Happy New Year!

I know I haven’t posted in a while. I want to wish you all a very Happy 2014! I am so glad 2013 is over.

Politically, Ted Cruz’s $24B shutdown was absolutely ridiculous. He hurt a lot of people – from government employees to businesses that have government contracts. Most of all, he tried to govern by extortion. I have no idea where in the Constitution that says that’s OK. And he still had the balls to say he would do it again. Certifiably insane. I am really glad Obama didn’t cave. I can’t believe people actually blame him for the shutdown. Really?

The Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”). What a nightmare rollout. Thing is, the states had great websites where people could enroll. CoveredCA here was/is awesome. I am really glad that people have healthcare. No one should go bankrupt because they got sick – especially in a country as rich as ours.

A friend of my sister’s has testicular cancer. He didn’t have insurance, so his parents maxed out their credit cards to pay for his surgery. To even start chemo, they held poker tournaments and asked for online donations. That is wrong on so many levels. I’m glad that he now has access to healthcare. Basically, anyone who wants to go back to the days where insurance companies can deny coverage or limit treatment of cancer patients are heartless, insensitive douchebags. I know. Tell me how you really feel. Haha.

I am so glad that the House and Senate passed a bipartisan budget. Hallelujah! Of course, those more Left and Right aren’t too happy with it. It’s called compromise. In doing so, we don’t get everything we want.

Anyway, I hope 2014 goes much more smoothly, and the Tea Party doesn’t scream like boiling tea kettles. Dream on, right? No one screams better or louder than the Tea Party.

I can’t believe that the midterm elections are this year. Time flies. It’s going to be critical to at least keep the Democratic majority in the Senate. The House would be nice too, but I don’t think it will happen. Who knows? Stranger things have happened.

It’s exciting that there are hints that Hillary may run in 2016. The first woman President! I love the sound of that.

Well, I hope 2014 is a stellar year for you all. Or be as good as or suck less than 2013. One can hope. Be blessed!

Anthony Weiner: Quit Being a D&*!

While you’re at it, just quit. You left Congress in disgrace. Do yourself a favor and end your campaign to be mayor.

This whole thing is truly pathetic. You’d think he’d learn from what happened the first time. I don’t care about his Tweeting proclivities – that’s between him and his wife. I wish he just owned it. If he didn’t lie about it, I’d be the first one saying he should stay. But no. He chose to lie about it, and we lost a fiery, up-and-coming Democrat in Congress. The “rising star” burned out fast. What a shame.

Fast forward a couple years to this NYC mayoral campaign. Sexting? Seriously? I swear to God he is a horny 16-year-old boy trapped in a 48-year-old man’s body. He’s got Nancy Pelosi, our pitbull in Versace, disowning him. Now, his communications director has been caught trashing an intern, using every profanity known to man.

His campaign is crashing and burning around him. If he decides to stay in the race, he should be thankful for the 5 votes he’ll get.

Message to Huma, his wife: Girl, I can understand the “stand by your man” act the first time. But again? I hope your reason to stay is not to help him with his campaign. Even St. Jude, patron saint of lost causes, can’t save it.

As the World Spins

My Dearest Friends and Readers,

I’ve been on hiatus since January (obviously).

Moving forward, I will only be posting from time to time – when something politics-related seriously irritates me. I know. That should mean everyday, right? =)

The reason for this change is that in January, I came down hard from a hypomanic state. I spent a few months digging myself out the black hole that is bipolar depression. I got out, with another dosage tweaking. The important thing is that I got out.

Fast forward to a couple weeks ago. I had an ultrasound and biopsy. I’ve been diagnosed with Stage II Breast Cancer. And the fun just keeps on coming, right? Haha.

I’ve decided to blog this experience. There is a whole lot of nothing out there for bipolar women with breast cancer. I figure if I can chronicle my journey, those who are newly diagnosed can find something out there – maybe find out what to expect (generally speaking, of course).

Anyway, my other site is:

Bipolar…with a twist of cancer

Those who are interested can check it out. I’m still working on putting it together, so it’s pretty rough right now.

I love the Spinny Liberal site, so I can’t shut it down permanently. I still need a place to vent when anyone or anything political bugs me. Thank you to those who have been following my blog. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting some really intelligent, cool people.

I am not gone forever. Politics will always make my head spin.

