72 Hours In A Psych Lockdown

Well, as many of you may know, I tried to commit suicide last Monday. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on one's perspective, I was interrupted. But, since I had written my last will (considered a "suicide note") I was taken to a hospital, and after being asked a few times if I were to be released would I attempt to do that again, and when my response was a "hell yeah," I was placed on an involuntary 5150 hold (California speak for lock up in a psych ward)!

More later. I was released today, have lots to say about the "visit" to the "ward" and a lot of comments about who family and friends REALLY are in this world. I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder, and given lots of medication that really helped. Who didn't help, were family, and many of my friends. That was the real shocker. Fortunately, I started a diary when I took the pills to kill myself, and continued it through the hospitalization as well as the psych lock up. I will have a few posts over the next few days (oh, let's not get depressed over Labor Day, LOL), but I am glad to be in my own home with clean sheets and clean clothes, and no more maniacs in the house!!!!!

We Have More To Fear From WHITE American Terrorists - Deal With It

Prosecutors say a murder case against four soldiers has revealed they formed an anarchist militia within the U.S. military with plans to overthrow the federal government.

One of the accused troops, Pfc. Michael Burnett, pleaded guilty Monday to manslaughter and gang charges in the December slayings of former soldier Michael Roark and his girlfriend, 17-year-old Tiffany York.

Burnett told a judge that Roark, who had just left the Army, knew of the militia group's plans and was killed because he was "a loose end."

Prosecutor Isabel Pauley says the group bought $87,000 worth of guns and bomb-making materials and plotted to take over Fort Stewart, bomb targets in nearby Savannah and Washington state, as well as assassinate the president.

The crazies are encouraging the unhinged. Yeah, we have nothing to fear from armed white Americans. NOT.

More Stupid Republican Talking Points About Rape - Now It's Just Like Having A Baby Out Of Wedlock

To continue with the theme of this post I made earlier, here's another Republican idiot, comparing "rape" to getting pregnant "out of wedlock." Can someone just line these guys up and snip their testicles off? Another post courtesy of Think Progress.

MARK SCOLFORO, ASSOCIATED PRESS: How would you tell a daughter or a granddaughter who, God forbid, would be the victim of a rape, to keep the child against her own will? Do you have a way to explain that?

SMITH: I lived something similar to that with my own family. She chose life, and I commend her for that. She knew my views. But, fortunately for me, I didn’t have to.. she chose they way I thought. No don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t rape.

SCOLFORO: Similar how?

SMITH: Uh, having a baby out of wedlock.

SCOLFORO: That’s similar to rape?

SMITH: No, no, no, but… put yourself in a father’s situation, yes. It is similar. But, back to the original, I’m pro-life, period.

Why Do Republicans Hate The Homeless?

From Think Progress:

As Republicans gather for their national party convention in Tampa, they will be aware of the stormy weather but may not see another issue clouding the city.

The Tampa-St. Petersburg metropolitan area has the highest rate of homelessness in the nation, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness in a report issued earlier this year — 57 homeless for every 10,000 residents.

There are about 16,000 homeless people in the Tampa area, and one in five of them are children.

Presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney has not laid out any plans when it comes to combating homelessness. However, back in April, an NBC News reporter overheard Romney telling rich donors that he may eliminate the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which would bring an end to critical programs like Section 8 housing vouchers and community development block grants, assuming Romney didn’t just shuffle them around to another department.

The budget crafted by Romney’s running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), could cause housing assistance to disappear for about one million households, according to HUD. GOP Gov. Rick Scott (R-FL) has also shown little sympathy for his state’s homeless population, proposing to completely zero out funding for homelessness prevention programs.

