When a Recession has actually become a Depression

You know, my daughters love the story of Cinderella.  Though this is a European fantasy, it has a distinctly American character.  Beautiful, under appreciated girl works hard for those who are undeserving; they beat her down mercilessly but they get their comeuppance by Cinderella landing the prince and becoming happy and rich. Most importantly, throughout any of the many, many incarnations of Cinderella (and I know there are hundreds because my 1st daughter has youtubed and watched EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM) she is uncomplaining, sweet, and gracious throughout all her trials; not even so much as yelling at her persecutors.

We americans believe if we just: (1) keep our heads down, (2) don't complain, (3) work hard, (4) do all the right things, (5) save and invest money wisely in the stock market, (6) goto a good college and study something that will bring in lots 'o money -  such as becoming a doctor, a lawyer, an architect, etc -  (7) buy an affordable house...do all that and you will attain the american dream! Voila! The prince will carry you off from your burdensome difficulties and you will live in a castle in american suburbia, white picket fence and errythang'.  Jus' like I pictured it (a la Stevie Wonder).  But what we are finding is that student loan debt is stifling abilities of young people to start their lives (we're talking $50 - $250K to get through those masters and medical schools, and sometimes no job at the end). Dream(s) Delayed. John Corizine and his investment company just lost $1.6 BILLION of investor money, just lost it….don't know where it 'tis…Dream(s) Denied.  You bought the house, but now it's worth about half what you paid for it and you can't get out because no one will buy it and hey…you just lost your job or haven't been able to find one for oh about 1.5 YEARS. Dream(s) Defunct.

Paul Krugman just wrote an editorial in the NY Times that says let's just call a spade a spade:  

It’s time to start calling the current situation what it is: a depression. True, it’s not a full replay of the Great Depression, but that’s cold comfort. Unemployment in both America and Europe remains disastrously high. Leaders and institutions are increasingly discredited. And democratic values are under siege.

We ain't in no recession, we're really in a f****n depression. damn. Europe, you gave us the cinderella story, and now all of us westerners have lost the narrative...

Cue my song "Depression" from my just completed new album called.....wait for it..."Mommy, What's A Depression?" The words to the song go "...this life is hard, I'm just trying to get by, it's easier to fly…." I'm trying to give voice to the many, many people out there who can relate to this line....

This is kinda angry, but I was just pissed off....

For those of you who have delicate ears and don't wanna read me cursing, step away now, cause I'ma 'bout to let 'er rip.  I was listening to the radio today and I heard an ad for the Lars Larson show, apparently a conservative themed radio program, and he said essentially those who got a mortgage that they couldn't afford and got caught up in the mortgage mess are STUPID.  Ok, M**A F***A, say that sh*t to my face!!  I got caught!  I am a university professor. I have a Bachelors and a Masters degree.  More broadly, just because you got caught doesn't mean that you were stupid.  A little of my story:

I saved for YEARS to buy my first house.  My mom said to me when I got married, "you can get married in a really nice hall for a lot of money, or you can have your reception in 19th Street Baptist Church for $500....I will give you the difference to put towards your first house."  My reception had no dancing because we ate our dinner and had the creme de la creme of Philly Jazz Musicians in the reception hall of a Baptist (read: no dancing allowed) Church.  And even then I still had to save for YEARS after that to buy my first house.  Once I had the down payment, because I was a musician, and thereby self employed, I was offered no option but a high mortgage rate.  I was told by my mortgage broker, who by the way was the nephew of my mother's college classmate, that if I paid my mortgage on time for 12 months, I could refinance for a reasonable rate of 7%.  Unfortunately for me, I decided to take out a home equity loan to upgrade the property at the same time because, in order to own that particular house, I had to become a landlord.  The house was old and needed fixing up.  So I got a very low rate, and paid regularly, but a couple of years in, my payment changed DRAMATICALLY.  I called the company and said,"What de hell!!??!!" And they said,"you signed an ARM, an adjustable rate mortgage", I replied, "No, I DIDN'T.  I wouldn't do that because that would be a financially stupid decision for me" Them: "We have your signature if you'd like to see it"  I had been caught in a trap! My mortgage broker - - remember: he was the nephew of a close friend of my mother's, someone you might think had my best interests at heart - - had screwed me over.  I shook my head sadly…I thought somehow I must have missed something.

Later on, when I bought my house in MD, I talked to the title agent.  That person may have been blowing smoke up my ass, but she said, "No, Alison…you didn't miss anything. I've talked to you for a while, and they just didn't tell you what you were signing.  I've seen it happen many times."

How many houses do people buy in their lifetime?! FOR REAL?! One?! TWO?!  In NYC, the mortgage contract is 1.5 INCHES thick full of legal size papers in REALLY small print.  It is EXTREMELY PLAUSIBLE that a vast number of people didn't completely understand everything in such a complicated document.  Also, when someone dangles your dreams in front of you, no matter how thoughtful you are, if it's something where you don't have a lot of experience, you may make a mistake.  That doesn't in any shape, form or fashion equate with stupidity. And FYI Mr. Larson, and any one else who talks about normal, rational people who may have made a mistake: Bankers, mortgage brokers, real estate agents and title agents all made a whole lot of money every time someone got a mortgage, home equity loan, or any other real estate based financial product.  It was in their financial interest to get as many people to buy or sell their homes as they could.  Everyone, soup to nuts, was making a sh*tload of money.  So goody for you, Mr. Larson, whoever the hell you are, that you didn't get caught in the housing CRISIS. From the rest of us stupid, fallible, people we'd like to say, "Kiss my a**!! And make sure you don't miss a spot and be sure to feel and smell the breeze while you're down there...."

No Euros, Dolla Dolla bills (US Dollas, that is), please...

You know, I used to want all my paychecks to be given to me in Euros when I went on the road in Europe.  Well, I guess that's over.

NPR: GOP pbjects to 'Millionaires Surtax': Millionaires we found? Not so much

NPR did this story recently about the Millionaire surtax to pay for other programs and decided to find some millionaires who were against it.  They found very few who were willing to talk about it at all, but the two they found were not stopping their hiring based off of whether they were taxed or not.  

Now I have a friend who owns her own financial consulting business.  She IS the american dream.  Came from NOTHING and built a thriving insurance and financial consulting firm, taught herself spanish and lives in a big house, literally, on a hill down a long driveway.  When I talked to her, she said, we gotta bring down some of these taxes, they're killing me!  However, she did not say that her hiring practices changed because of her tax burden.  My Grandfather who owned a farm said that if you're paying more taxes, you're making more money. Rejoice!

