Baby's got a Brand New Pair of Shoes

This morning I'm riding up the escalator at Metro Center standing on the right hand side, of course, and this older lady - I'd say in her late 50's early 60's walks on by me on the left hand side. Now, that just happening shows how lazy and pathetic I really am, but to top it all off she's walking by me up the escalator stairs in a pair of heels - I'd say about a 2in heel - and there I stand on the right with my brand-new flat Naturalizer shoes. Something is definitely wrong with this picture. Me in a pair of flat Naturalizers and this older lady sporting some stylish 2in heels. I have to say though I do love my new shoes. Just bought them last night after another agonizing day in my ankle boots which have a two inch heel. I loved these boots when I first bought them two or three years ago - they were so comfortable, perhaps it's because they are old that that is why they hurt now and maybe all that I have to do is buy a new pair of boots which will have padding in the sole area. Yay - more shopping!!!

I actually got two pairs last night one flat pair (the Cresson) and the other, I went out on a ledge here, a 1 1/4 in hee (the Gaston) l!! Aren't they cute? Very, very comfortable!!

Women Please Get Out and Vote

Preview for the 2004 HBO movie Iron Jawed Angels. A very powerful movie which all women should watch to remind us what had to be done in order to give us our right to vote. A reason for all of us to exercise this right!

Register to Vote - DC & VA Deadline Today - MD Oct 14

Saw this on Julie's http://juliezilla.blogspot.com/ blog and had to copy. Please remember to vote and register to do so in time.

Grumblings and Ramblings

I keep getting the following e-mail from friends about some guys brilliant plan regarding what should be done with the bailout money:

Hi Y'all,

I'm against the $85,000,000, 000.00 bailout of AIG.

Instead, I'm in favor of giving $85,000,000, 000 to America in a We Deserve It Dividend.

To make the math simple, let's assume there are 200,000,000 bonafide U.S. Citizens 18+. Our population is about 301,000,000 +/- counting every man, woman and child. So 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at adults 18 and up.

So divide 200 million adults 18+ into $85 billion that equals $425,000.00.

My plan is to give $425,0 00 to every person 18+ as a We Deserve It Dividend.

Of course, it would NOT be tax-free.

So let's assume a tax rate of 30%.

Every individual 18+ has to pay $127,500.00 in taxes.

That sends $25,500,000, 000 right back to Uncle Sam.

But it means that every adult 18+ has $297,500.00 in their pocket.

A husband and wife has $595,000 .00.

What would you do with $297,500.00 to $595,000.00 in your family?

Pay off your mortgage - housing crisis solved.

Repay college loans - what a great boost to new grads

Put away money for college - it'll be there

Save in a bank - create money to loan to entrepreneurs.

Buy a new car - create jobs

Invest in the market - capital drives growth

Pay for your parent's medical insurance - health care improves

Enable Deadbeat Dads to come clean - or else

Remember this is for every adult U S Citizen 18+ including the folks who lost their jobs at
Lehman Brothers and every other company that is cutting back. And of course, for those serving in our Armed Forces.

If we're going to re-distribute wealth let's really do it...instead of trickling out a puny $1000.00 ( "vote buy" ) economic incentive that is being proposed by one of our candidates for President.

If we're going to do an $85 billion bailout, let's bail out every adult U S Citizen 18+!

As for AIG - liquidate it.Sell off its parts.Let American General go back to being American General.

Sell off the real estate. Let the private sector bargain hunters cut it up and clean it up.
Here's my rationale. We deserve it and AIG doesn't.

Sure it's a crazy idea that can "never work."

But can you imagine the Coast-To-Coast Block Party! How do you spell Economic Boom?

I trust my fellow adult Americans to know how to use the $85 Billion We Deserve It Dividend more than do the geniuses at AIG or in Washington DC.

It does sound like it would be a really nice plan and would be wonderful if people were responsible. But people aren't - not average American citizens, not big industry, not politicians. I actually don't trust my fellow Americans to use this bailout money responsibly any more than I trust the big companies. I, myself, would probably do some of the responsible things, but not all of them. Everyone needs a system of balance and checks - it's when this goes wrong that crap hits the fan.

I think that there were plenty of people who did not think and should be held responsible for what happened to them. People who overspent/took on mortgages, that they had no business taking on in the first place. Just because someone tells you you can afford a $500,000 mortgage doesn't mean you really can and if you are pressed as it is to get the house going for the financing the jacked up way it was being offered is about the dumbest thing. We were told we could afford a place for about $100,000 more than we actually bought for, but we used our brain and said seriously there is no way we can swing that - what if something unexpected came down the road, we used our brains and said hell no to an ARM and splitting the loan with one being an interest only loan - could be because I saw others years ago (10 years) struggling with their mortgages when they had ARMs when the rates started going up at that time - I remember them scrambling to refinance. Even then, myself, I had a fixed rate - it might have been the conservative way to go, but that's me. Now, I can see the beauty of an ARM don't get me wrong, it does help people get into a house or place of their own, but use your brain people, buy a condo or a smaller, less expensive place - it's still yours - in other words buy what you can really afford, consult someone other than the person selling you the house/mortgage/doing the financing, someone who is not vested (going to make money off of your purchase) in your buying the place.

This doesn't even mention the people I see every day saying that they are struggling to make ends meet, when they have a car which is brand new every two or three years, brand new tvs, furniture, etc. not to mention purses and jewelry that cost over $300 for just one purse - they buy all this crap on credit or spend their cash on these items not even considering that they still have to make it through weeks until they get paid again and darn they didn't buy the necessities for the household - food, toilet paper, etc. These people obviously don't know what to do with their money and then after it happens over and over again I'm supposed to feel sorry for them? Now, I'm not perfect and I have credit card debt and, those who know me, know that I am apt to overspend here and there, but I do keep an eye on it and I do make efforts not to let myself get carried away and not think one day if I keep it up and don't curb myself that I will have to pay the piper and I'm not willing to let myself get to that point - learned my lesson the first time I got a bit in over my head.

I feel bad for the people who really are struggling, who have lost their jobs because they have been laid off because of the economy and have then been forced to lose their houses. And what has happened to the economy due to the unchecked running of companies is atrocious. Something has to be done.

Some of my rambling and not feeling bad is probably due the fact that no one is offering me a lower mortgage rate like they are offering people I know so that they can stay in their houses cause they over spent. Me, who was responsible, only spent what I could, me who is trying to watch the bills, etc. I have to continue to pay what needs to be paid. Me who was responsible, doesn't get the breaks and handouts that the irresponsible get. It just sorta sucks sometimes when you think about it that way.