God bless you all!

xoxo,
Spinny

Thoughts on the Inauguration

I had some time to process the Inauguration. I was really looking forward to it. Even though Obama won, in an electoral college landslide smack down of Romney, it isn’t official until he’s sworn in. That was when I was able to fully exhale. People say it wasn’t as memorable or exciting as 2008. Of course, that has to do with him being the first black POTUS. That said, there is a lot I will remember…down the road as my short term memory sucks.

The Date
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday. That was really significant. Obama is his dream realized. Someone who fought for basic rights and dignity for black people would be proud. The highest office of the land is occupied by a black person. Before the 2008 election, I said constantly that there would be a woman president before a black one. Obviously, I was wrong and had to eat my words.

The Actual Swearing In
Did anyone notice that the Vice President oath is longer? Or is it because Chief Justice Roberts was talking faster? That was weird. I loved that he swore on Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr.’s bible. It was nice that Roberts read the oath instead of relying on his memory and stumbling.

The Speech
What I found memorable was his inclusion of the LGBT community. He’s the first incumbent President to do that in a general-election acceptance speech. It wasn’t merely a “shout out” as in “Much love to all my gay peeps!” The inclusion was substantive. He pointed to the struggles of the gay community by mentioning “Stonewall.” Most importantly, he spoke of marriage equality.

Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law – for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.

This was one for the history books. Oh and BTW, thanks Mr. President from one of your LGBT (bi) peeps!

The Music
Beyoncé-gate. I wouldn’t be surprised if she did lip-synch. A lot of people say, “Who cares?” I suppose, but one of my favorite parts of boxing matches, baseball games, the Superbowl is the singing of the National Anthem. I would prefer it to be live, and honestly, I respect the artist more. They are taking that chance, despite their nerves and weather. If she did lip-synch, she did a great job of faking it. Ripping out the ear piece was a great touch since singers do that to be able to hear themselves.

Whether or not she sang live wasn’t that big of an issue for me because it was Kelly Clarkson’s rendition of “My Country Tis of Thee” that moved me. And she didn’t lip-synch. I got chills. I’ve been a fan since she auditioned for American Idol. She has natural talent. Many can be trained to sing, but not that many possess that raw talent. Her ability to sing acapella really well is further evidence of that. The chick was born to sing.

The Fashion
I’m a girly girl, so I usually notice what they’re wearing. I liked the couture coat by New York designer Thom Browne. Interestingly, he is menswear designer. It had a vintage feel. Her bejeweled belt was J. Crew (off the rack), and they’ll be retiring it. The colorful coats that Malia and Sasha wore were gorgeous. I loved Malia’s fuschia one by J. Crew. Not-so-little-anymore Sasha wore Kate Spade. Both off the rack, which is nice. J. Crew said they’d be retiring that coat as well.

Michelle’s Inaugural Ball gown blew me away. The couture gown by Taiwanese designer Jason Wu was amazing. A “true red,” and that criss cross halter top looks best on tall women, so she rocked it. I didn’t like her 2009 dress by the same designer, mainly because I don’t like one-shoulder gowns. Asymmetry bugs me.

I really enjoyed this Inauguration. The pomp and circumstance and the traditions makes me even prouder to be an American – especially when the President is someone I like. Most of all, I enjoyed it because it was Obama up there – not Romney. That would have made me physically ill in a way that Bush never did. The last person I want up there is someone who stands for nothing because he said whatever people wanted to hear to get elected. With Obama, you know exactly what he supports and rejects. And if many of these coincide with my values and beliefs, even better.

Fed Up with the Gun Debate

First, Happy New Year to Everyone! Second, a busy holiday season followed by preparing for a company audit (we passed) are my excuses for a shamefully long absence. Third, I’m sick to death of this gun debate, prompting my jump right back into blog waters. Fair warning, this is probably going to be a rambly rant.

The CT school shootings were horrific, which definitely took the 2nd Amendment off the back burner. I remember during the debates, gun control was not really addressed other than the usual, “make sure kids have a good childhood so they don’t turn into the Columbine monsters.”

The NRA has completely disgusted me. After the massacre, they wait days to give a statement, and when they did, their solution was all schools should have armed rent-a-cops. Because having them really helped in the Columbine shooting.