No one wants to pay taxes dude.  I may get a tax break for childcare, but whether I had the tax break or not, I gotta pay for my child to get watched because I gotta go to work.  If a business has work coming in and not enough people to handle it, that company will hire more workers or find a way to get more productivity out of the current workers they have. Taxes may be a part of any decision, but the work needs to get done regardless. Period. 

Choosing between Health or House in America...

You know, Facebook is good for something because I found this op-ed in the LA TImes today that helped me really realize something that I needed to: that I am not alone.  Health care for me has been a big issue. For many years, I paid for my own health care for me and my family.  First in NYC where I had to pay really high premiums but EVERYTHING was covered.  Then in MD where I had the fraudulent health insurance that decided it only took $4000 to have a baby and that's all it covered: doctor visits, all tests, hospital stays and giving birth.  Oh, and btw, when the baby came out, she was now an individual who was uninsured, so they wouldn't pay for her. Many thousand of dollars (and I mean many, many, many thousands of dollars) later, I found a different insurance which is better, but the high deductible makes it so that I'm doing my best not to get really sick.

This article really reminds, "There but for the grace of God go I."  This woman had to choose between health insurance and her house because the economy ruined her and her husbands self employed business.  She chose her home.  Comments underneath said things like, "well, she should've found a cheaper place to live." and " Tragic but "we the people" should not pay for her misfortune."

Again, WHO IS ASKING FOR A FRICKIN HANDOUT HERE?!?!?! All the woman wanted was to be covered by insurance and found out that because of the Affordable Health Care Act (I refuse to call it obamacare), she now has access to health care coverage that she can afford to pay HERSELF! It ain't like its free or welfare. I am soooooo tired of the people who say that just because someone wants something that's affordable and easy to deal with that they are a communist or believes in socialism and your problems ain't my problems so just deal with it.  I hope that those people never have a daggum problem with their health like cancer as this woman did and have to choose between their health and a roof over their head.  It  makes me just wanna kick 'em in the nuts with a pointy toed shoe….

We Don't Need Kid Janitors...

Ok, Newt Gingrich is now saying that "urban" (read: black and brown), children don't know the value of work because most of them are living in areas where most people don't have a job or when they do work, it is illegal. So, he is advocating that this kids should work in their schools including, but not limited to, being a janitor in the school; thereby you fire the Janitor and save money right?

Ok, there's merit to his argument but not in the way he thinks it is.

1. All children should participate in the running of their school at every level, including the BASIC cleaning of it.  Children in urban, rural, and suburban background should know how to take care of the environments that are important to their development such as their homes, schools, places of worship and community centers - - not just "urban" kids.  I know plenty of "suburban" kids who can't take care of themselves let alone anyone else.

2. As Charles Blow says in his op-ed, most people in inner cities work, but not necessarily the jobs that get them anywhere.  When you don't see that the jobs your parents do gives them enjoyment or lead them anywhere, why would you respect those jobs?  As I've suggested in an earlier post, there is a two-tiered society of the haves (those with computers, technology, etc) and the have nots.  The haves - -  regardless of their economic background - - will move on to possibly become successful because they can see many different avenues towards success.  (One of my student's mother has a 'wall of success' in her house of all the awards her 4th grade daughter has won over the years.  She showed me a picture of it, and proudly calls her daughter a nerd.  It's very obvious this woman is probably on public assistance.) If you grow up believing being a sports star, a model, a reality TV star or a rapper are your only paths to financial success, then essentially you feel you don't have a good chance in life.  Gingrich needs to refine his message to include the understanding of WHY children are having difficulty internalizing success models.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means...

I just want to say a few words about the booing of the First Lady and Dr. Biden.  I suspect that there is a lot more behind it than just booing someone.  The NASCAR fans didn't just boo anyone, it was the FIRST LADY.  Now, no matter what you think of the person, the "office" of 1st lady is something to be respected. Period.

I fully acknowledge and respect that people can have their own opinions.  But someone on the Right should have said, "I don't like them much, but we as a nation should respect the 'office' of First Lady. Booing was not appropriate.  Perhaps at a political event, but they were standing with veterans and their families who they have supported for many years.  Their kids were there and it was not our finest hour." I searched the internet for HOURS and found NO ONE!  Not one political commentator, not one pundit, not anyone in the public eye from the right said anything.  Below are the types of comments that were on Glenn Beck's website: Blaze.com.

I think this really points out that a group of people in this country have decided that in their rightful and righteous anger towards the government that they can just do anything.  On the Fox.com site ,  there was a poll.  The results were that they thought the booing was: (in this order) offensive - 133, inspiring - 333, and funny - 673. In my best Spock voice: "Astonishing!"

Another article talked about how other first ladies, Roosevelt, Johnson, and Clinton were also booed.  

In this picture, are there any republican first ladies? …crickets chirping…The democratic first ladies were all advocating for what certain people thought was above and beyond their "place".  The comments after the jump really show what people are angry at and how vitriolic it has gotten personally against this woman. I'm not saying there are not really foul mouthed democrats, but saying that Michelle Obama is, "the 1st linebacker…I mean lady?"  If Laura Bush had come to a black church to say something, people might have clapped politely, and might have even frowned a lot, but NO ONE would have booed.  If it had happened, we'd have been put under the jail, so to speak.

Kids become what they see...

Though this is an interesting article about how children are influencing makers of technology like iPads and such, it makes me think a lot more about the multi-tiered society that we are creating: those with technology and those without. I know this subject has been brought up a lot but as a person who works regularly with children who have little, and with young adults who have much, I see how it affects our society deeply. We have and are continuing to build an underclass in our society that barely has access to the things and even ideas necessary to be upwardly mobile.

Think about this: if your parents don't have books in the house, certain studies say that you as a child will probably not read as well or as much as a child who has many books in the house, EVEN IF THEY NEVER READ THEM IN FRONT OF THE CHILD. What is put in front of you lets you know what is possible. My children are very familiar with computers and phones and books because we have them. My mom bought a really crappy computer when we were teenagers because even though she had no experience with them whatsoever, she KNEW that we would need them at the moment and later on. BTW, (my brother is probably the only one who I can share this with and will remember) the phrase 3927(or some such number) to washington, 3927 to washington, was a phrase used by my father frequently in his car because….wait for it…he had a mobile phone IN HIS CAR…In 1976! My brother and I had a vision of what the world could be because our parents had the opportunity to show it. My husband and I have made it a point to show our children what the world can look like, to the best of our ability. It's time for us as a culture individually and politically to decide that we will work to make things available educationally and make parents understand that parenting actually does start at home. We can come together for a wide variety of issues, but class rears it head everywhere, even in our so-called "progressive" movements.

