When I was asked to join this 'blog', I was so very excited! I was reunited with folks that I have not seen or spoke with nearly 3 decades! Old friends I got to speak with via the Internet, and some I got to see in 'Vegas Baby'! And those memories of Guam and Vegas will always be precious to me!
But things have turned very political, dark and nasty? This is so sad and so bad! This was about 'us'... back in the day on the island, ...so I thought, and so it was intended?
So many are not coming back on to this blog because of such 'negativity'.
What ever?
I still have the emails of the ones that I keep in touch with!
Cheers! Ric
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36 comments:
Ric,The blog hasn't gone to trash in my eyes.Politics are buzzing now ,that's all.People are just stating what's on they're minds.That's what's going on.We'll talk about Guam and the good ole days but,for now we're kind of preoccupied with the latest.If it hurts you,then my advice would be to turn it off for awhile and I honestly mean that in a nice way:)
Very well said Joanna. I try not to take the politics too personal (though I know at times that can be difficult). In the end it's just a game. It really doesn't matter... too much. ;)
I totally agree with what Joanna and RAC have said...and besides, when we just reminisce, we just run out of stuff to post and it gets very boring. Ric, sometimes you say things I find very sexist and negative and insulting, like asking the guys who they wouldn't want in their bed. But I still love ya and respect you and your opinion.
Where is this negativity of which you speak? Expression of opposing viewpoints is pretty important to those of us that value pluralism. I can tell you that back in the day on the island it was very much like this blog. Many and varied subjects loudly and passionately discussed, at the bus stop, on the curb, down at Pago, on the ball field, in the coconut grove. This helped shape who and what some of us are today. By keeping this fine tradition of spirited discourse we honor that upbringing from our beloved island.
Doug I'll tell you where the negativity is. Do you notice how all you do is poke fun at McCain and Palin? Look at all that is said about them. Show me one parody or cartoon or one show or one anything that shows Obama in a negative light. He is the media darling and damn anyone who tries to show him differently. You want to talk about the mortgage and banking crisis? It just needs to be fixed for the good of the country. But if you want to affix blame follow the money. Who of our lawmakers have made the most on the backs of Fanny and Freddy? Follow the money. I don't know how to post links but I'm sure you can figure it out. Why poke fun, why not state facts. Just so everybody knows where I stand, I have 3 AM stations pre set on my car radio. first is 740 kvor talk (conservative)second is air America 760 (yes I listen to Randi Roades) and third is EWTN radio (nothing like a good rosary after a hard days work). How many of you actually listen to Rush and Glen Beck on a regular basis for more than 60 seconds at a stretch. Or even air America for that matter. When ever there is a major election the first thing that happens is people come out and say things about candidates. Most of it is crap. Believe what you want. I have 2 grand sons and it's about their future. Vote for who you want, that's the american way. Live with your decisions, Be informed and vote wisely. Thats the end of my rant.
Ric, you see nai? We came from thinkers,now we are them.Look at it as a cyberthink tank:)
By the way to anyone, call my bro Deanboy if you'd like.No offense on my part,that's the name he was known by.He knows that,by now:)
Mat,Breathe dude.The chips will fall where they may:)Ranting and all.There's a heck of a lot on the line.What happens Nov. 4th is out of our hands.We have to accept what comes our way.
Matt,
that's funny because it was not too long ago someone on here said I was obviously a staunch republican. Let's not confuse difference of opinion with negativity. I don't recall poking fun at McCain, Palin is a different story. Sorry but she's just so pokeable.
I watched Glen Beck last night, as well as some of Racheal Madow & Keith Olberman and Chris Matthews. That proves nothing although I will say that they were all pretty negative about the days events themselves. You're right that there's plenty of blame to be spread around and neither party can claim the high moral ground when it comes to having their influence bought.
You say fix the problem & I concur. The question is how. I doubt though, that the solution is for an entire legislative branch to tell the middle class to go to hell and then go on holiday.
Oh and by the way those little spice packets you showed me out in Vegas work great for making red rice. I have it all the time now with finadene. Good stuff.
Doug,I really like what you have to say.Yeah,flippin the the bird with the floppy hat,you're alright by me!!!:)
Red rice and finadene...Mmmmm.Some burnt meat or reef fish too:)Oh and a fresh salad!!!:)Good stuff Doug and Mat!!!
Yea I'm not going anywhere except a little crazy. I e-mailed Ric I hope he comes back to the fold where he belongs. We can't go another 30 years without seeing or talking to each other. Doug no offense taken dude. I'm just not as good with words as you. If i ever disapear from the blog for a while it's because I'm busy. I hope groing up on the rock has given us all pretty thick skin.
Oh and try the red rice w/ long grain rice it works well and is less starchy and a little healthier. We are getting older. Naaah.
Matt,
you know it dude. I'll try the long grain too although I sure as heck don't know the difference. And FWIW I think your writing skills are just fine. Teachers kids.