Bragging about their paid memberships increasing exponentially after the shootings pissed me off to no end. What kind of organization does that? Nothing like 20 dead kids to up your numbers. Ugh.

Vice President Biden meets with anyone and everyone related to guns and violence and comes up with recommendations. On the 16th, he took 23 of those recommendations and turned them into Executive Orders. For some reason, I get Conservative newsletters and alerts even though I’ve e-mailed them, saying that I’m a bleeding heart Liberal. Let’s see. In the past two days, I’ve read, “Impeach Him” (yawn) and “Congress must act to counter every single one of these orders! They have the power to do it, and they must take action.”

Every single one? Even this one?

18. Provide incentives for schools to hire school resource officers.

Wasn’t that what the NRA was calling for? Damn that Commie Obama for giving us what we wanted.

The whole debate has gotten ridiculous, really. I have heard it all. From hard core gun nuts who say NO background checks to banning all weapons. Maybe we can have some sensible solutions? Like tougher background checks? Closing that gun show loophole would be great too. I still don’t understand how Joe Crazy can walk right into a show in many states and purchase an AR-15 without any kind of background check. Here in CA, there are background checks when you buy from a gun show. You purchase from the dealer and go through the background check. When you pass, you pick up your weapon from the transfer dealer who has been holding it until you pass. That should be in all states.

The assault weapons ban. Senator Dianne Feinstein is leading this campaign, as she did when assault weapons were banned in 1994. So, to the NRA, she is Satan incarnate. It makes me ask the question. Who really needs an assault weapon? A handgun or shotgun would suffice if Stranger Danger comes into your house. Do you really need something that will literally blow their head to bits? Dead is dead.

And the high capacity magazines. Again, do you really need a 100RD magazine when one bullet is all you need to kill a deer. Max 3 if you’re a bad shot. Limiting the capacity you can buy would be one way to go.

One of the things that I wish the gun lobby, gun nuts, and Conservatives would drop is the “tyrannous” government argument. Where were you when the Patriot Act was signed into law by Bush? And extended by Obama? I should have seen well-regulated militias storming the capital. Did they sleep in? Were they too inept to send an e-mail blast, “Our rights are about to be eroded. Grab your guns and meet at the steps of the capital. Donuts and coffee will be provided.” Either they don’t really care about a tyrannous government, or their militias really suck. Or a combination of both.

Anyway, I’m pretty much fed up with the whole thing at this point. Will real change happen now? I’d like to believe so, but I am a realist. The NRA has a financial choke hold on Congress, and a large group of voters will keep the pressure on to keep gun laws as they are. Nothing screams American machismo more than assault rifles with magazines stuffed with as many hollow point bullets it can hold. Go big or go home, baby.

Of course, on a more personal level, if that Commie Imam King Barack Hussein Obama tries to take away my shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile, he’ll have to pry it from my cold, dead hands.

On the CT School Shooting

Friday was so strange. It started off terrible. I was knee deep in work issues, and I get e-mails from my sister and partner. “So sad what happened in CT” and “All those kids in CT.” Huh? I was dealing with work stuff, so I didn’t hear. Then, I read about the tragedy. 20 children and 7 adults killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown CT, by a gunman who then killed himself. Ugh. Wasn’t there just a shooting in an Oregon mall?

God help us. What can we do to stop this? I’ve heard it all over the weekend. Conservatives, like Representative Louie Gohmert of TX, have said that more guns are the answer. He told Chris Wallace of Fox News,

“Chris, I wish to God she had had an m-4 in her office, locked up so when she heard gunfire, she pulls it out … and takes him out and takes his head off before he can kill those precious kids”

Liberals, like Michael Moore tweeted:

“The short term solution? A law immediately banning semi-automatic weapons & mega-clips. Must have license to own gun. Must pass mental exam.”

Honestly, I don’t know what the answer is. If the Principal was armed, it doesn’t mean that she could have taken him out. And if we ban semis and mega clips, it doesn’t mean they won’t be sold. I see a very profitable black market emerging.

All I know is that the whole thing depresses me. I worked as a sub, and I remember doing those lockdown drills. You lock the door, turn off all the lights, and close the blinds or draw the drapes. It was all very creepy. You just pray you never have to do it for real.

My mind doesn’t want to go to these dark places anymore. It’s really making me hope the Mayans were right. I think the entire world needs purging, and Friday sounds like a great day to do it.