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OFFS (Occupy Frozen Food Section)!!

Ok, I don't have much to say but…this is just dumb. Pizza ain't a vegetable. A granola bar in the shape of a cookie is…a cookie dang it! French fries are literally, killing people because if you ingest them you are more likely to ingest all those other foods that are bad for you and cause diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and contribute greatly to arthritis and cancer. I see these kids and have some of them in my house. My kid has pizza all the time, but we eat LOTS of veggies, clean meats, and fruit. But there are many kids and families who don't, hence the obesity epidemic which I see all the time right in front of me.

If anyone wants to start talking about "crony capitalism" well, here it is. Tomato paste is nutritional but not slathered on a pizza crust made with white flour and a ton of fatty cheese on top. Anyone with a brain knows that. The potato and frozen food lobby wins over science and fricken common sense again. I'm gonna occupy the frozen food section at my local grocery store. Anyone with me?

R's fear Obama??

"Roger Simon at Politico posted an article about the republican presidential debates.  I find it both fascinating and horrifying that we have the group of candidates that we have.  Mr. Simon feels that all Obama has to do is to allow them to debate and then when making ads, play the candidate who wins verbatim.

You mean to tell me that we are allowing people who say "oops…", That vaccine made her daughter retarded"(add red neck southern accent for additional fun), and this great one down here:

"The more toppings a man has on his pizza, I believe the more manly he is...A manly man (doesn't) want it piled high with vegetables! He would call that a sissy pizza..." to run for leader of the free world?!

You gotta be kidding me. This is what the republican party has put up to vote on?  Actors from a Saturday Night Live skit?  And they actually have some popular support?  One thing it says to me is that the republicans think that Obama is more of a threat for re-election than they want to let on.  The only candidates that seem to have sense are Hunstman, Romney, Paul and Gingrich.  Gingrich looks like he's trying to sell books and two are actual contenders.  But just like musician's in the 90s thought about Babyface: He's talented, but place him in with the artist/producers of just 10-20 years ago, and he'd just be another talented producer, but perhaps not the top.  Romney is the same way.  There are many other Republicans who are weighty, have real ideas, and though I may not agree with them, have a real vision and experience to carry them out.  

I think it says a lot about the state of the electorate.  We have been so let down and so entrenched in entertainment that panders to our most mind numbing feelings, we think it's ok to have  a "straight talking" person run for president.  That would be fine if the straight talk made sense.  It makes me remember Sarah Palin and how she was made fun of on SNL by re-doing one of her interviews VERBATIM as a skit!  They didn't alter it at all!  This is where we've come to.  It just makes us look bad as a country that these people actually have support.  As I say in one of my rants, "WHAT THE HELL?!!!"

Mississippi FAIL

I know this Mississippi law did not pass, but the mere fact that it was even brought up is disturbing. As a mom, I feel that as soon as you know you're pregnant, you have a little person in there. And if you want that child, you'll do anything to protect it.  However, as I've been saying in some tweets lately, turning a woman's womb into a crime scene because we want to have a "culture of life" to take over?!  Uh Uh…nope.  I can't roll with you.

The strongest reason I have for believe that woman should have the right to have an abortion came from my Christian conservative mom.  This woman was very anti-abortion (she wouldn't read Harry potter books because they have witches in them.  Satan is real…she has the series about the second coming of Christ.  She has them ALL)  She worked in Walter Reade Hospital when abortion was illegal. Her mind changed when she saw woman after woman after woman after woman (not exaggerating here, this is what she told me first hand) who bled out and died because of botched abortions done with all manner of coat hangers, herbs, etc…She just couldn't take the death and destruction she saw so often.  So if having a safe abortion provided by medical professionals would stop the death, she was for having it available.

Turning a fetus into a person has all sorts of issues associated with it that just can't be squared.  I wouldn't want anything to happen to my children when they were in-utero.  But should I make that choice for someone who was raped or who is 14 or who has other real and pertinent reasons for making the awful choice of ending a pregnancy?

No news story today....

... just thoughts.  As I work with kids of various ages I see many of the issues of our culture up close and personal.    I see all levels of parenting, all levels of behavior, all levels of discipline and perseverance, frustration and fascination.  I also see as a parent that what I thought was cool when I was a kid, I have second thoughts about now.  I'm talking about our culture.  I bring it up as a education discussion because I've been seeing so many people and news outlets saying how bad our education system is in comparison to other countries; when 20-30 years ago, we were number 1.  I think part of this has to do with culture.  

This is not an attack on just hip hop or Jerry Springer type entertainment.  But, if Tipper Gore was still doing what she did 30 years ago with hip hop and other music that has lot violence in it, I'd kiss her on the mouth, while my younger self wanted to smack her.  What I have a problem with is not with music of young people today (I sound like my grandfather,"you play that jazz music that all them younguns play…").  What I have a problem with is all media: movies, TV, Cable, internet, music, magazines billboards…EVERYTHING.  There are so many mixed messages out there as to what makes a human being feel good, that we don't put enough on about what makes a good human being.  Say what you like about "father knows best" from the 50s but it was clear, whether you liked it or not.  The problem then was  that was all there was.  No shades of gray, no people that have problems, no people with melanin, etc.  It is the same problem we have now except the opposite side of the coin.  When there is no balance, it's very difficult to have balance.  How can parents deal with showing their kids the right things to do when every media outlet shows how wonderful the wrong thing is!  Not just a little, but all the dang time!

This relates to education because when kids are trying to be cool, they do what they see. And what they see is not people who are doing well because of education.  When we have a presidential candidate saying he doesn't know the president of Uzbeki-eki-stany-stan, and people applaud him for that stance…that's a problem.

Remember "Goodtimes"? All the children and family may have had their issues, but they all were talented, did well in school, tried their best in difficult circumstances.  I have kids who literally walk out of class BECAUSE THEY FEEL LIKE IT, and teachers having nervous breakdowns because they just can't get through. We as a culture need to decide that enough is enough and just because you can make a dinosaur from extinct DNA doesn't mean it's a good thing to create a bloodthirsty wild tyrannosaurus rex.  Just because it feels good and makes money doesn't mean that it is good…let's take our responsibilities as a culture seriously for goodness sake...

Corporations are people? Then treat them like individuals...

Just saw this article about Corporations paying no taxes.  Of course, those corporations say that's untrue.  But besides what is being paid or not, there is a larger point to be made.  As usual, the comments section makes the points better than the article.  One person said essentially this:

A corporation's job is to make money.  Increase their bottom line by whatever means necessary--coporations are doing what they're meant to do by lobbying for more tax breaks and fewer responsibilities...Our government is failing to draw a line in the sand. Instead of saying,"Alright, you created this many jobs, so here's the amount of tax break you get this year" they hand our a blanket sum with the bewildering belief that by helping companies make more money, somehow that will "trickle down" into our economic system and magically create jobs.

