Apparently the Community ReInvestment Act cited was altered in 1975 (i believe) when then prez Clinton directed his Sec of Treasury Reich to make it easier for peeps to qualify for mortgage loans. Sadly, although many (including GWBush) raised or claim to have raised warning flags since 2003 concerning the direction of the mortgage lending market, nothing was done, any efforts were seemingly met with the evil eye...."you just don't want poor people to have a house". Barney Frank and Chris Dodd are among those that appear to have had their hands on the wheel...(see video on You Tube 2004 session Democrats Defend Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac from Regulations) but there are plenty of helpers and those who stood silent or had their pockets open receiving money from the mortgage industry. They should, Democrat and Republican, fired and fined. Now we have to clean up the mess. I am not wholly in favor of this "free lunch" bailout. I am, however, a bit nervous like most people since I don't know the extent of the fallout. I do not expect that the government will bail me out if I cannot meet any of my debt obligations. I'm not in the correct socio-economic strata...yet.... Consider for a moment the social engineering involved in having the government, through regulation/deregulation of lending institutions and legislation like the Community ReInvestment Act and more, put every American (citizen or not) into a home...whether or not he/she can afford that home. While declaring that this financial activity is "private enterprise" and simply execution of capitalism (freddie mac and fannie mae), the truth is sadly revealed when the GOVERNMENT jumps in to "save" these "private" financial institutions from themselves and their ignorant, greed-soaked decisions by buying up/guaranteeing all this "bad paper",
with TAXPAYER money. And it appears that, at least, some of the lenders who resisted freeing up funds to the "sub-prime" market may have been tagged as prejudiced and/or discriminatory and "pressed" to join in the movement...be "patriotic"... or else suffer exposure to the media as being EVIL, MONEY-GRUBBING ELITIST.
Plenty of hands in the cookie jar on this one....OUR cookie jar. Not many choc chips left.
Fear not...the sun will rise in a little while...things always look better in the sunlight.

E-mail to Daughter

[I have a very intelligent, very talented, highly educated adult daughter steering her ship through the current storm taking place in OUR country. She wants dialogue. She is trying to separate fact from fiction (Ooooo...that's a tough one when it comes to our politicians). But the great thing is that she wants a dialogue and she is trying not to swallow the Kool-Aid of either camp.]

In the past 8 months or so I have received many emails from friends forwarding Obama and some McCain stories, supposedly factual. In almost all of the Obama cases the stories were not accurate or completely false. After getting bunches of these I started emailing back to tell the friend that I had discovered that the story was false. Then I started suggesting that, at the least, they run the story through Snopes (although not 100% accurate it is a pretty good source...and easily accessible) before spreading it around. I also told them that although I was not voting for Obama it was/is not because of his color or because of this misinformation...it is for other reasons.

There is so much misinformation being spread about all of the candidates how can citizens tell what is true and what is bull. It can take a lot of time. Also, human nature is to more easily accept as fact those things which tend to support our own bias (conscious or subconscious). This is the way it is for most people and we often times go through our lives daily without really recognizing this. Of course, I am no different than you on this. I do feel that I, unfortunately, tend to be in the annoying position of seeing both sides of many arguments, situations, conflicts. In some cases, like with the Obama misinformation, people mistakenly think that I am for a particular thing when I argue some point which seems to support it. As with Obama....I am not FOR Obama... I am against all of the BS "facts" (Oh...there is that "fact" thing you spoke of) that fly around the internet and are all too readily accepted as gospel by those who happen to already have a bias for or against whatever it is.... It is just accepted.... I don't care who the misinformation is about... Several months ago this was bothering me so much I wrote about it on my blog. I have not written anything is a couple of months.
So...Butt-Faced Muffin... I am passionate about defending people....whomever.... Obama, Palin, McCain and Biden (not that much about Biden...something strange about him... but mucho experience in Washington)...
I gonna watch to Sicko flick.... I also gonna be pulling some info from different sources for other issues...where possible I will cite sources....this means I not gonna be having time for some other things....oh well.....I will still have to make time to work...
all for now... I try to remember what the Holacaust survivor told me in 1975 while we were in a poetry writing class at C of C....she said that as a child in Germany she had learned
"believe half of what you see and none of what you hear".
interesting philosphy....from one who witnessed a government perfect the propaganda/misinformation machine to subvert citizens' sense of compassion and destroy others.
Whoa.....I better stop now..... OK...... we will pick this up again.... for now... I happy you are interested in what is happening in your country....
old but not completely irrelevant..........................................."farty"

[gotta go now... no head-ache but I gotta go do my "patriotic" duty (as Joe Biden says) and go to work so I can gen some tax revenue for my government to distribute to those who surely need it more than I. So when the Cancer Society or Heart Association or Relief Fund calls I can truly say
"I Gave At The Office". I really gotta go now. I do feel a head-ache comin' on.]

