAY with the consecquences of programs established in the 60's and 70's..... it takes a generation or two for the fallout of actions taken of decision made to then effect the entire mass of folks.... our "problem" were not born over the last 5 or 8 years. The seeds were sown a loong time ago.

The point of why I post this list is to implore people to look at their indivdual life and begin to focus on what builds UP strength and builds UP love, health. DIET is one area, like Omega fish oil - give yourelf some brain food, give your children's brain food.... goodness we might actually foster greater brain power to the next generation that will ecilpse all our so called "problems" like it was a mole hill!  So today with each choice YOU make, with each THOUGHT you make - - you have the opportunity to change decades of life, to alter the quality of life for decades to come.

Stop yourself every time you begin to have a negative fear-based thought, just stop, and think about how to look at things differently. The positive, the way out(!) will not take long to come to you.

my thought about bush are based on being educated and informed. he is our commander in chief and he seriously dropped the ball. i live in california. i always have form los angeles to the bat area. yes we have financial issues but it is the best state for me to live in. i am successful here. it is obvious and if you would read, watch various news outlets and educate yourself, you would know that our financial crisis was coming all while bush was president. he abused his authority and hung us out ot dry. he spent money we needed here for a war that has bankrupted us. our dollar ain't worh a dime any more. we have lost our respect in the world. i tried to give him the benefit of the doubt for years. while my son was alive he did extensive bush research that you bias and naive people would not do. bush is th eproblem. even mc cain is trying to stpe away from bush but yet he voted with bush 95% of the time. everyone who has had their eyes wide open and has researched knows where the problem lies. why do you think his approval rating is so low. why do americans say fix the economy and get out of iraq. why do soldiers come home with nightmarish stories. are the soldiers all fear based.
honey this is truth not fear. wake up! i will be financial strong no matter who is in office but it ain't about just me. i serve my community with my eyes wide open. i live in reality. i do not pretend that all is wel when it is not.

1. Vitamin A & Zinc Suppliments
2. Passing the Doha Trade round
3. Iron supplements & Salt Iodization
4. Expanded Youth Immunization
5. Biofortification of seed stock.

LAST on the List??:
28. Diesel Vehicle particulate Control Technology
29. Tobacco Tax
30. Anything to do with Global Warming "control"
are you kidding me. how is fish oil going to solve our world issues. i am a naturopath of 16 years. fish oil is not going to solve anything. yes all world leaders take fish oil and you will save the world! nuts!

mc cain wants to stay in iraq indefinitely. he will destroy us.

youth immunization have been directly linked to autism.
it is now proven to be true. us chiropractors have known this forever.

you can not just give our iron supplements. an iron over load causes an increase in free radicals. you must first find out why a person is iron deficient. in theird world countries, they have a parasite issue and that is why there might be an iron deficiency. iron is to be given on a case by case basis. you can damage the heart with an iron overload, you can damage the brain also. men are usually anemic for two reasons, parasites and cancer. sometimes a blood cell disease.

PLEAZZEEE.....  wrt to fish oil, that is not what I meant and you know it. As an advisor on keen you ought to be aware that everything is energy, thoughts create your reality and thought is an energy. I was trying to be short to end a long blog.

The point being is to be consious about the thoughts (the energy) that we put out there. So too be conscious about the thoughts (energy) we take into ourselves. Food is a form of energy. so be conscious about what we take into our bodies as well as put out there. and yes...it hase been PROVEN that diet is one of the keys to ending poverty and having helathy nutiriants in ones food is the beginning of that process.

I also asked to that folks release their fears. some fears are a good thing. Being afraid of fire keeps ones hand out of it and keeps that hand from being burned. However, fear that controls a person is suicidal and fear of fire that keeps you from cooking your food or warming you is not great. so release the fears.

Anger, exspecially extreme anger that knee-jerks to destroy anything that is not like itself, is simply a deep seated defense mechanism that keeps someone from looking at what they truly fear. Irrational fear keep one from evolving and growing. I ask if we could all let go of the anger and in the privacy of ones own inner place to look at what they are really afraid of, what they are not owning about themselves or what they are afraid of letting go of...control perhaps? I dont know - its individals that need to answer that.

I took the risk of posting what I did so perhaps to add a different voice, to get some to think in a different vein. I am sure that some one out there will read it and stop for a moment and find a voice that supports their gut sense of something....I posted my words for that person.

I realize that there are those who would read me post and not believe in a word, nor support it, nor think it at all "true". I did not post my words for those people.

I am not interested in anger or fighting or in "proving" I'm right and you're wrong. And so I ask to have my post respected in such a manner.

PLEAZZZZEEEE.....  WRT fish oil, that is NOT what I meant and you know it.