It's not working.
-Natalie Slaughter (comment on Huffington Post)

She goes on to say something that I agree with.  You can do what you want to make your business work, but the government's job is to do what benefits the country, and can and should reward those companies that foster the good of America and it's citizens.  Those that create jobs, invest in American infrastructure, you know...the stuff we want and need.  But shipping jobs overseas to create a cheaper product...which btw, is not always the better option for a lot of reasons, should not be rewarded.  Tax breaks should be given to companies that are doing what we, Americans, need.

I dunno who to believe...

I was reading this Robert Alter Article that really got me thinking.  It's talking about how there's been no real scandal from the Obama Administration in a record 3 years.  Now it can't be because it's completely pristine because no one can be that clean.  Alter goes through a lot of reasons, but one really strikes me: People react and believe news sources that seem to be disinterested participants.  Meaning, that if you are perceived as objective, if you say something is wrong with a government official or anyone, you will generally be believed over someone who has a perceived agenda.

As usual, reading the comments at the end of the article are classic.  They're spouting all sorts of things the Obama administration has done that should have him impeached.  However, my point is not that Obama's government has been squeaky clean.  My point is that, the people who always bring up the problems are FOX news.  I'm sure that just because they have a point of view that I don't always agree with, doesn't mean that they are not good and thoughtful journalists.  Or, that their stories don't have some merit.  But when they break a story, I just have difficulty taking it seriously because I have no idea just how much is about getting to the truth of the story and how much is them presenting their subjective views on how much they hate/love whatever government party is in power at the moment.  I have this problem with MSNBC as well.

In a song that I've been writing and recording, I'm working with that issue.  Because….what can you really believe?!  Who do you trust to tell you what's actually happening?! These people talk like they know, but it's from their perspective not just the facts.  Though humans are all subjective creatures, at least journalists should TRY to put their beliefs aside and tell the story. Right now, I don't' know who to believe.

Music...

I was talking to a couple of my college students this afternoon.  I am a college professor at George Washington University.  Sounds hoity toity, but I teach jazz voice.  But in talking to them seriously about the future, they basically painted a very bleak picture for themselves. One of limited employment, lack of imagination of their peers, and a government that is bureaucratic and not willing to really look at the long term issues and tackle them head on.  The future looks pretty grim, they said.  I asked them what gets them up in the morning, then?  Now understand, these are not music majors.  One was a biology student, and the other was an international poli-sci major studying russian.  What gets them up each morning is music.  Listening to it.  Singing it.  Participating in it.  It was the thing that allowed them to have social interaction and connection with their peers.  It opened them up to things beyond themselves. "Music kind of defines who we are as people…" 

I thought this was a fascinating statement because I've made it myself many times.  Right after we secure food, shelter and clothing, we want to tell a story about how we did those things through song, dance, or just tell the story through words or writing.  These things define us as human beings and we ignore them at our peril.  During these separation inducing, depression creating, times of great stress as we change our system into…something else that we don't know…our music can sustain us in ways that nothing but spirituality and belief in a higher power can match. Fascinating...

It's About Damn Time!!

Just heard about Obama's new plan to help homeowners re-finance their mortgages.  It's about damn time!  Y'all know I was turned down from all of the programs because I was making too much money and not making enough at the same time.  I am also penalized because I am self-employed.  But, I have paid my mortgage on time and have excellent credit.  I'm tired of getting the short end of the stick.  Well, my mortgage broker called me within hours of the announcement ready to talk about what can happen and how this program could possibly work for me.

I say hallelujah, but others are not so happy.  I really get that this is just somewhat of a stop gap and that it doesn't address the underlying problems in the economy.  I think this is the case.  However, I like many others who actually did the right thing like: putting 20% down, not buying the most expensive house on the block, having some savings, keeping my credit rating high, not buying at the peak of the market (though no one knew how low it was going to go).  I and people like me, have been penalized because we're not in "distress".  Then they just wait until we are in distress and say,"Now we can help you…oh..wait, oh no…we can't.  You're credit score is too low." Or some other excuse.  I know people who make good money yet can't get a loan.    

Does this plan address jobs? No.  Does this address the underlying banking issues?  No.  Does it let banks off the hook by guaranteeing loans, subsidized by the US taxpayer? Yes. But something's gotta be done.  No one will work it out in our dumb ass congress because it's political season and they gotta hunt some Wabbits rather than figuring out how to make the economy work.

Comments...

This is why people are pissed off:

Citigroup Settles for $285 Million; No Wall Street Exec Jailed Yet

I learned more from reading the comments after the article than the article itself, here's a few:

Hell, I've never had the option of a payoff without admitting guilt! Why do these yea-hoos always get that choice? (Posted by Unforgiven666)

$285 million! What travesty of justice. What did they make by shorting that CDO? Billions, probably. We stick it to them where it will hurt: Cut up those credit cards. (Posted by Rick)

That's what I'd like to know also: Just what sort of percentage does that $285 million amount to? I am guessing less than what most of us pay in banking fees. Give us a figure on those "staggering profits".(Posted by gardenernorcal)

What more evidence do we need that our government and those that enforce the laws have been entirely co-opted by Wall Street? Remember that our Congress voted to give AT&T retroactive immunity from their criminal act of spying on the phone calls and e-mails of American citizens. Corporations are continually allowed to violate laws, kill workers, pollute the environment and steal pensions with complete impunity. A fine that represents less than 5% of the money that was embezzled or stolen is not a penalty sufficient to discourage similar behavior in the future. Who was paid off in this deal? Obviously this government does not represent the people. I agree with the comment poster “iwonder”; blood in the streets will be coming soon to a city near you. If there is any justice, it will include the prosecutors who refuse to do their job. (Posted by PEAdvocate)

Hillary gets the news...

Just thought this was kinda cool

Momar joins Osama and Anwar, finds out what 'leading from behind' REALLY is all about...

Andrew Sullivan underscores the point I made in an earlier post quite succinctly:

A Tale Of Two Presidents

A reader writes:

Bush and Saddam - One Trillion dollars and thousands of US lives.

Obama and Qaddafi - One Billion dollars and zero US lives.

Meep Meep indeed.

And this time, the Arab world loves us as well.

To rid the world of Osama bin Laden, Anwar al-Awlaki and Moammar Qaddafi within six months: if Obama were a Republican, he'd be on Mount Rushmore by now.

