Schwarzenegger's Assembly Bill Veto, complete with super secret hidden message!

Frankly, I don't know a lot about Assembly Bill 1176, whether it was a good idea or not, etc. I do know it was sponsored by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano and that he and Schwarzenegger have a rather contentious relationship.

Check out Schwartzenegger's written veto (emphasis mine):

To the Members of the California State Assembly:

I am returning Assembly Bill 1176 without my signature.
For some time now I have lamented the fact that major issues are overlooked while manyunnecessary bills come to me for consideration. Water reform, prison reform, and healthcare are major issues my Administration has brought to the table, but the Legislature justkicks the can down the alley.
Yet another legislative year has come and gone without the major reforms Californiansoverwhelmingly deserve. In light of this, and after careful consideration, I believe it isunnecessary to sign this measure at this time.

Sincerely,

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Obama vs. Putin: A Chest-Off ~or~ Off of Whose Pectorals Does the Sun Glint More Brightly?

~~~~~~~~ or ~~~~~~~~



Remember, people, this is important. Vote early, and often (use the little scrolly thing...it ain't perty, but it was easy)!

 

Now that Obama has named Biden as his running mate, I think Bruno just might have a shot.

Remember this? The Watch me! No, watch me! household decided that our beloved pooch, Bruno, could run the country as well as anyone.



Well, it seems his candidacy has caught on:



Who knew!!!

Coming out

About three and a half years ago, a friend called me to wish me a happy birthday. We giggled together as she tried to make it through the birthday song, and we chatted about my plans for the day.

Then she asked me if I'd voted. It also happened to be our last presidential election day. I had voted, and just to keep the silly going I told her I'd voted for the candidate she hated, the one she'd lobbied hard against. I thought she knew me well enough to know I was pulling her leg, but I was wrong.

"I have to tell you, I voted for X."

There was dead silence on the other end of the line for a beat, then she shrieked, "You WHAT?"

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I didn't vote for him."

"Who did you vote for?"

The thing is, I didn't want to tell her who I voted for, because I didn't vote for her favorite candidate. I voted third party, like I often do. So I tried to switch it up and distract her, "Don't worry, I didn't vote for X."

She wouldn't let it go, "Who did you vote for?"

"Forget it. When do you want to get the kids together?"

"Who did you vote for?"

"Honestly, I didn't vote for him. I don't want to talk about it anymore."

"Who did you vote for?"

It went on like that for a while, and finally I capitulated.

"YOU WHAT!?!? You voted third party? You might as well have voted for X. You wasted your vote! I cannot believe you did this! How could you? HOW COULD YOU?!?"

And she went on. And on. Berating me for my (very well considered) decision, that if X won I'd deserve what I got, etc. Pretty much put a damper on that birthday, let me tell you.

I'm fairly well versed in politics; I follow the issues as best I can in between empty sound bites that the media likes to serve up to us. I read a lot, listen a lot, watch a lot.

And I love discussing politics. The problem is, most people seem to react like my Birthday Friend. It's their way or nothing. There is no discussing, there is no room for debate or free thinking. If you don't agree with them, you are wrong. Period. End of discussion. Except for the berating bit.

Yesterday Megan at Velveteen Mind wrote quite the thought-provoking post about a similar topic. She's dipping her toes into the political, and has a lot of questions. The problem is, sometimes asking a question can be as heretical to those who are firmly entrenched in their belief system as openly opposing them.

I know that all too well. I have had friendships become strained because I asked questions, for the very act of asking made me suspect in their eyes. People have attempted to pigeon-hole me into a category, accusing me of being one of Them (that is, the enemy in their eyes) for daring to even question their tightly held beliefs.

I've been told that I can't be who I say I am politically. That it's impossible. I must be lying or stupid. Which I find odd, because this is who and how I've been my entire voting career.

Who am I politically?

Socially liberal.

Fiscally conservative.

There. I said it.

*crickets*

Am I alone in this? Am I the only Mommyblogger who isn't a registered Democrat?

Where I get all political. Fur shizzle.

Politicians.

I'm sick of them all.