Turn Out the Light

and how about the article in last Sunday's paper regarding our Illegal Immigrant Health Care problem????? I don't see why taxpayers should complain about footing the bill for millions of human beings who have entered our once sovereign country illegally???? We have much more than we need and certainly much, much more than we deserve. We are all just too damn selfish. I think we should run buses, trains, transport planes...anything necessary...to get all of the sick and employment challenged peoples of the earth here...to our paradise....then lock the door as we quietly slip out...to go somewhere else and start over...building another nation like we did this one (using the lessons learned from our historical perspective...not taught in public schools now)...oh...we will sneak out without telling all of the "citizens" who think taxing the citizens to death, especially all those "rich" ones to pay for welfare programs for illegal immigrants is a good, no, great idea. Let them pay for it themselves. We will be somewhere else..toiling, sweating and having hope that the hard work of today will bring a better tomorrow...without our government taking it away because we don't really need it all!!!!
Oh...I am energy conscious and I do believe in nurturing the environment so I will flip the switch on my way out...Good luck.
gotta go now and drink my mug-0-boojang

Press "1" for English

I am finding it hard to believe that learned people (I know there are some), especially someone like a Social Anthropologist, are not screaming and tearing their hairs out, or at least clenching teeth at night, over the deconstruction of speaking American English. I believe that over the course of Human history it is evident that one of the precursors to a cohesive and productive society is a common language. What can make us more alike and less "foreign" than common language. It was, in my opinion, one of the stumbling blocks in uniting great countries like Italy and great continents like Africa. Just too damn many languages and dialects. Now when I think about the difficulties a New Yawkah has coming down South, or vice versa, it makes it all the more mystifying that there are those who are silent or even very pro-active in making other languages common or even mandated in America. While I do agree, and have maintained for several decades, that Americans would do well to learn a foreign language (or God forbid several) starting in pre-school or, at least, elementary school. And also that many Americans travelling abroad are way too "expectant" in assuming (or demanding) that everyone else in the world speak English. I also fully believe, and maintain, that by not instilling an "English is for Americans" imperitive in all those who seek to come to this country and become one of its citizens are insuring the gradual but certain deconstruction of America. Hey friend...I am happy for you to come here legally and be productive. Hell, I will do what I can to help you. But if you don't see the value in learning to speak "our" language and become part of the fabric of this still great nation (yeah...I know it's a little rocky now)...and you think that it is better to make a little space here to recreate a little "mini home country". Then I don't want you here. Embrace your heritage, be multi-lingual, have a day a year when you eat the Sauerbraten or dance the polka or toss that big rock...whatever it is....but the next day.....we are all back to being Americans...together....we may disagree on some or many things...but at least we don't need an interpreter.
I gotta go now....my Rosetta Stone language course is waiting for me....ACHTUNG !!!!!
.....almost had my boojang workin'

Human Beans and Belief

Like many active internetters I receive lots of e-mails, usually forwards by my well-intentioned friends, making me aware of some horrible secret or character flaw of some politician or public figger. Now it is an interesting Human trait that we tend to accept or believe those assertions which support our particular conscious/unconscious bias while rejecting or disbelieving those that don't support the bias. I'll get an e-mail about Obama refusing to salute the flag or about Obama being a muslim terrorist or about McCain being a madman or about the U.S. heading down the proverbial path of "decline" like all great "empires" in history. OK...maybe that last one is true. However, lots, if not most, of these assertions-stated-as-fact floated by are not true. And the "average" citizen does not have the time, or interest, in checking it out. And where would one go to check it out. Snopes is ok but not fool-proof. So many, if not most, citizens take the e-mail assertion as fact, or at least semi-fact, and add it to the list of reasons why they are for or agains someone or something. And, many recipients of the e-mail will quickly and purposefully pass the e-mail on to others as if to say..."SEE....I TOLD YOU HE/SHE GAVE BIRTH TO AN ALIEN LIZARD-BABY". Now I don't have the time to check every e-mail assertion out either. And I have been guilty of this same activity...and been embarrassed when called out by a friend who did check it out. So...I am saying...BELIEVE NONE OF WHAT YOU HEAR AND ONLY HALF OF WHAT YOU SEE. Especially during an election cycle.

gotta run.....Boojang got loose................