Just sayin....

I Say Occupy 'Em...

I've been reading and thinking a lot about the Occupy Wall Street movement and these two articles, one by Sally Kohn (from Fox News.com) the other by Julianne Malveaux (from CNN.com), really have got me thinking.  The articles are essentially mirror images of one another on either side of the political spectrum.  One is saying that we should see these protests as a larger movement outside of the actual protestors, and the other one is asking what do the protesters really want?  Can you guess who is writing what?  I bet you would be wrong. In my best Spock voice, "Fascinating!"  

I find Sally Kohn's argument actually quite interesting.  I think the fact that no broader single issue is emerging is actually the point.  People are just mad. And I mean, hopping mad.  When you're mad at someone, you don't always speak well because, um, you're mad, a state which is not necessarily conducive to being completely cogent at all times, since you're so freakin mad.  I think this anger, which inspired the Tea Party as well, is largely based upon an underlying feeling of deep disgruntlement.  Anyone who has been following me on Twitter or on Facebook knows that I (1) have an underwater mortgage, (2) pay my mortgage on time, and (3) I can't get a re-fi.   The bank will not modify my loan because I don't make enough money and at the same time, I am not in any financial hardship which would lead to me needing help.  I was told that, by law, we cannot rescind your mortgage (So are you thinking about that?) The bank's suggestion? This is for real folks: the bank suggested FORECLOSE ON YOUR HOUSE OR SELL IT IN A SHORT SALE.  This was their advice over 2 measly percentage points on my interest rate.  I pay my health insurance every month.  But I don't get anything covered until I reach a rather high deductible.  So, don't get sick.  Don't loose your job.  Sh*t, don't fart in the wrong direction because you will loose errrrythang you got…and then maybe, juuuusssst maybe…we will help you, but that's not guaranteed.  And now you want me to pay $5 to take my own money out the bank?

This anger is not just mine.  Whole legions of folks - - enough to populate entire cities - - are one paycheck away from bankruptcy. The median price for a home in Detroit the last time I checked was $18,000.  Thats not the low end ya'll, that's THE MIDDLE.  So while Biff and Buffy are hanging out with Trump and the Housewives of whatever rich spot they're in, talking about how hard they have to work to get the schedule together so they can take this vacation or have a party or whatever, the VAST MAJORITY OF AMERICANS are struggling just to keep the quality of life they work 60-80 hours a week to maintain, from falling apart. Ain't nobody against people being rich or making money.  This is an aspirational country.  However, don't tell me that I'm part of a mob, or against capitalism, or that I have no respect for people's property, or that I don't understand what I'm talking about, or that I want a hand out, or I just need to work for it! !!!  I'VE BEEN WORKING M----A F---A, THAT'S THE PROBLEM! I WORK MY ASS OFF!!! TRICKLE SOME OF THAT SHIT DOWN! 

(deep breath) That's what this movement is about.

Tangled up in their own rhetoric...

Was reading this article from The Economist.  I have been watching the debates and tracking the republican presidential race quite closely (as some of you may have read on my blow by blow twitter blasts of the wrestling matches we call the republican presidential debates).  Mostly I find the whole thing to be an exercise in hypocrisy. In the above article, they are talking about the lack of imaginativeness in the  economic and foreign policy plans that Romney has put out thus far.  For me, here's the hypocrisy: Say what you want  about Obama, but he pretty much did what he said he was going to do concerning Afganistan and Iraq. Also, and as noted in this article, as the Arab spring unfolded, his strategy of "leading from behind" has been a cost containing measure which has successfully gotten our allies to finally significantly contribute to that which we have been doing by ourselves for so long - - policing the world.

I would think that even though you want him out, you would have to agree that Obama has out Bushed Bush in his prosecution of our foreign affairs.  Bin Laden is DEAD, essentially assassinated, in the middle of the night, B.O. told no one...GANGTSA style. Ba-dow!! American muslim cleric with Al-Quaeda ties, Boom! Gotcha in da neck mo fo...Somali pirates shot dead by snipers, on direct order from Obama...I thought this is what republicans liked! He-took-them-out! But nooooo...Obama is an american apologist?  But Mitt Romney would keep the military Reagan-like strong in the midst of an economic crisis and there is no Soviet Union any more?  I'm so confused....on a gut level I just don't understand.

We all got an old country...

I've been thinking more about the song I was referring to yesterday, "The Old Country".  I'm a Nancy Wilson nut.  She can sound so harsh and smooth at the same time.  I've been thinking about the song in a certain way.  Some background: I was teaching it to a group of students when I was the jazz vocal teacher at Maryland Summer Jazz Workshop this past July.  The students really didn't like the song that much and thought it was a downer, and couldn't really connect with it.  But I really love the song because I believe it's a story about our country: immigration.  With the exception of us black folks whose ancestors got off a different kind of boat, almost everyone else in this country has an "old country".  They look back at that place as either the place they are finally free of or a place of nostalgia where everything is beautiful.

This country has difficulty when people whose skins have color - - whether yellow, red, brown or black - - are perceived to be looking to share in a piece of the pie.  Unfortunately there are still some folks that just get truly pissed off at those of us with darker hues who happen to believe that America's streets are paved with gold and that perhaps we might want even just an earring or a hair clip or a few coins to help us and our progeny have a better life.  But that's what America's supposed to be all about, right?? 

This song is really more about some old guy looking back longingly at his life and the singer disdaining him and his life.  But it brings up the dichotomy between between the old and new: countries, technology, children... The last line is "you won't see your homeland except thru me".  Who is me?  Who has the control? Young people who are now in this country and don't want to leave because this is the only home they've known, border police who want to deport them, certain political parties who don't want them to come to the country in the first place, the media and how they portray their home country??...Or is it just a scorned lover whose just pissed like hell at this guy and has created the ultimate revenge of stripping this old man of all his humanity, ethnicity, pride...leaving only death as a solution.

A Job is a job?

My girlfriend participated in writing this article about the difficulty of the Alabama immigration law.  In looking at immigration, sustainable farming, and economic growth and development, I come back to an old jazz song I love, "The Old Country".   In talking about class warfare in America, there is another warfare going on against illegal immigration.  This article points out that farming, while a job is a job, is BACKBREAKING, HIGHLY SKILLED, work.  My family are farmers and I know of what I speak.  The joke in my family is that when my uncle met my aunt, he thought it didn't make any sense for a young woman to have a six pack at her young age.  That same aunt could crop tobacco at five, FIVE, at the same rate as an adult and expected her father to pay her the same as an adult.