I took in a homeless person for a couple of months, just to help him out and get his social security increased to a livable wage. He left about a week ago after living here for two months (and he paid $200 for the room). The sad part is, I think he went back to the streets, just with more money in his pocket in order to eat and stuff. I don't know why he left, as I was not left a note; I just came home one day and he was gone, and the keys were on my table. No one has seen him around his usual spot, and those that knew he was staying with me (including friends and family whom I consulted before I even took him in, and they all gave me the thumbs up) don't have an explanation to offer either. Some say that once on the street, it's hard to get off the streets. This was by no means one of those bedraggled and dirty/smelly persons. This was a well groomed man, clean as a whistle (in fact, he showered daily and did his laundry, including the sheets he slept on in the extra bedroom every week), bought food, and I sometimes cooked dinner for the both of us. It was an interesting experience for me, but it saddened me a great deal that he would just leave without an explanation, especially since he constantly thanked me for giving him a roof over his head.

As I scramble for work to get money to pay MY rent and my few bills, it's sobering to realize that I am close to being homeless every month now, without a regular paycheck coming in.

The Republican party has no concept of how we middle class people are a paycheck away from being on the streets. I've managed to scrape by doing a job here and there (from home) for a criminal attorney that really doesn't have an office and needs administrative things taken care of, for which he pays me $100 here and there, but I have had to reach out to a friend to borrow $300 to make my rent this month, and a family friend is renting out my extra room for a couple of months for the same $200 (my rent is $1,100 for a one bedroom, 750 square feet, but huge based on the layout - I have always slept on a futon, since the 1980's, so I have one for my couch during the day, and my bed at night). I made my bills this month, and am probably $350 shy of making the rent -- crossing fingers I get paid from a client I am doing two motions for and a temporary restraining order (family law) which could put me over the top.

It's strange to not have the life I had for 12 years. I haven't been to my watering hole in over a month because I really do not have the extra money for the dinner and drinks. I have to buy on the cheap now for food, which is something I haven't done in 12 years. I'm 60 so it's not like there is a regular 9-5 job out there waiting for someone my age, even with my legal skills. The attorney I left at the office (not my boss, my co-worker) is just dying (not literally) at the job having to pick up the slack since I left. He told me he had no idea that "our" boss did absolutely nothing, nada, and even though he is an attorney, he can't draft even a simple complaint or go to a simple hearing. He's worthless, which is why I started hating my job the past two years. It was my way or the highway, and he said no, so I left. My friend would leave but he has a higher threshold of income he needs to survive than I do (like 2-1/2 times more), so he can't leave. I almost feel more sorry for him than I do for myself. I've always been a hustler, so it is not like I haven't lived like this before (without a 9-5 job), but it is a bit different doing it when you are in your 30's vs. doing it when you are 60!

Anyway, this tome is much more personal than I intended it to be, but after reading about how many homeless people are in Tampa, Florida, and given the Republican's methodical elimination of assistance to poor/middle class people, I just felt the need to share one liberal person's plight and acknowledge my understanding of the situation.

On the bright side, since leaving my job, my blood pressure stabilized such that the doctor has me on a lower medication and is now seeing me every two months instead of every month! It truly demonstrates just how much I hated my job and my stress level decreased despite the fact that I have no regular source of income and what should be a stressful situation for me is actually less so than my old job!!!!!!!

Fun Videos To Lighten Up Convention Paralysis

A Belly Laugh For Sunday Morning

I think the majority of "magical thinking" aka "fantasy" amongst Repugs and christowhackos actually occurs while they're watching porn, but that's just me.

Funny stuff, courtesy of Alternate Brain. Read the entire post for a good Sunday laugh.

Two More Shooting Sprees, And Yet We Still Can't Have A Discussion On Gun Control

Shooting spree last night in Chicago, hitting 13 19 people, shooting spree today in NYC at Empire State Building, shooting spree last week ...

What is wrong with the adults in this country, make that white old men who control all aspects of local, state and national governments, that we can't have a decent discussion on gun control, and who have undone some of the most restrictive gun control legislation in recent years.

We most certainly are becoming a third world country, where everyone is armed to the teeth, and if we don't like someone, just shoot them.

Paul Ryan Doesn't Care "How" Conception Occurs - Think About That, Women, And DON'T VOTE REPUBLICAN

“The method of conception doesn’t change the definition of life."