I first got involved with the Obama campaign over a year ago when my stepson was in Iraq and he told me that he wanted to see Obama as president so I said that since he was not able to do anything, that I would get involved for him. There are several Obama offices set up in my area..Yesterday I was at one where a young college girl from California was in charge. It's easy to get on the Obama bandwagon when you see how excited and enthusiastic everyone involved in the campaign is..very refreshing amid all the negativity going on in the country today. I've met lots of great people from all walks of life, young and old , all colors, involved in the campaign, including many like myself who say they have never been involved in politics before in their life. The other day I met a woman who said she had worked on John Kennedy's campaign as a college student and had never gotten involved again until now.
Many of my friends send me jokes and bad stuff about Obama, most of it too offensive to post here or anywhere else...it's usually something racist..I understand that there's still alot of that kind of thinking in our country and it's going to be a long time before that changes..so if anyone has anything poking fun at Obama or Biden ( I KNOW there's got to be stuff out there about Biden) that's clean and not racist please bring it on....I'm the first to say I'm always happy to have something to laugh at.
What worries me more then McCain becoming president is that Obama DOES become president and disappoints all the people (especially the young ones)who have contributed so tiresly their time and money to getting him elected.
And BTW, by the Oct 6 deadline there could be close to 1 million new registered voters in Florida, very much due to Obama campaign volunteers. That's pretty awesome. I got my daughter and her fiancée (he's a die-hard McCain guy and I still let him live in my house...lol) to register yesterday.
Right on Cindy! Unfortunately thats where the problem lies. There is next to nothing being put out negative about Obama and only because the media has declared him off limits. Thats sad that we allow that to go on in this country. Its like censorship which surprising is something that liberals are all against. I don't care if McCain and Palin get poked at. Most of the posted stuff is hillarious but where is the balance? You gotta admit it folks. Like Cindy said, if you can find something post it.Oh and Joanna, how is the outcome out of our hands? Last I checked we lived in America where we vote. See, the media would have you think that the race is over, Obama won, so don't bother going to the polls folks it's over! Sad.
I've always thought that Obama looks kind of like Urkel.
Hahahaha. Yea and Palins got that wonderwoman(Linda Carter, Lenscrafters)look going on. I kinda feel bad talking about John McCain with him being a disabled veteran and all though but what is that on the side of his face?
Mat,Dang you're like a bull in a China shop.!What I meant is that there's only a few of us from Dean's Circle and especially for me and Paul out here.Nada:)for a "vote" but,you can so I urge you to exercise that freedom. It is America.Yet,Mat don't get pissed off about Obama vs. McCain.Post stuff on your own.If you don't know how,ask Dave or Robert:)
Jo, I'm not mad about McCain v Obama but rather all the mean spirited things that were being said about the candidates. Lets debate yea, but lets talk about issues. We can poke fun here and there but lets not be mean.For example Jo, tell me something that Obama stands for. Don't just say change, thats gay! What is his stand on anything do you know seriously? A couple years ago John McCain was reviled by conservatives. Too liberal we said. Look at Mccain/Feingold or McCain/Kennedy. I still don't think he's the best candidate for the republican party but I know where he stands on national defense and taxes. I like his stance. You stated a while back on the blog that Obama was the best answer for the financial mess the country is in. How so? Tell me some reasons. What is he going to do to fix the country? No body can really say all they (Obama supporters) can say is he's not Bush. Well no shit Sherlock neither am I but that doesn't qualify me to be president. He's changed his view on so many issues that it's hard to keep track. Is it about what he's going to do for us? Is he going to lower our taxes? Is he going to give us health care? Anything tangible? Remember this saying "Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country"? Those are words to live by and thats what I want from a President and our congress. Let me succeed on my own. Allow me to be successful. I personally don't think that Obama has my best interests at heart. He's a socialist. Check into his record in Illinois and in the senate Jo. I don't care if you like him, don't get mad if I don't. Love ya sis. And God Bless America.
J.F.K.now I'd definitely vote for him,if I could,in another life!Yet,Mat,I watch a lot of news,speeches,interviews,etc.Obama just seems smarter and is an intellect.His responses move me.You live there so I respect what you say,most of the time:)But,we are different from eachother as Humans .One Race,the Human race.May the "best"man win for our children's sake.That's all.Oh and Doug is quite the speaker...Doug?Don't fight now.Kidding!!!
I could never be a politician. It's too political.
"follow the money"
Since 2006, the federally sponsored mortgage giant Freddie Mac has paid at least $345,000 to the lobbying and consulting firm of John McCain's campaign manager Rick Davis, according to two sources familiar with the arrangement...
McCain and his aides have vehemently objected to suggestions that Davis has ties to Freddie Mac—an especially sensitive issue given that the Republican presidential candidate has blamed "the lobbyists, politicians and bureaucrats" for the mortgage crisis that recently prompted the Bush administration to take over both Freddie Mac and its companion, Fannie Mae, and put them under federal conservatorship.
But neither the Times story—nor the McCain campaign—revealed that Davis's lobbying firm, Davis Manafort, based in Washington, D.C., continued to receive $15,000 a month from Freddie Mac until last month—long after the Homeownership Alliance had been terminated. The two sources, who requested anonymity discussing sensitive information, told NEWSWEEK that Davis himself approached Freddie Mac in 2006 and asked for a new consulting arrangement that would allow his firm to continue to be paid. The arrangement was approved by Hollis McLoughlin, Freddie Mac's senior vice president for external relations, because "he [Davis] was John McCain's campaign manager and it was felt you couldn't say no," said one of the sources...