In this time of joblessness, some people think that a job is a job.  But not just anyone can pick fruits and vegetables.  In picking blueberries at a "you pick it yourself" farm, everybody was gone in an hour, because it was too hot, buggy, and folks were just plain tired.  Not just anyone can write code on a computer, and while there is certainly a higher learning curve for technology, skilled is skilled, and it takes time to learn a new skill set.  

With technology abounding, just who is going to pick our food? Will we have robots to eventually do that too? Times are changing. Do we really want to pay more for our food?  After reading Bill McKibben's book, Deep Economy, there is a definitive argument  that we should, for the good of our local communities and job growth.  However, it's really hard for me to pay $1-$2 more for organic meat or vegetables, when right next to it is a cheaper, and not necessarily bad product, because my pockets are not flush...

Last American Who Knew What The Fuck He Was Doing Dies | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

Last American Who Knew What The Fuck He Was Doing Dies | The Onion - America's Finest News Source:

Utterly and completely appropriate...RIP Steve Jobs

Niggerhead

I watched Jon Stewart last night and read Andrew Sullivan's blog last night about the whole "Niggerhead" scandal.  What it just says to me is that, people all over the country are living in the white supremacy virtual world.  We don't realize we're living in it, because we don't see this sh*t up close too often anymore.  To many it doesn't even feel real, hence, the virtual part.  

This is like when I found out they were using darkie toothpaste in India.  The white supremacy virtual world, or WSVW for short, allows one to just go along and live in a world where you can call just random things like Brazil nuts niggertoes or rock formations niggerheads: for DECADES, and it means nothing.  It's just what we call it.  WSVW is so prevalent that it's not just in the expected parts of the southern US, it's in Vermont, the Pacific Northwest, California, Michigan...oh lets just say it: the 50 states of America. You don't actually have to deeply believe in white supremacy to actually benefit by it, and you can simply say, that's just what was done.  I'm not making this up. For example,  take fans of the Washington Redskins football team: "I love that team.  It's an institution.  We just happen to call the team the most derogatory thing we can think of about a certain group of people.  It's not our fault. It's not me, somebody else came up with that name..."

Yes, it was done and said in the past.  No, you didn't start it. And yes, it is everywhere.  Is it a cheap political stunt to bring it up now? Maybe, but, as a passing thought, shouldn't it trouble us as a country in which the President is of a niggerhead hue, and a whole bunch of niggerheads in the country are at 16% unemployement, and another old niggerhead is talking about a non-niggerhead painting over a niggerhead sign on a property his father owned, that there are STILL so many of our public sites, foods, equipment, natural resources, named after one of the most derogatory epithets in the english language; So derogatory in fact, that you can't even say it, in passing, if you are not another fellow niggerhead?  Well, thisa heah niggahead's mine mus' be jus' lik' dat dere rock fo'mation, an' jus' don be gettin' it.  Night Niggas...

I Am A Million Bridge

Forgot to post this...I wrote the bridge to a new song called "I Am A Million" while I was in Boston with Live Tropical Fish. Record is almost done now, I'm so excited!

Be Afraid, Very Afraid...

The Economist: "The World Economy: BE AFRAID, unless politicians act more boldly, the world economy will keep heading towards a black hole""

This is what we are afraid of.  I've been writing music about this very subject.  You got people talkin like they know and not dealing with reality.  Candidates are speaking about stuff that has nothing to do with my home being underwater and not being able to re-finance it.  Obama has not been able to get things done in the past year or been able to communicate what he needs to do in order to get things done.  The world is literally crumbling before our eyes and wall street bankers are sipping champagne taking pictures of demonstrators saying essentially let them eat cake.

It's a time to come together and figure out how we're gonna make this country work.  I think the reason that you are seeing the protests at Wall Street and other financial centers of the country is because people are tired of feeling like they can't do anything to make a difference.  Republicans are obstructing and the Economist is saying that Obama is initiating class warfare, which y'all know how I feel about that foolishness.  

No one seems to know what to do, and the article says that people want real talk.  I feel like saying to the world and the press the famous line from that Tom Cruise movie, "Truth!?!? You can't HANDLE the truth!!"  

Y'all didn't want to hear the truth because no one in public office is rewarded for the truth.  Why?  Because the truth hurts, that's why! Cuts hurt, because they make you bleed. Getting money out of stones is painful cause there ain't no money in a stone. You get diamonds by blowing up caverns and gold does not grow on trees. Plain talk is greeted with shouts of dismay and anger at the leader...see Greece. 

BTW, no one wants plain talk from a black man.  You'll just lynch him figuratively or in reality.  Plain talk got Malcolm and Martin shot.

Birthday Wishes

Today I've been watching my sunday morning talk shows on my birthday.  I've twittered about it all morning. Now Obama is supposed to "be real" and should have been "real" from the get go.  He shouldn't have been so optimistic and should have had a straight talk with the American people.  

Y'all reporters/pundits are on crack.  If you had heard him say that "we are really in trouble," it would have been, "this negro doesn't understand american exceptionalism!"  You already questioned his birth, his religion, his patriotism, his college record even!  If he had put on the figurative sweater of Jimmy Carter in the beginning of his presidency, he would have been ridiculed.  Now, we can have many opinions about how he has done, but can't nobody tell me that after "The Great Depression II - The Mini-Series That Never Ends", BP oil spill of death and destruction, Chernobyl Style Japanese nuclear meltdown, floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes (btw, obama could really be the anti-christ if you're dumb enough), Republican obstructionism made into an artform, and the disintegration of the economies of Europe, that anybody would be doing more than treading water at this point.  I don't care what the great Bill Clinton would do; the worst thing he had to deal with is bodily fluids on a dress.  Ronald Reagan might have made us feel better, but that doesn't mean we would have BEEN better. I don't even need to speak about George H.W. Bush.

I don't want to be an apologist for anybody, but damn! On my birthday, I just want a little love in the room.  Take a rest...feel like things will be fine...click my heels three times and it will all be swept away.... 

Does Cain remember Willie Horton???

I was watching this video about Herman Cain and how he believes that Blacks have been brainwashed into not voting for conservatives.  This is about as ridiculous as this idiot (who obviously has business savvy) can get.  I'm so tired of republicans getting mad when their own strategies backfire on them.  At least say that "in the past we pursued a strategy which kept you out.  We are working on it now." Everyone remembers the Willie Horton strategy of the Bush Campaign: scare the white people with the scary big black man coming out of jail, because he was furloughed.  And remember the Reagan hit, about the Cadillac driving welfare queen? You know what color the Aretha Franklin driving lady was even as at that time many, many more whites were on welfare than blacks.