In a sit down interview with a local TV station last night, Paul Ryan spoke about his stance on abortion, on which he sides with Rep. Todd Akin over his running mate: “The method of conception doesn’t change the definition of life. But let’s remember that I’m joining the Romney-Ryan ticket, and the President makes policy. And the president — in this case the future President Mitt Romney — has exceptions for rape, incest, and life of the mother, which is a vast improvement of where we are right now.”

Courtesy of Think Progress.

Think about that for a while, next time you know someone who is a victim of rape and is pregnant. Republicans demand that the woman carry the baby to term.

Never mind that in some states, should the woman carry the baby to term, it opens up a whoop ass can of worms: paternity rights, VISITATION rights, the fact that the rape victim will have to be in a relationship with the rapist for most of her life, etc.

Hey, it's ok, just so long as the old, impotent white men who run the party get their Viagra, who gives a fuck about women's rights. Spread 'em and weep, damn it.

I Worry About My Grandson's Life In Chicago, Murder Capital Of U.S.

Police say 13 people were shot and wounded in a 30-minute spate of violence in Chicago, including eight gunned down on a single street.

Authorities have been battling an increase in homicides in the city where some aldermen complain gangs have no fear of the police.

More here:

It's well-known that gun violence is an issue for many inner cities across the U.S. But Chicago, in particular, has the most alarming rates, almost double that of New York City.

Since 2008, 80 percent of the 530 young people under the age of 21 felled by gun violence lived in the city's South, Southwest and West sides, which are heavily populated with African-Americans and Latinos. Ironically, only one-third of the city's population lives in these areas. Englewood, an area in the city's South Side, stood out the most. Their murder rate is five times that of the rest of the city.

To think that my grandson could be a casualty of a random shooting scares the shit out of me. Please help bring him home and donate.

GOP, The Party Of 70 Year Old Impotent White Men

Listen and learn. Do you REALLY want this? There is a war on women. There really is a method to the madness of the impotent old white men taking over the GOP. Yes to Viagra, no to birth control. H/T to GP over at AMERICAblog.

A Mormon Smackdown By Somone Who Knows His Bible

Let's just start off by making one thing clear. I am not a Christian, nor do I believe that Jesus is God, or that by accepting Jesus I will go to "heaven." I do, however, believe in God, and I accept the teachings of Jesus vis-s-vis the "book" most Christians accept as the writings of Jesus, the Bible, which of course, anyone with an education, especially in religion, knows that the Bible was not written in any fashion by Jesus, nor can any of the New Testament be proven to have been written by the actual apostles that the writings have been attributed to. More importantly, the Bible as we know it today was put together by a "king" in order to put forth some sort of ability to control the "church" and the "believers" approximately 300 years after Jesus was known to have died.

Be that as it may, I respect the right of REAL Christians to believe in Jesus and do the work in his name. I do not respect the new Christian belief system that amounts to bigotry, anger, war, nationalism, or capitalism, which has morphed into this ideology that America is a Christian nation (especially, again, when education proves that this country was clearly founded upon the freedom to worship as one chooses, that insofar as our government is concerned, one's religion shall not be a test marker, and lastly, religion and government should not be entwined). These "Christians" represent, to me, and to a lot of people, the same Christians that roamed the world during the Crusades basically killing anyone that refused to accept Jesus as God, desecrating many holy places along the way.

Enter the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, aka the Mormons. I have had serious personal interactions with Mormons for over 40 years and know well the teachings of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. But I have never seen a smack down as good as this by a person that knows his Bible!



I used to have the same experience. When one actually uses the Bible against a Mormon, they are stumped. And like the gentleman in the video says, the Mormons don't believe in Jesus as much as they believe in Joseph Smith.

And here the Christians who represent a majority of the white, older aged American, male dominated Republican party are putting their Christianity on the line by supporting a Mormon for POTUS.