More Helpful Government Legislation

It appears that some legislation was recently passed that will greatly help competitive bidding in the government sector. Now when "larger/established" companies bid on, and win, contracts they must bid jointly with a "minority" contractor/bidder. I understand "minority" to be defined by either gender or race/ethnic origin ... or both.
Set-asides are not new. "Minority" advantages in government contracting are not new. More than one company has been structured to take advantage of the system. That's just "playing the game". I don't believe that it necessarily improved the quality of work that was done. In some cases, I believe, it may have cost the taxpayer more. Not because a "minority" owned business cannot be qualified to do the job but, in my opinion, because the system may attract bidders who may not be financially ready to actually handle the contract. If the qualifications for winning the contract are not the same for all those who bid then the taxpayer stands to lose. I understand the history of discrimination .... gender and race/ethnic origin.... However, in my opinion, trying to "make it up" by imposing guidelines like this on bidders does not make for a better contractor or insure that the taxpayers money is being spent wisely. It becomes just another government favoritism program...run at the taxpayers expense... whether they/we like it or not. I don't really want the government saying "We don't have any blue-eyed contractors bidding on this contract. Let's fix it so blue-eyed bidders get extra consideration." [i would only be in favor of that if i had blue eyes] The contracts should be awarded on the merit system. Who can meet the contract guideline in the most affordable and efficient manner. If I am new or small then I will have to work my way up and build a great track record. No discrimination based on gender or race/ethnic origin. Discrimination based on ability to perform. Of course we are asking our government to make these determinations which leaves me a bit uneasy.
Ok....I have worn myself out now... you get the idea .... right?????
Oh.....If the government (we) decide to follow through with the idea of increasing taxes on all those rich people, because they don't really need all that money, to pay for all of the great "give-away" programs that we need badly. What will be do when the "rich" people decide they have had enough and move away? Will we redefine "rich". Approximately 37% of collected income tax dollars come from 3% of our tax-paying population now.
Make the Fair Tax Proposal law.
........just talking Boojang

Becoming Legal

I recently met a British citizen who has been living in the U.S. for over a dozen years while handling international business. Last Monday the Brit, after much studying, hoop-jumping, waiting and paying fees, became a U.S. citizen. I had to ask this new citizen what their opinion was of our Illegal Immigration situation. New Citizen is not too happy with the situation on the border or the rest of the country. New Citizen waited several years, filled out a lot of forms, studied to answer many questions, fortunately already spoke English (kind of) , spent not a small amount of money, was checked and rechecked for background and character ... only to now be able to , as a New Legal Citizen, watch as millions of Illegal Immigrants get organized to demand what our New Legal Citizen spent several years obtaining legally. So I had to point out to our New Legal Citizen that if they had crept across the border illegally and performed a job that Legal Citizens would not do (supposedly) then there would be no end of people (citizens) wanting to help out and fast track you on the road to Citizenship, pay for your education, the education of your children (New Citizen's kids go to college on their own dime), provide you with taxpayer funded healthcare...etc.... Our New Citizen thinks it is nuts.
And just one other thing.....I cannot understand why, IN AMERICA, I have to press a button for FREAKIN ENGLISH !!!! THIS IS AMERICA CITIZENS...A-M-E-R-I-C-A !!!!! WE SHOULD BE SPEAKING ENGLISH ALREADY!!!! So why should I have to choose????? Can't we default to ENGLISH??? Fine if the ATM owner (or whatever other business situation decides to make me press a button to use ENGLISH in AMERICA) wants to offer another language for instructi0ns to those needing it. BUT DON'T MAKE AN ENGLISH SPEAKING CITIZEN OF AMERICA PUSH A DAMN BUTTON TO SELECT OUR OWN LANGUAGE!!!!! It's a small thing certainly but it is also symptom of the gradual erosion of what is AMERICA.
Come here with something positive to offer. Come here legally, learn the language, become a citizen if you desire. Dream big, work hard and help to enrich a great country.

I gotta go now....my head hurts................................ toomuch Boojang tonight......................