When asked about his own campaign manager's associations with the mortgage giants, McCain, in an interview with CNBC on Sunday night, said that Davis "has had nothing to do" with the Homeownership Alliance since it disbanded and "I'll be glad to have his record examined by anybody who wants to look at it."...
Davis, in a conference call arranged by the McCain campaign on Monday, said "it's been over three years since there's been any activity in this area and since I had any contact with those folks." Davis also said he "had a severed leave of absence" from his lobbying and consulting firm, and "I've taken no compensation from my firm for 18 months." (A campaign spokesman said that Davis receives no partnership distribution under his arrangement)...
McCain had cancer and that bumpy look is probably tumor tissue.
Speaking of going to Trash does anyone actually remember picking through the trash when people moved on from Dean's Circle? Is trash really a bad thing?
Yea Juliet, I remember trash diving big time. I think it was a favorite pasttime of a lot of us.
Also, every thing you said about Fannie,Freddy and McCain is true. But don't omit facts either. Tell everyone who has made the most money off of them. Which major party has been lined at the trough the longest and particularly which presidential candidate. Yea look Doug said it earlier, theres enough blame to go around. I just don't like how a lot of people are saying AHA! It's those rascally republicans. Thats just getting old. Where have you been anyways you just kinda pop in/n/out.
And yea Doug I could see you as a politician. You make more sense than most. Matter of fact, I'd vote for anyone from deans circle if given an opportunity. Remember my earlier post? I wanna be the drug czar. Oh yea and its not to late to vote for the boonie dog for official Guam mascot Haaa!
I still think the Guam stamp with the boonie dog would be priceless. An instant collectors item. And Matt if I ever occupy the Oval Office you'll be my first choice for Minister of Marijuana.
Juliet - nice cut and paste. In future, you might want to attribute the author, in this case Mike Isikoff of Newsweek:
http://www.newsweek.com/id/160561
I wonder, though, was this really a case of "follow the money" to see where it leads. Or, is it more "start where you want the money to lead and work your way back". Surely anyone looking into Freddie and Fannie and moneys would have to include major players from both parties, certainly including Barney Frank.
Isikoff, by the way, might be familiar to us:
In the May 9, 2005 issue of Newsweek, Isikoff wrote an article that stated that interrogators at Guantanamo Bay "in an attempt to rattle suspects, flushed a Qur'an down a toilet." Detainees had earlier made similar complaints but this was the first time a government source had appeared to confirm the story. The article caused widespread rioting and massive anti-American protests throughout some parts of the Islamic world (causing at least 17 deaths in Afghanistan). The magazine later retracted the story after enormous pressure, noting that their sole anonymous source could not remember important details.
- Wikipedia entry
I had a FREE SUBSCRIPTION to Newsweek, but found I couldn't stomach any of it except the most innocuous parts on movie reviews etc. I canceled it because I didn't want this "new journal" in my house any more.
Thanks for that Sean. I am amazed at how articulate you guys are when expressing opinions or referencing materials. I wish I had that skill. I just get opinions and stumble along with it.I still read Newsweek and just about anything else laying around at work. You gotta be informed and you gotta take the good with the bad.
That's right on Mat!:)
Mat - I suppose I could read Newsweek, but I'd also have to read National Review or something to balance it out.
Sean, I usually add the links but this time I forgot it and the last paragraph that noted he is still taking the 15,000 a month. Why do I point out McCain in this..."No braineeer" because he is running for president and in my opinion has to be held to a higher standard. Like many of our elected leaders they seemed to be asleep at the wheel or turning a blind eye to the economic misconduct that contributed to our present crisis. I would think that if you are on the take from Freddy mac and the like it would probably be hard to pass legislation to curtail bad practices.
By the way as long as you are concerned about sources Wikipedia isn't considered a valid one, some articles are of course backed up with sources others aren't. Anyone can edit wiki. I think in the article I posted they had the paid receipts and the record that payments were still being made until the new administration is in place.
After Ahbu Gharib (you remember the poster pictures of Rumsfield era, the Arab world would believe anything about our interrogation practices.
Matt I pop in and out because I am really busy spent the last 7 days over at the hospital but still like to try to keep up with you all. Right now I am in Germany and it is getting cold and the leaves are mucking up on the yard with all this rain we have been having. Howz it over where you are?
Juliet - precisely - I haven't seen ANYTHING in this obese bill that does anything to curb the bad practices. The bad practices were forced on lenders by the same government who is now "bailing us out". I haven't heard anything about restoring some sanity in lending practices (i.e. lend money to people who actually demonstrate an ability to pay it back and have saved up a down payment).
Well try to pop in more often Juliet. Shit there's an election going on here and we could use your input.
I am sorry. I did not mean to disgrace this blog. As this is the best thing going...ever!!!!! I just got tired of being cut down by others, not so much for the politics.
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