Food is energy, thoughts are energy...my point being to be conscious of what oone "puts out there" as well as what we put into our bodies and feed ourselves with: thoughts food, energy, belief systesm etc etc.

Fear of fire can be a good thing as it keeps you from being burned but irrational fear keeps you from evolving and growing and can become suicidal if fear of fire keeps you from building a fire to cook your food or keep you warm.

Anger, expecially extreme knee-jerk anger is a defense mechanism to keep one from looking at what deep seated fears: what that they are empty inside?? Whatever. Fear keeps one from growing and evolving.I ask that people let got of the anger so to look, in their own private space and time, look at what they fear to see if they are not disowning important things about themselves or if they need to let go of things...like the need to control for they feel inherently out of control...whatever..its personal.

I took the risk to leave the post I did hoping that for at least one personl the words might trigger a  positive thought, that one person might feel a connection to my words and have it strengthen their own gut fealing. It's easy to tear down it is hard to build up...so my words at for "someone" who needed the thoughts to be triggered.

I realize that there are those who do not believe in anything I have written and who will not support it. I DID NOT write my post for them.

I am not interested in anger or in fighting or in "proving I'm right and your wrong". I left my post for that person who might find an interest in it.

So in that manner I ask that my post be respected and left at that.

this is not about being right or wrong. i wish that you would not call it anger. you are giving out wrong and dangerous info. food is energy and all food is energy. even chocolate cake is enegy. it is how you feel about what you are eating that counts. i spent too many years studying nutrition and you need to educate yourself better. you have to decide who came first the chicken or the egg. you have to have meony to feed people and to end poverty. giving iron supplements is dangerous if you do not know their uses. i have treated many patients and studied nutrition on a biochemical level.
yes people will believe what they want and that is why the world is a mess. no education and all random talk that makes no sense.
i am tired of people trying to win a debate by calling someone angry. that is an overused term. my son died and i am sad but not angry about it. so don't you dare use that term with me.

Actually,  for you to come back and attempt to discredit someone whose background you know NOTHING about is doing yourself exactly what you accused me of doing. It is symptomatic of what I was referring to in my post.

I understand you have pain. I have lost to death a fiancee and have unborn children on top of many more tragic expereinces. I know, for me, that not dealing comletely with those losses only created 20 years of more pain. I wish you well on your journey.

But once again, I have no interest in engaging your discourse. My post was not meant for you. I am not out to convert others to my wellness beliefs

With all due respect

Actually,  for you to come back and attempt to discredit someone whose background you know NOTHING about is doing yourself exactly what you accused me of doing. It is symptomatic of what I was referring to in my post.

I understand you have pain. I have lost to death a fiancee and have unborn children on top of many more tragic expereinces. I know, for me, that not dealing comletely with those losses only created 20 years of more pain. I wish you well on your journey.

But once again, I have no interest in engaging your discourse. My post was not meant for you. I am not out to convert others to my wellness beliefs

I write with all due respect.

Oh, and btw, neither of my posts were personal comments directed at you... they were open comments.

you said that you are tired of poor victim bush being blamed than you said vitamins will save the world. so i addressed it. than you said as an advisor, i should know food is energy. what disturbs me is you do not know that i am a practicing doctor. i have treated patients with every type of illness under the sun. in chiro school, i got the hard cases. no one else wanted the challenged. i was called the " freak magnet" because i took on what others feared. you say vitamins over fixing global warming. you say immunizations. read! understand that you did approach me. now back up your info. as an advisor, i think before i speak to people. vitamin A is dangerous in large amounts. it can cause birth defects. thisis not a debate just clarifying innacurate info. you say people are fear based who do not think like you. educate yourself before you accuse someone of being fear minded.

The California has been sliding in economy for the last THREE + decades.  I left before Bush came into office and it was pretty bad then. Donna, you do well in California, and that is very good for my friend Dr.D, but I suspect you could do well in many parts of the country, not just there.  I think it has a lot to do with YOU and your personal drive and motivation.

California economy has deep roots in the entertainment industry.  Let's ignore the writer's strike because that was a recent development.  For decades other states have been slowly eroding California's monopoly of the media/film by offering incentives for filming on site.  Heck, look at Canada...Vancouver is the now #1 spot for movie production...even at the post-production level.  Michigan offers a refund of $.45 per dollar spent in state for the (non-porn) film indistry.  That is a HECK of an incentive and many, many companies are taking them up on the offer.

Export/import is another HUGE contributor to the California economy.  I remember going to Long Beach and seeing all of these huge ships come in from China. But even then I noticed a concern...many ships go OUT empty.  On the flip side, because most of the raw good production comes from the more Eastern portion of the country, ports such as Charleston, SC (http://www.charleston.com) have developed more efficient means of shipping.  They ACTUALLY are able to fill the outgoing ships with raw goods (U.S exports.)  Shipping companies like this setup a lot, because they get to bill (and collect $$) for BOTH trips across the ocean.  This has had a big impact on California economy.  Now that more imports are coming in through the East, the cost to Californians for these goods have increased.  Not to mention the lost business revenue on the shipping end.  