Wishing A Pregnancy Into The Cornfield, Todd Akin Style

Todd Akin, Missouri’s Republican Senate candidate, sparked controversy with a claim, made in a TV interview posted Sunday, that victims of “legitimate rape” very rarely get pregnant because their bodies prevent them from doing so.

Speaking to Charles Jaco on the Jaco Report on St. Louis’s Fox station, Akin was answering a question about allowing abortions in the case of rape. He said, “If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”

Holy shit! Where do these white, old Republican men come up with these beliefs? If a woman can "shut down" a pregnancy, why, oh why, did we come up with birth control? And what the fuck, for the gazilionth time, is a "legitimate rape?" You mean, according to these, again, white, old Republican MEN, there is a LEGITIMATE RAPE?

I'm post menopause, and I believe I can speak for most women, that finally, after having to wonder every FUCKING MONTH OF MY ENTIRE LIFE SINCE PUBERTY HIT, (or after I was having sex, to be more accurate), I do not have to worry if I may be preggers. Try living with that your whole adult life, you morons.

Who knew I could just "will away" my pregnancies, just like wishing people into the "cornfield."

What Is Medicare? Read Steve Benen's Thorough Commentary

All I'm suggesting is that a little critical thinking on the part of the electorate and the political world can go a long way.

Well, in today's false equivalent world, that suggestion will fall on deaf ears. Still, the piece by Steve Benen is a good read.

Given how critically important this is in the presidential election, let's pause for a moment to consider the bigger picture.

[snip]

What is Medicare? It's a massive, government-run system of socialized medicine. It's wildly popular, very successful, and one of the pillars of modern Democratic governance. This government-run system of socialized medicine was created by Democrats against the opposition of conservative Republicans, and it's Democrats who've fought to protect it for more than a half-century.

Or to summarize, the left loves Medicare and always has; the right hates Medicare and always has. For liberals, the system is a celebrated ideal; for conservatives it's an unconstitutional, big-government outrage in desperate need of privatization.

[snip]

In other words, the argument pushed by the most right-wing major-party ticket in a generation is that Barack Obama is a left-wing socialist who wants government-run socialized medicine and that Barack Obama is a far-right brute who wants to undermine government-run socialized medicine.

I Am Tired Of Pretend Friends Posted By DBD On Facebook As Zaire's Real Friends

You know, I had Facebook up a while back but then deleted it because I was tired of the few friends that I did allow to "friend" me who would use up my space with stuff like posting their new friends, their new status, or stupid links and stupid pictures. So, I didn't need it and cancelled it. But then, my daughter, who takes lots of pictures of Zaire, never got around to actually e-mailing me the pictures, plus, she was linked to the DBD's Facebook page such that pictures of Zaire in Chicago were available to me through my daughter. So, I reinstated my account so that I could at least download current pictures of my grandson.

I find it very sad that there are no pictures of my grandson in Chicago that show him with "real" friends. He has no school friends, he does not have sleep overs or go to sleep overs, and the only pictures of Zaire with other children are actually pictures of Zaire with his babysitter's kid and her nephew. (Sigh). Zaire spends 80% of his time in the care of some woman that the DBD used to sleep with and now his "best friends" in Chicago are this woman's kid and her nephew. How sad. At a time when Zaire should be making great friends and experiencing his childhood, he's forced to live at the DBD's ex girlfriend's house (he even spends the night there on most occasions, while DBD actually goes home, how shitty is that?), and to top it off, Zaire's situation makes him a "target" at his school, yeah, he get's beat up. You know, all of my friends that hail from Chicago warned me that my grandson would be the target of bullying if he were to re-locate to Chicago, and as much as I hate to say they were right -- they were right.

He needs to come home where he has friends. Real friends. Not made up friends. Not children of the DBD's ex lovers (and that includes those that make up his so called "half brothers" whose mom left the DBD years ago). With a parent like that, shit, even I would need therapy.

Caveat - the opinions expressed are entirely of my own, and protected by my First Amendment Right to post. I don't care if anyone (and you know who YOU are) don't like what I have to say, the truth hurts, and it ain't my fault.

