IT IS TIME FOR A FEW RANTINGS....

There is nothing like a blank page to cause you pause!  It's just there, clean and white, with nothing on it!  That is the way my blog post box is looking right now.  The box, which is about 5" x 10", is designed so that you can select how the font will appear....the look, color and  size of the type, and even the background color if white is too stark for you.  You can also insert images  such as clip art and photos to dress your blog up a bit.  
Right now I'm typing in a font called Verdana Bold.  For a more exotic look, you can switch to Italic (which is leaning to the right)...or you could change the color of the type to red, or blue....but I'm going to stick with black in the Verdana Bold.  It just sorta depends on your mood.  I'm not feeling "black", but it shows up nicely on the white background.
WELL HOW'S THAT FOR RAMBLING?

So here I am trying to write something...anything...that will make some sense and sound almost intelligent.  As you can tell, I do some of my best writing without having any idea what the hell I'm going to say!  (By the way..I don't have any cats, I don't smoke a pipe, I don't have a beard, and I don't write on a typewriter!)  I know... then why did I select that particular clip art?  Because I like it!


NOW FOR SOME RANTINGS!


So...what's up with me?  Again, it seems that there have been long stretches of time where I've written next to nothing in this blog.  Writing is therapy for me, and it's time to unload what has been going on in my head and heart during these past few months.  Permit me to vent (they call it rant) a bit, and know that I don't expect that all who read this will agree with any of it.  That's okay.  One thing hasn't changed in this country....freedom of speech!  So I invite all of your comments..I'd love to hear from you.  Now some political ranting!


 I'm finally realizing that I am mad as hell about the way politics is being played out in our country.  Talk about a "do nothing Congress"...this has to be one of the worst in history.  Both political parties have contributed to the gridlock we have been witnessing.  The nation has watched while the Congress has wasted months on the Debt issue, when they should have been focused on creating jobs and helping the unemployed to get on their feet again.  I understand that the Republicans and their Tea Party buddies are trying to block every piece of legislation that would help the President get reelected in 2012.  Yes, but at the same time the Democratic Party looks like a disorganized group of wimps who keep throwing in the towel.  
President Obama, who I voted for, has had difficulty finding a "backbone!"  He has been politically naive in his belief that bipartisanship will get what he wants.  Big banks, Wall Street, and powerful financial corporations are only focused on insuring that their profits continue to rise!  Only in the last few weeks has the President taken his message to the people about how to get our economy going again, bypassing the Congress and the Washington morass.

My level of frustration peaked a few weeks back, and then I was given the opportunity to express my First Amendment Rights in a "concrete" way.  The Occupy Wall Street demonstrations gave birth to similar marches throughout America, including Occupy San Diego.  I joined the marchers on two separate occasions in downtown San Diego.  The turnouts were large, nonviolent, well organized, and a cross section of people of all ages, classes and ethnic backgrounds.   I was impressed by the number of folks obviously over the age of 50; it almost looked like a AARP convention!  They were not a "bunch of hippies", radicals, and "those just looking for a handout", as characterized by the media.  They were like me...pissed off, fed up with Congress, sick of the politicians, angry at the unconscionable greed of Big Banks, and worried about what the future holds in a World where corporations are more important than people!


Whew!  I think I feel a little bit better.  But the challenges remain, and we can't just put our heads in the sand and hope that somebody else will solve them.  All of us need to stay informed about what is going on in America, or one day we will wake up to a political and economical result we don't like.  Whether you are of the Right or the Left politically, you can't rely on the politicians to do what's best for you.  They operate exclusively in their own self interest, and are more concerned about getting reelected with special interest money than dealing with the very serious problems facing our Country.  But of course, you know this, because the favorable rating for Congress right now is 9 %, which I believe is the lowest in recent history!


I'm an Independent and have been one for years.  I've voted for Conservatives and I have voted for Liberals.  Party affiliations don't impress me one way or the other.  While I lean toward Progressive ideas, I'm prepared to listen to Conservative arguments, and have changed my mind about positions I've held dearly over the years. Hopefully my political views will continue to adapt to the realities of the day.


One thing that won't change, is my strong belief that America...even with  its present faults...is still a great Nation and we are a great people!