This has been going on for DECADES.  This is NOT Bush's fault.  THINK everyone.  Please.  I encourage educated opinions, but it is important to look at cause and effect outside of your own scope.      

A gloabl economy means that America needs to start recognizing our place in global economics.  That is NOT redundant.  It's obvious as hell, but yet I have to say it over and over.

 

Also,

Just for reference (Lady H loves when I say that!), I am a registered Republican.  Virginia has open primaries so we are not bound to vote within our party during presidential primaries.  I voted Obama because it was a vote AGAINST Hillary, and I knew McCain was taking the Republican nomination.

Yet I am weighing my vote carefully for November.  Party loyalty?  Most people do not think like this, the Only-Within-The-Box way, and THANKFULLY or November's result could be determined simply by party registration.

Race is only one factor of this upcoming election, and a small one at that.  I think it is terribly unfair to indicate that a vote against Obama is bound to racist undertones.  And using that argument NOW means that you have to say, should Obama win, that he won only because of his race.  THAT is also unfair.  His views are solid, regardless of race...but so are McCain's or I would not be undecided.
 

i lived in cali forever. we hav always been able to pull ourselves up. that is why so many people live here and new people come everyday. in our state dreams can come true. even when things are lean, life is still great here. we pay 4.50 a gallon for gas and homes cost a lot here but this is that state where there willalways be people to drive our economy. entertainment is one facet but actually, high tech still thrives in the bay area. homes on the peninsuala go for 1.3 million as the low end and my realtor friends are not complaing. two of my realtor friends always have three escrows going always even in our economy.
to be self employed here is always great. if you are a school teacher, you are being screwed over in cali and that is a shame. i have no compaints and i love the opportunity and the open mindness of cali.
obama is very qualified to be president. he will win. i am scared he will have to pick hilary and bill for v.p. but yes people will vote for him because of his race and people wll vote against him because of his race.

but if you read the research and ask the educated who fault is this economic mess, the majority will say the bush administration. our economy will always go up and down some but during his eight years, he created the window for it to really slide. there is a lot to prove it to be true.

The opinion of the masses matters only in politics (in Democracies) NOT in determining fact.  If people remain ignorant of cause-and-effect they will never see reality.  Fair enough.  But don't ask ME to bail them out, ever.

California is unstable from an economic perspective.  Not opinion, fact.  The tech industry took a dive not so long ago, if one recalls...rocking the lives of many in the field, bankrupting many.  It has not really recovered, but it has become more stable.  I'm in Virginia, we have a huge technology industry.  People felt the bubble burst here, too.  Smaller state, easier to recover...plus Virginia is more stable over all than California.

I really will not argue about dreams coming true in California.  What a load of BS, Donna.  Over 13% of the residents in Cali are below the poverty line, Cali is 2 points above the national average for unemployment, 5th in welfare caseload, and #7 in terms of the ratio of people on welfare (i.e. a welfare state.) Yet California has one of the highest tax rates in the country (like #7.)  Did someone not just note recently how poorly immigrants are treated in this country, and with California having one of the highest number of immigrants...well, SOMEONE is living in the margins!  

The schools in California are atrocious.  Below national averages in everything but violence and drop-out rates.  And not since Bush came into office, either.  I have friends in Cali who are teachers and they are the most glorious, dedicated, hard-working people.  Underpaid, but so gosh-darned earnest and kind.  Their jobs are not made easier by their state's lack of funding.

The Bay Area is glorious.  I lived there.  I love it.  I left there.  I miss it.  But it is the only part of Cali I miss.  LA is for the birds, until they migrate.  

Many people are disillusioned when moving to California.   Dreams become nightmares.  They expect sidewalks paved in gold, or some other such silliness.  Only to find poverty, filth, drugs, gangs, excessive violence.  Liberal state, sure!!  How else would one tolerate living like this?    

I like to pay for social programs that WORK and that, every now and then, directly benefit me.

   

 

Well, see what immigration is causing here in America? Do you think you ,as an American will be welcome in France and taken for free in the hospitals and doctor's offices ? You need to get a  visa then a residency permit and then the citizenship to get the
' perks '...Impossible to  bypass the numerous hoops you have to jump through and even as a native I still have a strong allergy to their administrative meanders and complications.
Even to rent a place you would have to show papers and documents and income in France etc....
It took me 10 years of a very expensive process to finally have the right to apply for citizenship here. It is even more difficult and strict over there. Marry a French guy, it will hasten the deal!!!