Today's mainstream conservatism is a philosophy that I don't much agree with, but I will concede it is a valid way of looking at governance.  I am in agreement that we should not be taken advantage of by the democrats and there should be a contingent of blacks who vote for republicans.  But don't put sh*t in my face and tell me it's chocolate...

Cry It Out Method

“We have this fantasy that our interests and the interests of the super rich are the same. Like somehow the rich will eventually get so full that they’ll explode. And the candy will rain down on the rest of us. Like there’s some kind of pinata of benevolence. But here’s the thing about a pinata: it doesn’t open on it’s own. You have to beat it with a stick.” ~ Bill Maher

 I read this quote on facebook and thought it's a funny line. It really has some merit. Ain't nobody want to pay taxes. I didn't want to go to bed when my mother said so or do my homework or go to class or go to my job on monday morning or pay my bills or get up with the kids at 5 am...But we as people do these things because they benefit us in the long run. Rich people and businesses who have worked hard or hardly worked for their money don't want to give up any more than they have to. They have accountants who are paid more money than you and I make in six months to make sure that they only pay the minimum amount.

Now as a a person from a family who works extremely hard for whatever it's got, I understand that you don't want to give uncle sam any more than you have to. But....it's time to go to bed baby, cause if you don't get enough sleep, you'll be cranky in the morning and won't learn a thing at school because you're causing a ruckus and distracting everybody else because...you're tired. You don't understand but if you do what I say, in the long run, you will be better off and more able to do the things you need to do in the future. And as a parent, my job is to tell you that though you don't want to go to bed, you're gonna, even though you don't want to... and you can cry and moan all you like. It's time to go to bed. And it's time for EVERYBODY to pay their fair share, contribute to making this society work...It's time...

Funny find

01 Act Like Ya Know by divablue

Teddy sent me this track that I'd totally forgotten about. We wrote it sometime in the late '90's for a ten year old Japanese artist to sing.  Unfortunately the label thought it was TOO MATURE(!!) for her and passed on it. ah, pure 80s/90s pop bliss.

Cain's Pain

In the republican debate the other night Herman Cain, notably, and the presidential aspirants railed (as per usual) on 'Obamacare'.  And I just want to express this simple (seemingly obvious) point/grudge: Being rich is the best health care policy there is. period. In this country right now the rest of us just have to somehow figure it out. Obama and the democrats have at least tried to address this issue. But what are the republicans offering besides criticisms? Where's their policy for covering the uninsured? (crickets chirping)

Class Warrior??

Just read Paul Krugmans column in the NY Times today about class warfare and what it really is about. He made some great points and I do hope whatever influence his words have will help move the needle of public opinion towards what would seem to me to be obvious. Because I'm going to tell you what warfare means to me: How about health insurance warfare, mortgage warfare, credit card warfare, retirement savings warfare, childcare warfare, food warfare, fix my broken roof warfare, my car is 12 years old warfare, my check don't come until the end of the month warfare and I'm broke warfare...

And these wealthy people are complaining about paying an extra 4% of your income which equals in ONE YEAR the earning power OF MY ENTIRE LIFETIME?! As overweight people say to skinny people who say they need to loose weight,"I'm going to stand here and listen, but don't expect me to feel for you..."

What does it mean to be Human?

Been thinking about humanity again.  I've been thinking a lot about humanness. The situations of these past several years, droughts, famine, natural disasters and responses to them.  But re-thinking in the wake of Michelle Bachmann's unthoughtful comments about the HPV vaccine (of which I'm not entirely a fan) make me think again about humanness.  What is human?  Is it just biology? Because we don't always treat people we say are human beings as 'one of us'.  Maybe if aliens landed we would have some sort of moment where we would realize that we all are the same species, but until then we have so many ways to divide and codify who we are - - and who we are not - -  to one another.  If vaccinations don't work, why is there no more polio?  Shouldn't we look at what the world was like before vaccines?  This is not to say I don't have reservations. But it's the same as genetically modified foods: on one hand, certain gm foods could save people's lives by creating seeds and produce that can be grown in areas that have difficulty growing things.  But - - and it's a big but  - - do we want one or two companies owning the seeds that allow us to eat?  Is humanity connected by greed or is it connected by compassion or are both in play depending on who it is, what a person's class status is?  With vaccinations, should an individual who believes vaccinations are bad be allowed to  put others at risk because they refused to vaccinate against measles?  Or are we standing up for our beliefs and individual freedoms by saying "no" because we are unsure of the veracity of statements that drug companies tell us; knowing also that a lot of researchers and doctors don't take time to deal with, learn and research efficacy of "natural" or holistic modalities.  Is nuclear power clean and efficient and thereby safe to be located near people's homes only until a complete Chernobyl type meltdown when, of course, we suddenly acknowledge just how dangerous radiation is?

Though these things may seem like unrelated issues, they feel related to me because they deal with how humans actualize the concept of humanity, or lack thereof, by creating otherness.  Who decides who is worthy for care?  Who decides what is a worthy cause?  Who decides who are the good and bad people, the angels and the derelicts, the family men or the pimps?  Who decides?!  Who is human?  What does the word really mean? 

Ima Hustla (no, really I'm a hustla...metaphorically speaking of course)

That song I was working on in the hotel on the road in August is really coming together now, it's basically done.  I sent it to teddy and he was into it, but I think on the fence.  So I changed a few things and put some more stank on it...it has to be stankish...gritty, old-man-with-a-licorice-tree-bark-stick-in-his-mouth kind of groove, ala Lamont McCain-on-bass (oh how I miss you Lamont!)  kinda stank. We put horns on it this weekend and I think now it's layin' just right. Greg Boyer from Prince's NPG arranged 'em, how do you like that??! Snippets to come soon!

Green Energy??

The controversy this week about the green jobs company that got special treatment from the Obama administration made me think about how green energy is kind of a bust so far, at least in my own life. I was listening to NPR a week or so ago and they were talking about fracking (sounds like a curse word from Battlestar Galactica)  for natural gas; hopefully allowing the US to be less reliant on fuel from foreign sources.  In thinking about this, there are so many variables because I would love to be more energy efficient, but I can't really afford it.   If there could be natural gas to fuel my car, I would love that since it's about a dollar less per gallon than gas right now.  But, if I bought the car that could run on natural gas, would it be cheap enough to make sense for me to buy it?  Technology that is efficient just doesn't solve my underlying problem of not having enough money to begin with.  I didn't buy a hybrid because I had just bought a car the year before and it had already gone down in value and the hybrid's price didn't make sense in the long run.  It's the same with solar panels.  If you don't have $20K to put them on your roof, they are useless unless they can pay for themselves within a few years, which at this moment, they don't.  So I am not energy efficient.  I'm still just hustling to add $1k per month to my income so I can afford daycare and/or preschool in a minute.  I guess I need to sell some more records :)

Horny?