Romney Calls People "Small Minded" Who Want To See His Tax Returns

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney on Thursday insisted that he had paid more than 13 percent of his income in taxes over the last 10 years, and accused the people who want to see his returns of being "small minded."

Well, I don't agree that people asking to see the presidential nominee's tax returns are small minded. But, someone that thinks it's ok to strap his fucking dog to the roof of his car, in a cage, and go on vacation -- that's pretty small minded, if you ask me. Actually, he's really an idiot!

Here We Go Again, Trying To Convince Regular Parents To Gut Public Education - Oh Pulllleeeezzzzeee

And people wonder why I hate Phil Anschutz (who I call Phil An Shitz)? (Side story relates to his ownership of the L.A. Kings, and after 10 seasons being a season ticket holder, when he took control of the helm and lied to us season ticket holders, I threw the tickets back - well not to him personally, but to his right hand man at the time, Tim Lieweke, who I used to call Tim Lies Weekly, or Tim Lies Weakly).

The world’s largest private-sector employer and the country’s most prominent conservative entertainment company have teamed up to sponsor a fundraiser called “Teachers Rock.” Backed by Walmart and Anschutz Film Group, the August 14 event will feature live performances from musicians like Josh Groban and appearances from actresses like Viola Davis; it will be broadcast August 18 as a CBS special with messages from actresses like Meryl Streep. And it will promote the upcoming feature film Won’t Back Down, Anschutz’s entry in the “education reform” wars.

I can't believe that people like Josh Groban and actress Viola Davis got hood winked into this ALEC sponsored bullshit that is code for privatizing public schools and eliminating the longstanding public education that's been a foundation of America for years.

What do you call a nation that has private police forces, private first responders, and private schools at the expense of the public alternative? Banana republics.

Was VP Pick Game Changer? Eh, Not So Much

No. For all clichéd gab about this being a “game-changer,” we already know that it’s not. The polls show at most a mild bounce so far. Many Americans have not a clue as to who Ryan is except as a card-carrying representative of the second most despised brand in America after the local cable company: Congress.

Ok, that made me laugh! H/T to Alternate Brain.

Vintage Paul Ryan - Smack Down On 71 Year Old For Speaking Truth To His Lies

This video has been making the rounds lately, and I believe it was about a year ago. Notice how disgustingly smug Paul Ryan is as he cracks a joke at the expense of the elderly gentleman.



This is a 71 year old man who has paid into Social Security and unemployment insurance all his working life (well, so he says ... but let's just assume it to be a fact or else he would not have taken the stand he did) and his complaint is about the "new age" politicians that keep wanting to cut/gut his Social Security and end unemployment as we know it. The constant drumbeat of the right wingers in re-labeling these services as "welfare" and "hand-outs" when they are, in fact, money taken out of working people's pay checks and put away for that rainy day, makes me sick to my stomach. And ironically, there are actually stupid people out there that believe this rhetoric ... until, of course, it comes to THEIR Social Security and unemployment benefits. In fact, it is even more ironic that many of our old farts in Congress actually get their Social Security and other government benefits (like health care), but continuously refuse to give up theirs while they say the rest of the American population MUST give up theirs. Bull shit.

And notice how the police or security guards treat the old man for just saying what he wants to say, and you can hear them yelling at him to "get on the ground." For god's sake, what is wrong with our country that a 71 year old man is not allowed to voice his opinion and has to be taken away in handcuffs, no less?

That New Car Feeling

I have always felt everyone should at least at one time in their life, live at the beach. I also feel the same way about owning a new car, and at least a convertible auto.

I had my first car, an Opel Kadett, back in the early 1970's,





and my last NEW car, in 1977, a Fiat Spider convertible!

Cigars And Gas

You know you are a "regular" in your neighborhood when you can waltz over to the local gas station, in your PJ's, smoking a cigar, and protest, VOCALLY, the mind altering fucking increase in gas prices over two days. (Spoiler alert - been asked to come back tomorrow when they will implement their THIRD increase in three days, with my big ass cigar!)