Happy Friday Funnies 12/14/12

During the holidays, the days just fly by – probably because there’s so much to do. Well, at least Fridays feel like they come faster. 🙂 Have a great weekend everyone!!

Spinny Fell off the Wagon

Instead of the Yahoo! Comments section, I’ve been on a Facebook Comments bender. The “Being Liberal” page is infiltrated by Conservatives who irritate the crap out of me. Come on. The page is called, “Being Liberal.” They come on there and regurgitate whatever Hannity, Limbaugh, Levin said as a way to “prove” how stupid Liberals are. I usually tell them to take the condescension and shove it because they’re on our turf.

*sigh* When I first “Liked” the page, I enjoyed reading the comments of like-minded Liberals. The Conservatives just ruin it for me with their Liberal-bashing. I should stay in the blog world, but I was lured back into Lucifer’s lair.

The hot topics have been the Fiscal Cliff and the fiasco that is Michigan’s Right to Work Law. We’re inching toward the Fiscal Cliff, and I am praying that Obama doesn’t cave. I think he won’t because he is now emboldened with the win and the fact that there are no more political consequences for him. Before he agrees to any spending cuts, generating revenue via increasing taxes for the wealthy better be carved in stone and painted with the blood of dead plutocrats.

I believe that spending cuts are necessary. But so are those tax increases. If you’re broke, you can cut your expenses to the bone. To actually stop being perpetually broke, you need to earn more money. Same thing here. It’s not all about spending cuts or taxes. It’s both. However, I personally don’t trust the GOP farther than I can throw them, so Obama should take the carved in stone/blood suggestion above.

The fight didn’t end on election day, as we have seen in that disastrous Right to Work Law. Let’s see. You can choose not to be in a union, but still get the benefits of the same pay as a union worker and health benefits. You just don’t have to pay dues. Hmm. And Conservatives call us the freeloaders? Like I said in the comments section:

God forbid workers should have a living wage and good benefits. I swear to God the way a lot Conservatives are talking, they won’t be happy until people are indentured servants to the almighty job creators.

I need to be back here in blog world. There are posts of substance here – both sides. Those comments sections do nothing but make my blood pressure rise. My sister asked at lunch on Saturday, “Do we have to ban you from another site?” Heh. Looks like it. I’ll try and cut down. I promise!

Happy Friday Funnies 12/7/12

I made it to Friday without killing anyone. Winner! 😛 Have a great weekend, everyone!

GOP Shoots Down the Disability Treaty

In the mid 70s, mom and dad packed up me, my sister and cousin for a cross country trip. Being recent immigrants, they wanted to see America the Beautiful. Aside from being hot and itchy in Needles, CA, I don’t remember much. When I look at the pictures, I smile most at the one with me in front of the flags at the UN in New York. International travel and foreign cultures have piqued my interest since I was a child. I’ve always said that in the remote possibility I would end up in NYC, I’d want to live in Midtown close to the UN.

Conservative Republicans showed their disdain for the UN by voting down the Disability Treaty. Former Senator Bob Dole (yes, one of their own), in a wheelchair, tried to persuade the Senate into ratifying this treaty. He championed the Americans with Disabilities Act. It didn’t work. The treaty needed 66 votes and it only got 61.

GOP Senator Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma said:

“I do not support the cumbersome regulations and potentially overzealous international organizations with anti-American biases that infringe upon American society.”

OK, “The UN sucks” argument is covered.

Rick Santorum, a name I didn’t want to type again, led the fight against this treaty.

What’s so problematic here is that the provisions of this treaty could open the door for a professional or government official to override the decision that we as parents need to make for our special-needs children.

Having been blessed with Bella, and all of our wonderful children, we’ve learned that when it comes to their care, we know what’s best. CRPD threatens to take parents out of the equation and attempt to determine the right path for children they have never met.

I read the articles of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. He’s referring to Article 7(2):

Article 7 – Children with Disabilities
2. In all actions concerning children with disabilities, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration.

To me, that is overly paranoid and a huge leap. He spread this message further – to the home-schooling community. People were up in arms about how bureaucrats from Geneva would storm into their homes and tell them how to raise their kids. The result? The treaty was shot down.

Over 150 nations have signed this treaty. Sadly, because of irrational fears of black helicopters and a New World Order, we’re not one of them.