daily Mood Quotes - October 18, 2011

 

Daily Mood Quotes

Day 168 – October 18, 2011

Life is but thought.

~Sara Teasdale

Marcus Aurelius said, “the universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it.” Well, right now my thoughts are confused. Recently, there has been a death in the family, and although we did not attend the funeral, we have heard the stories of hoarding and anger. Let me start at the beginning, I met my husband's family 30 years ago and they lived in a very nice house, filled with a lot of nice stuff . This was a good family, that gave me the gift of seeing what a family should be, instead of the battlefield I grew up on. I saw something better in life and decided that something better is what I wanted. I was 17 at the time, desperately counting down the days to 18, so I could leave home and begin the journey to a better life. I now knew a better life existed and that was good enough for me.

Unfortunately, time can change people and 30 years have past. The normal family I had dinner with is now sporting new attitudes; anger, hatred and selfishness. This is what I am struggling with. How does a family go from being a loving, kind and supportive family to spouting hatred loudly, with “everything belongs to me attitudes.” I saw this in my own family when the woman who raised me, past away. My siblings went in and "cleaned out" my dad's home. It was all about the stuff. My dad is still alive; did anyone bother to ask him before pillaging her stuff. The same thing happened in my husband's family, just with a little bit of a twist. The beautiful home my husband grew up in, the stuff that filled that house, the love that once was felt when you past through the doors is no longer. The house was sold and the parents were moved to a nursing home. The stuff; I have no idea where that went, and the love has been replaced with greed, selfishness and anger by the same children who grew up in that loving home. 

My father-in-law worked hard and tirelessly his entire life and provided a good life for his children and wife. All to just end up in a one room, four walls, nursing home. Is that the end goal? Do you work all your life to provide for your family; so your kids can fight and squabble over stuff, that has little to no meaning to anyone but the people who earned it? In the end is it just about the money, grab up as much as you can and sell it for what it is worth? Doesn't anyone have any sense of compassion anymore? And what about the surviving spouse? I know these are a lot of questions to ask, and I wish I had the answers. But, for the time being, all these questions only lead to more questions. Hence, the confusion.

I don't know about the readers of the blog; but I know for me, it is my most sincere hope that the next generation (the children I have raised) has better sense than the one(s) before them. Because, if they don't, then what does that say about us and the future of us all?

I have been shocked and very surprised by the greed demonstrated in the act of snatching up everything when someone passes away. It's the second time I've seen it and it makes me kind of sick in the stomach to see evil playing its hand at such a solemn time. My husband says he's "truly disappointed, they were raised better." I guess Carl Fox (played by Martin Sheen) in the movie Wall Street, with Michael Douglas, said a mouthful when he said, “Money's only something you need in case you don't die tomorrow...”

What do you think? Is it about getting stuff when Mom and Dad die? Or, is it about learning something positive from our parents to share forward?

How will you remember your parents today?

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Daily Mood Quotes - October 7, 2011

 

Daily Mood Quotes

Day 157 – October 7, 2011

“On Wall Street he and a few others – how many? three hundred, four hundred, five hundred? had become precisely that...Masters of the Universe.”

~Tom Wolfe

I prefer Rose's (Kate Winslet) statement from the movie Titanic when she said to Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio), “Next it will be brandies in the smoking room...Now they will retreat into a cloud of smoke and congratulate each other on being masters of the universe.” What and who pays the price for these Master's of the Universe?

I had a conversation with my husband on this matter and I agree with his point of view. Granted, this has been a tough week for him and this may come across a bit grumpy, but here goes. Perhaps you are familiar with the protests that are going on around the country, people are banding together to voice frustration with the financial system of this country. The push me-pull you battles in Washington, the banking industry and top-ranked CEOs making millions and millions of dollars on the backs of the unemployed and working class; along with millions and millions of dollars that corporations are making as profits, while cutting jobs and sitting on the cash. Students are protesting the cost of student loans, they are going to have to pay back, if they are given the opportunity to complete the degree they are working towards. What a mess!!!

The way I see it, these folks, those who are protesting are to some degree right and in some ways maybe not so right. It depends on how one looks at the totality of the system that we are all part of. They most assuredly have the right and responsibility to organize and protest a financial system that promised to right its ways, when it was begging the American people for a bailout. Seems they have forgotten, or perhaps have no intention of showing gratitude for the mercy of the American people. I can't speak to their motivations. And I really don't care to hazard a guess. The point is the right to gather and protest is written into our Constitution and so they can. They will however, have little or no impact on the system, because they really aren’t causing any more inconvenience than midday traffic in Manhattan. I've been a parent for a very long time and I know you can't get anywhere with hardheaded boys by yelling.