So, a friend of mine gave me four Montecristo Churchill cigars. I haven't smoked a cigar in a few years, but those that know me personally, know I love a good cigar.

I noticed, while smoking one of the cigars tonight, that the gas station across the street raised their prices AGAIN in two days, approximately 20 cents, and I went over, in my pajamas and slippers (laughing) and was like "what the fuck?" They wanted to take a picture of me with my cigar and their raised prices, but no one had a camera, and they did not want to use a cell phone. So, tomorrow, when they said they would be raising the prices again (three raises in three days) they want me to come back with my cigar and take pictures!

Hey, I don't fault the station owners -- they are good friends of mine for over 10 years, but they do not have control over the price increases, and to be fair, they are opposed to the price increases. Still, I find it funny that they want to take a picture of me and my cigar!

Ohio - Separate Voting Rights For Democrats (Less) And Republicans (More)

Interesting news. Seems in Ohio, when back in 2004, lots of people did not vote because of the excessively long lines, sort of fixed that problem for the 2008 election. Except, Obama took the state, so in 2010, the Republicans in the state, decided it would be a good idea to allow liberal voting rights for those districts that are primarily Republican, but restrict voting rights for those districts that are primarily Democratic.

Now, in heavily Democratic cities like Cleveland, Columbus, Akron and Toledo, early voting hours will be limited to 8 am until 5 pm on weekdays beginning on October 1, with no voting at night or during the weekend, when it’s most convenient for working people to vote. Republican election commissioners have blocked Democratic efforts to expand early voting hours in these counties, where the board of elections are split equally between Democratic and Republican members. Ohio Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted has broken the tie by intervening on behalf of his fellow Republicans. (According to the Board of Elections, 82% of early voters in Franklin County voted early on nights or weekends, which Republicans have curtailed. The number who voted on nights or weekends was nearly 50% in Cuyahoga County.)

"I cannot create unequal access from one county board to another, and I must also keep in mind resources available to each county,” Husted said in explaining his decision to deny expanded early voting hours in heavily Democratic counties. Yet in solidly Republican counties like Warren and Butler, GOP election commissioners have approved expanded early voting hours on nights and weekends. Noted the Cincinnati Enquirer: “The counties where Husted has joined other Republicans to deny expanded early voting strongly backed then-candidate Barack Obama in 2008, while most of those where the extra hours will stand heavily supported GOP nominee John McCain.” Moreover, budget constraints have not stopped Republican legislators from passing costly voter ID laws across the map since 2010.

Fortunately, one can expect lawsuits to stop this from being truly implemented.

Why Our Postal Service Suffers Needlessly

I really want to make sure that my readers understand just what the attacks on the U.S. Postal Service are about, and why they are constantly facing a default on payments they have to make, and just how those payments, exclusive of all other government entities, were forced on the Postal Service, by our Congress, in a serious attempt to eliminate out government sponsored mail service in order to replace it by a private service. (Please remember that this is a primary goal of most Republicans in office, and many of those newly elected Republican governors in 2010 have been dismantling public sector jobs and replacing them with private contractors, from schools on down to police and fire departments).

In 2006 there was a congressional mandate that the U.S. Postal Service pre-fund future retiree health benefits for the next 75 years, within a ten year period. This, of course, is not mandated for any other public agency. That amount, approximately $5.5 billion a year, $21 billion total, is exactly what is causing the financial problems within the postal service.

Take a moment to digest that. Congress mandated the USPS to PREPAY retirement benefits FOR THE NEXT 75 YEARS WITHIN A TEN YEAR PERIOD! This is/was absurd. Can you imagine if you or your company (let alone any other government institution) was required to pay ahead of time 75 fucking years worth of proposed retirement benefits, and to pay that amount (75 years) in 10 years?

This is why the postal service is going broke. Please support the American Postal Workers Union.