Homeland [In]Security, Department of

Washington, DC - Today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) released a new report entitled Homeland Security for Sale � DHS: Five Years of Mismanagement, an accompanying website, www.homelandsecurityforsale.org, and a video created and produced by Brave New Foundation. The report and video document the past five years of the agency�s most serious problems and troubling practices.

Here is the video:



And for any Connecticut readers, you might ask your Senator why is has failed to do ANY investigating - I reclal he promised that when he convinced you to vote for him!

happy money days

At my health club the TV in the locker room is usually tuned to one of those "morning" shows and no one really watches. Today I heard a commercial on whatever show it was that caused me to stop and ponder.

It was an ad for a big discount store; which shall remain nameless. The ad ended with a statement along the lines of - you'll save so much money - you can give more xmas.....

It left my brain in a muddle. Have we really packaged xmas so much that it can be quantified and "given" to someone? Do we now need persons like billo measuring how much xmas each store sells and then lambasting those who have less xmas to give as ones who are part of his war on xmas?

Raises lots of questions....but the answer to all is simple - you are expected to give lots of xmas this year - even if you go broke doing so! The "stores" have made this their December mantra!

It's been a weird week

For starters - this clip about rudy is funny and summarizes his week!



Then we have new allegations against Larry I am not and never was gay Craig.

The head of the Red Cross [A REPUG] lost his job for having an adulterous affair with a female co-worker - [that's probably why it wasn't big news...]

Virginia is making those who wish to vote in the repug primary sign an oath that will vote repug in the general election.

Iraq is wallowing in corruption.

The shrub is cutting back funding for first responders and ports - but probably not the college football stadiums and mid west who-knows-what that get such money.

Next he'll start scaring us again with terra threats - cuz his hallyburton cronies need the money - not the citizens!

When will the "buying season" start next year?

While celebrating thanksgiving with friends and neighbors - we laughed at the ads which had arrived that morning in and with our local newspaper. Many stores were opening at 4 AM on Friday and a few at midnight. None of us could think of a single item we needed enough to go out and stand in a line to get into a store in the middle of the night!

The evening news started with footage of people camping in tents to be first in line. I figured if that was the most important local news of the day - I'd rather not watch - and so I turned off the TV.

With the greedy corporate money grabbers after everyone, I wonder how far back the buying season will go? We already have the "holiday" paraphernalia out in late August but I fear the corporate buy-buy-buy season will also get re-set to pre-Labor Day - or earlier. Why not? This year some buyers were cautious as the price of gas and home heating went high and so spent less money after Thanksgiving - which itself cost more this year. So if the pre-xmas sales start while it's still warm out and before we have to pay to heat our homes - maybe we'll spend our way into bankruptcy months earlier.

And those who get on the stupidity train of the "war on xmas" can spend more months arguing that point! Ah - life in the USA! And all during this many "pine" nostalgically for the good old days - yet forget that in those good old days - people actually spend time with family and friends - not in tents on lines waiting for stores to open!

Happy Thanksgiving

In spite of the mess that mad king george has made of our country - we still have a lot to be thankful for....

I am thankful for my son, my blog readers, my friends and neighbors and my pets. [And the gorgeous day we are having for a late November in the pacific northwest.....]