Ooooohh...Donna.  French men can be sooo hot.  I have a French friend who you'd love ;-)  He can cook and has a very sexy accent!

Harmony....again, thank you for providing more "live, from the source" info.  I know Donna loves her life here in America, but I understand her frustrations.

Donna...a fellow I work with from the Netherlands raves about it.  You might have to wear wooden shoes but it would seem the social security benefits are killer!

Math, california is great. when i did life insurance exams for a living, i had to go to 40 homes and businesses a week. i did these exams in los angeles and the bay area. i can tell you, i know that many were happy and determined. you can start a business. you can find a job that pay good. i really do not know any one who hates it. even the poor love it here. there are still resources to help people here. some of the schools are bad yes. but in a lot of area especially where i lived in the bay area, the public schools are better than the private ones. you may not of liked it here but every state has its issues. i hear nothing but negative about D.C. but i am sure some love it.
Harmony, ok i will marry a french guy. why not!

I hear a lot of negative about DC.  It's a small little city with an insane number of commuters.  I do not live in DC.  I did for a while, but the divide between rich and poor is too extreme.

Donna...California has severe issues, and like you just did, people gloss over them.  Pretend they do no exist or do not maater.  I just listed several issues about your state and your retort is "I've heard bad things about D.C."  LOL.  Awesome.  I don't live in DC, I live in Virginia.  DC is about 83 square miles.  That's smaller than Compton.    

California is fine.  Great even.  It is part of AMERICA, which is great.  Not everyone loves California.  I am so surprised you would say such a thing and actually believe yourself.  I have three friends who just relocated to various parts of the country because they did not like Cali.  Well, one sometimes liked it but hated the taxes and wanted her kids to actually learn to read and could not afford private school.

You talk about the Bay Area like it represents the entire state.  Come on.  Have you LOOKED at a map?  It's about 3500 km squared, compared to about 423 THOUSAND sq.km for the entire state.  It's less than 1% of the whole area!!!!  And this is your point of reference?  The Bay Area.  "California isn't bad, look at the Bay Area."   That's like looking at Boston or New York and describing the East Coast demographic.  LOL.  DC is not bad, look at Atlanta.  Oye.    

I see why California is in the trouble it is in...people gloss over real issues.  I've lived in several states and of them, my favorite is Colorado.  Beats Californis, hands down.  I'd have to say Virginia and Massachusettes tie in my book.  I like a nice, educated, literate person...found often in both states.
 

I'm still confused.  How can Bush be "to blame" for the state of California...yet California is "great"?

Pick a side, any side.

i said bush screwed all of the u.s. california is great because we have learned that our president is useless so we make our own lives happen. it is a battle but i refuse to let my life be ruined by bush carelessness. now our gov. arnold is great.
i love in cali so i know what is going on here. it will alwas be the best state to live in.
everyday more and more financial analysts are blaming the bush admin. for the country's economic mess.we had a surplus with bill. bush screwed that up.

We had a surplus?  Yet we had/have huge debt?  Sounds like the American definition of success....I have a $100K line of credit with Amex....I'm RICH!  It never matters how much money you have in the bank if you owe it all to debt.  People need to learn that.

I want my children to be literate, so I could never live in California.  I may not think of California as the *worst* place to live, but as a thinking person I am not fooled into thinking it's great.  It's not.  Gang violence alone is a big reason not to live there!  God, I have a million reasons.  But in truth, as a person with a few small companies, I knew I needed to be in a stable place.  Not one loosing ground and going in to debt.

I like Arnold, too.  What a riot to have him as Gov!  "I'll be back..."  THE perfect campaign pitch.  Hey, and it worked.  Hollywood creation for a Hollywood creation.  

Donna, it makes me feel sad that you fail to notice all those struggling around you.  It's been going on for a long time in Cali, too.  But I suppose it is totally more fun to only see what you want to see.  I guess it must be cool to pretend that what happens in the Bay Area has a lot to do with your local economy.  Sigh.  

PS.  Bill's surplus was a Post-Cold War bonus.  I'd thank Reagan before thanking Clinton.  Someone said something about blinders and darn it, I want to use it now.  Fush.  I'll just have to *pretend* I referenced it.  

i see the people who struggle but i have witnessed so many success stories. i am here watching and observing. i work in my community. i serve the public. i see people getting smart and finding a way to make it despite what is going on. with Bill we had no debt. now we spend 12 million a month on iraq. that is troublesome.

when Bush became president, i knew things were going to be disastrous. a lot of people knew. i have been blessed to watch people in my state build their own businesses despite him. there has been an econmoy battle still but i do see new businesses going up everyday. i know lots of realtors. the honest ones are busy. so many people are trying to thrive. i love our governor because he values alternative medicine.