Are you disappointed, too? I thought you might be.

Soooooooooo...as a public service, I decided it was high time to take matters into my own hands. Rather, Cutest Puppy EVER's paws:



Cutest Puppy EVER, aka Bruno, is launching a write-in campaign for the presidency. He may not be able to balance things on his head, but he's a really great snuggler.

(Bruno is asleep on the couch enjoying an afternoon breeze, but he approves of this ad.)

What I did with my tax refund

Yup, spent nearly a hundy dead presidents filling up our gas tanks. Woohoo!

Happy Festivus!!! Air your grievances here!

Yes, technically a day late, but as of now no-one has wrestled me my husband to the floor so it continues. Plus the date is pretty flexible; and what a wonderful thing for a procrastinator THAT is.

I thought in this holiday season full of joy and wonder and gratitude and good will towards men and all things sparkly and glowing, it might be nice to interject some good old fashioned bitterness and disappointment and jadedness. To that end, let's all do some airing of grievances! I'll start:

I'm sick of the overuse and misuse of the word "deserve." There is an radio commercial that runs on local radio stations by some Bankruptcy Lawyers that repeatedly state, "Get the credit you deserve." Ummmmmm...I think they have the credit they deserve. They deserve to have sucky credit because they spent more than they earned...maxed out their credit cards and lived beyond their means. That's the credit they deserve. I should know, I have the credit I deserve and it isn't pretty.

Maybe it's because of the holiday season in combination with the election cycle, but I can't seem to turn around without hearing about something someone deserves.

"Get her the diamond she deserves."

"You deserve higher wages!"

"You deserve to drive in luxury!"

"We deserve it!"

"You deserve MORE!"

"You deserve BETTER!"

If everyone deserves everything isn't that the same thing as saying no-one deserves anything?

------------------------------------

Sshhhhh...go ahead, take a break from your holiday optimism and air your grievances here. You deserve it!

Cackle, cackle, cackle...oh, snap! Obama burns Hillary.

By FAR the most exciting bit of the debate...or perhaps the only exciting bit. Nevertheless, I was dancing a jig when Obama pulled that one out. Hillary's new fake laugh she's been sporting is downright creeeeeeeeeepy.

Hillary is a man, Barack isn't really black, and Edwards is a total loser

Before Iggy, there was Socks...or, Politicians Suck

Many of my friends, Democratic and Republican alike, are planning on voting for Hillary simply because she is a woman. A lot of them don't even like her...she's too far left, she's too far right, whatever. Personally, I'm not a fan of Hillary, for a variety of reasons, but most notably I just don't trust her.

Way back in the day, I voted for Bill Clinton. I was in my mid-twenties, I didn't have health insurance, and I was wooed by their Universal Health Care plan. As the details came out, however, I realized how deceptive she'd been in her presentation of the plan. In a nutshell, that plan made health insurance mandatory, just like car insurance is. NOT having health insurance would be a crime...the government would provide health insurance/care for you. BUT IT WASN'T free...it was, if I recall, $1,500 per person per year (at that time I had looked into purchasing insurance and it was about $1,000, so it's not like the gov's insurance was any type of a deal). If you were found to not have insurance the fed gov would assign one to you, fine you by charging you double the regular cost, and garnish your wages to pay for it. If that meant you lose you home, so be it (and yes, that was written specifically in the document that health insurance took precedence over mortgage payments).

When I was in medical school, my preceptor was a rural physician who often accepted as payment for his family practice services things such as quilts, haircuts, babysitting services, even chickens (this is in the mid 1990's, I'm not that old!). If Hillary's health care plan had passed, this physician and his patients would be felons. Why? Tax evasion. Punishment? Up to 5 years in jail and a $5,000 fine...for both doc and patient. Doesn't sound too kind to me. My opinion of the Clintons changed after researching that plan. I just don't trust them. Of course, the fact is that I just don't trust most politicians, either side of the aisle. Politicians suck.

And who can get rid of a kitty because the photo ops are over? The Clintons can. Poor Socks. Maybe this is bugging me because we're trying to find a home and our pets are quite the barrier.

(P.S: I'm waiting for them to release the details of Hillary's new plan to come out, but so far it sounds suspiciously similar.)