As someone who has crossed into the "increased payment" group, all I can say is, Amen, Brother!

I do respect the office of the President. I do respect your opinions as well. I felt equally as incensed over many things Bush did. Luckily, we are in America where we have a president we can speak freely about whether we agree with him or despise him. He is not our king or our dictator, he is a man elected to serve us. I believe Obama is doing a horrible job and I also believe he has closed his ears FROM DAY ONE to anyone who disagrees with him. I will continue to point this out and make my case against him until I see him listening to his fellow citizens. Thanks for participating in the discussion.

Ditto.

Love this article! I agree, the more attention you give your pets, the more you get back. Pets are priceless. Plus, they don't roll their eyes at you when you talk (like my teenagers are known to do).

Thanks for the Daley heads up! Noon EST should be quite an interesting hour. With Obama putting the prestige of the presidency on the line, I can't imagine the fix is not already in. Do you really think the Chicago machine would LET anyone else win? Crazy times though, that would be the upset of the year, no doubt. As for the Republicans, they've had many doors of opportunity. Politicians, no matter the stripe seem to loose all scruples when they are handed leverage, much less power. One thing is for sure, this is better than any soap opera! Thanks for the comments ahol888!

I agree with your assessment 100%. I have very mixed feelings about the rush to inoculate. I only had a REGULAR flu shot one time in my life and that was when my doctor pressured me when pregnant with my first child. I promptly got sick 3 weeks after the shot and have never in my entire life felt so horrible. My temperature soared and I could do nothing but lie in bed shivering and sweating like a pig. Luckily there were no complications to my baby but I passed on the shot with all of my subsequent pregnancies and haven't had the flu since, knock on wood! I did submit to the vaccinations for all of the childhood diseases for my kids but I have to say I am sorry I allowed them to get the chickenpox vaccine. I have no way of knowing it, but so many of my children's peers have suffered with shingles (usually a condition found in the elderly who had chickenpox as children). Shingles is a horrid thing and the fact so many children are suddenly coming down with the condition really makes me wonder. Long story short, I think you are being a very wise mom to handle this the way you are. Too many unknowns are attached to this vaccine. Your protection should be all your baby needs. Good luck.

You just made my day! Hope yours brings good things.

Exactly! I too had and have my hesitations regarding the internet but little by little I've found there to be much good to the experience. I have to say though, seeing the way my teenagers "learn", though advanced at first glance, when examined closer, is utterly lacking in those moments that offer a personal bond between a person and the love of a subject. They collect the data but do not experience the information in a way that connects to their personal existence. Even the way my teens communicate with their friends through Textese is void of substance or personality, the most common exchange being, "Bored & U?". "Me 2." Luckily my kids do enjoy reading actual books, dust and all but I do believe the trend of the virtual world overshadowing the physical world stands as a real possibility. Moderation in all things will save the day. Thanks for the wonderful article!

Thanks brigidprimrose, for taking the time to read and comment.

winds7seas,

Weird article, weird times. Thanks for you input.

Thanks for reading. I agree, quite scattered, just like my brain but I try.

Thanks LindseyWilhite for your take on the points. That furthered the conversation. Show me the articles which you refer to, by the way. I'd love to see them.

Thank you jongleur, for your comments. I wish I could be singing Obama's praises. Our country was so worn out and sick of Bush. We needed a fresh start but unfortunately, it is politics as usual in a new suit.

Love the priorities. Yet he can't find time to speak to McCrystal in the last 70 days. That's leadership!

Thanks so much for taking the time to read my piece AND for commenting in CAPS!!!

Redhanded101,
What can I say? They inspire me so! Thanks for taking time to check out my piece.

ahol888,
Thanks for reading and leaving your comment. I do believe the PEOPLE of Iran have peaceful intentions toward their neighbors. It's just their leaders that pose the threat. I have a hard time understanding why Obama went mute on supporting the Iranian people but does all he can to make Ahmadinejad feel at home. Something just doesn't jive there. I'm not so sure the Iranian leadership really wants to hide anything. They seem to be daring anyone to stand up to them. One thing is for sure, the American president won't be the one to stand up to them. He's only good at chiding citizens not dictators.

Excellent idea! Great read. I hope the goons in Washington take a look at this. Though they tend to shun anything that smacks of common sense. There's always a first time for everything.

Thanks firesisle for taking a look. Lotsa bruised thumbs these days!

I agree, ACORN absolutely began as a much needed organization. That is not a question however, whistleblowers who worked in ACORN came out over a YEAR ago pleading for Congress to look into the financial books. A deaf ear was turned. Obama KNEW about these individuals. They were publicized and even appealed to him while he ran for president. NOTHING from him other than to publicly announce that ACORN would help shape his agenda. That stinks.

I also agree with you that Obama had no personal knowledge of ACORN facilitating illegal acts or promoting the practice of falsifying financial documents however he DID KNOW of the issues regarding the whistleblowers and the DEMOCRATS NOT REPUBLICANS in NEVADA who have brought voter fraud charges against ACORN. Obama, until the video tapes, was in bed with ACORN. Now, he can't be but he could have distanced himself a year ago when serious issues existed.

I was not a fan of Bush, believe me, but I don't remember him calling for the pro-life fanatics to shape his agenda, to receive vast amounts of Federal Funding. Obama profited politically through the machine of ACORN even while knowing there were SERIOUS ethics questions. Obama is NOT a monster, he's a rank and file politician. The Republicans are no better. That's why they were voted out of power. Pelosi PROMISED to drain the swamp and make Congress the most ethical sitting body in history. Really? What about the YEARS now known about Charlie Rangle's 100's of thousands of dollars of under reported taxes? Any other citizens would have hell to pay, Charlie STILL has not been forced to released his financial records. Where is the accountability? Rangle remains in his position, making laws which penalize tax cheats. This may be fine for you but to me there is a real scam going on and the American people need to call ALL of our elected officials to task. Republicans and Democrats are playing us for fools. They hide behind issues and organizations that SOUND GOOD and in theory we all could get behind but time and time again they abuse these systems, their power, our tax money. There is hypocrisy all around and I simply want accountability. Both parties need to realize their actions are finally being watched by the folks who vote them in. None of these jokers are annointed though the majority conduct themselves as such. Do I have the answer to this corruption? There is no quick fix. It's a systemic problem that seems to grow from the ascencion of power. The people who vote these individuals into power must participate faithfully by holding them accountable. Sorry to ramble on. Your points are well taken and appreciated.