Did the horn sections for Ima Hustla.  Thanks to my husband, Robert Landham, for setting it up.  I've never been in a horn session before.  Very interesting.  Will be posting video for it soon

Strings??!!

Teddy has recommended we add live strings to a few of the tracks on the new album, first one is Depression. Brilliant! He's using this guy named Christian Howes, who's got a great team of players/arrangers. I'm so excited, the record is really beginning to take shape!!

On Science...

For those who don't believe in science based reasoning and thought, this is an article that hopefully should change your mind. How anyone can decide which scientific thought to believe in while going to the doctor and using a cell phone, I just don't get.

End times??

An earthquake and a hurricane in the same week? Really???

Hustlin'...

It's been a second since I've written here...I've been sooooo busy since I got back off the road.  Being a mom, educator, composer, musician, business owner, administrator, kid whisperer, and wife has been so time consuming.  The baby is right outside my bedroom door right now screaming for mommy while I'm in here sick and trying to get some rest while I pay bills, book gigs, write out lesson plans, contact workman, set up after school activities, and find a way to PAY for all of it.  I'm always on the move, always hustling.  I think I wrote before that parents do the most hustling out there, I know that's true in my case.  At the same time I'm dealing with the fact that my mortgage is underwater and the bank won't re-fi me, I am also hustling to put food on the table and make sure that my baby has child care while I go to work to pay for the car seat that I need to purchase. etc, etc...and ya don't stop.

I don't think I'm alone. I know mothers who stay up until 2 or 3 in the morning doing work after they put their kids to sleep, only to get up at 7am or earlier to get their kids ready to go to school. Then they work all day in or outside the home only to start over.  Um, actually that's my life too....

Just how bad is bad (ie are we just f****d??)

After reading this article in Foreign Policy's online mag about a double dip recession, I feel even more confused.  Right now I feel like I'm living in a really good, suspenseful action movie.  I have absolutely no idea what is going to happen next, and no one in the media, or even regular people, does either.  It seems that we have no policy on tap that really addresses our short and long term future.  I was speaking with a friend of mine who is a real estate developer, and he is in flux.  He can't move forward in his business because of the situation with banks and loans not being given out.  The gov't hasn't put together any policy to deal with the MILLIONS of people who have foreclosing homes or, like me are underwater in their home values.  My friend is just hustling. If he was a drug dealer, he'd probably be rich because he is hustling so hard.  Shoot, the biggest hustlers are....moms, or at least parents...

The world thinks we're crazy

I've been on the road for a bit with the band Live Tropical Fish and it's been fun, but not just because of the music.  It's been really great getting to see people from outside of my little gov't town of Washington, DC.  When I was in Boston, there was a group of IT professionals from all over the world.  They were arguing just how screwed the US is, not IF it is screwed, but how much and why.  There were lots of  whistling noises where thumbs were being pointed down, if you catch my drift. They were from china, germany, japan, the good ole US of A.  All of them said, why can't rich people pay a little more in taxes?  Why can't we find ways of adding infrastructure?  What the hell is wrong with you people?  

verses

On tour, working out songs in a hotel room...ah, the joys of life on the road!

The Kids are alright...

I've been out on the road for the past week with italian soul-sters Live Tropical Fish (click for the tour schedule - come and see us/me!) on their very first US Tour, so my apologies for not posting for a few days. Before I left I came up with a couple of new songs for my album. Here's the bassline to one:

My big girl came in mid way through and helped me flesh it out a bit more :)

Here's another song I wrote earlier that day in the car, it's gonna be called "I Am A Million":

Both my lil' ladies chipped in on this one!

On my umpteenth revision!!

Song...Almost...complete....5th revision...Brother....never....satisfied....If I didn't love him, I would have to slash his tires.  Ahhh... it's all for the music.  Track is dope.  I think I should put a neon sign on my wall for when a track sounds good, I push a button and it flashes dope over and over.

Talkin' like they know...

I'm working on this new song that I think's gonna be about how difficult it is to find real objectivity and reliable information on TV (cough...Fox news..ahem...MSNBC...cough cough). And I was thinking about the whole Rupert Murdoch story that was going on a few weeks ago.  The fact that a portion of his news organization just decided to make up the news that it wanted and not call it a tabloid, but actual news is my real problem with news today.  I'm a political junkie and I consume news the way some people consume chocolate.  There are certain anchors that I become like a teenager worshiping justin beiber or something because I am soooo into them.  But I do expect there to be facts spoken about, not opinion.  I can't seem to find that easily and it's been happening for a long time and it's really getting me mad.  They speak like they know the answers and they don't even know the right questions.  They keep talking like they know something when they just think they have no idea about the subject and are using fact-like-objects to explain themselves.  Just stupid. There are actual problems and there are people who actually have solutions, but very few news organizations talk solutions because their ratings would go down if they weren't having the metaphorical Housewives of DC having spats and cat fights on their political "roundtables" everyday.

Working on a new track...

Teddy sent me this dope a** track from a jam session in the studio the other day: 

Goes back to our DC roots in gogo.  I went to youtube and went down memory lane to listen to some Little Benny and the Masters and Chuck Brown.  A couple of friends of mine work in Chuck's band...gotta take advantage of that and see his show....Thinking about Sardines and Pork and Beans and Cat in the Hat and Money, Money Money and stuff like that. Back when I was a kid, we loved those groups.  It was DC gogo against NYC hip hop.  Back when music was still regional.  

...and I came up with this in the car, I like it so far!

Debt Deal Reax

Now that the deal/deed is done and I have a chance to get past my frustrations and take a step back and look towards the bigger picture, this is what I think: This anger and frustration with people not doing they're jobs in gov't is making it difficult for people to come together and make decisions.  When Obama was running for president, there was a great feeling around of being able to accomplish things regardless of political ideology, cultural and racial background, age and sex. Now, what we need is a resurgence of community and brotherhood. We all want good things for ourselves and our children.

At least we didn't default...

So the debt ceiling has an agreement now, but congress has not voted on it yet.  The frustration I feel is not that it will or will not be passed; it's that both sides have their own set of facts and the media is deciding what it will cover and what it will hold up as "facts" or an"expert".  Fact: the Tea party has moved the agenda towards cutting the debt.  Fact: no one is covering the "real" story of job loss and the need for job creation.  I was watching fox, because though I lean toward the left, I like to have an understanding of what people who think differently than me think, and why.