To get the attention of the misdirected children, parents usually find it effective to take away the toys. I'm just saying... Banks depend on stock prices to give their company value. If folks were to decide to drop financial institutions from their 401Ks, and other investment portfolios, there are less toys and they'll find it tougher to borrow new toys too. I've also heard that Federal Credit Unions are great places for folks to put the money that they would usually lend to banks. Oh yeah, lets remember that every dime you put in a checking account is an interest free loan to the bank. I'm just saying the intention can be right, but the strategy? Well maybe, its not so right.

Also, as long as we're on the subject... How about looking to the house in the next election cycle. Those boys aren’t behaving any better and they are letting the big kids from the corner of Wall and Nassau, the decidedly wrong side of the tracks, make up the rules, pretty much as they go along... Soooo, how do we get them to behave? Take their cushy toys (read jobs) away too. Abraham Lincoln said “Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally.” So to with unemployment.... If incumbents won't do something, well then don't the American people have the right and responsibility to correct our mistake of letting them stay and play with the bad kids from Manhattan? In the movie Wall Street with Michael Douglas, Carl Fox (played by Martin Sheen) said, “Stop going for the easy buck and start producing something with your life. Create, instead of living off the buying and selling of others.” Who serves who here? To quote Donal Trump, “your fired” come the next election. That is a choice we can make, it is our right and our responsibility.

Let's not make any mistake. Our political system is still better than any yet developed and I know global economics can be a very complex issue. In the near future, tons of misinformation from both sides will flow like floodwater, all over the media. They will lap it up and spit it back out as genuine news. But, people of all ages are people, and they tend to pay attention when the things they desire most are used to correct them; just like kids (take away their toys). Or perhaps not, that just how I see this mess.  Something to think about.

How will you become a master of the universe today?

The latest news about the protest on CNN:

http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/07/politics/occupy-wall-street/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Tune in tomorrow to read the daily mood quote.

Thank you for reading

Daily Mood Quotes - July 26, 2011

 

Daily Mood Quote

Day 84 – July 26, 2011

Get mad, then get over it.

~Colin Powell

Today, I am angry and before I continue, please allow me to say, I never intended this blog to be one that spouted political views, or frustration about the ridiculous behavior of those in political positions that call themselves “our government.”

Last night, I listened with an open mind to both President Obama and Speaker of the House, John Boehner. They both said one thing on the campaign trail to get elected (actually all of the candidates promised “CHANGE”) but, the games are the same. One notable exception is Dick Lugar, who never promised anything. I guess that is what three decades as a Senator teaches you, “Keep your mouth shut, so you can continue to do nothing and collect a paycheck.” I agree with President Obama's idea of balancing the budget and “balancing the load” for the American people in the long run. Short-term, special interest motivated solutions only lead to bigger long term problems. That's how we got in trouble in the first place. Enough stop gap, do it right the first time, then reap the benefits down the road. The problem is, they're not thinking about the long road. It seems to me the only reason politicians arrive at short term solutions, is so that representatives up for reelection can use the “unfinished business” angle to get reelected. What an angle and what a load of crap!!! Ever notice how the same people keep getting reelected, yet nothing gets done, nothing changes and the business is always unfinished? No wonder we can't have new business growth or move forward, we don't know how to solve old problems and finish what we start. (I could go on and on about that, but maybe that's a subject  for another day).

I am so completely tired of listening to the same old news over and over again, the constant fighting that goes on and the idiotic innuendos that were being bandied about. You do realize your lack of tolerance for differing opinions is setting a bad example to those who are impressionable? A nation of entrenched attitudes... that's an ugly vision. Hey, if you can have bad behavior, are a notable political figure and get away with it, then the next generation will follow your example. Shame on you.

I have some questions for Speaker Boehner; Do you really believe that not raising taxes on wealthy people and wealthy organizations (who can afford it) is going to create jobs? Actually it isn't raising taxes, its simply putting the tax levels back to where they were, when things were working well and the budget was balanced - we have been able to do that once or twice in the last 30 years. Are you kidding me? These tax breaks haven't worked for the American people since they we're given during George “W.” Bush's administration. The United States has been bleeding jobs for the past decade. Check the facts. You need more examples? What about the banks? We bailed them out, gave them big tax breaks and did they create jobs? Duh, no they cut them. Yet they are making hefty, hefty, hefty profits. They haven't changed their ways at all and still no job creation. Hmmmm? Plus as an extra "added bonus"... now, the “average” working American can't get a loan for his business, for a home, or for their children's college. How's that working out for you (thanks Dr. Phil)? Yet, these profits afford executives and politicians luxury vacations, expensive cars and other things, while people are struggling to feed their families and can't find a decent job. Jobs you and your wealthy circle of influence, along with the huge wealthy corporations, promised would be there if Congress "cut them a break". How stupid do you think people are? Sometimes, I think politicians believe that if they babble and baffle us in enough bull crap, them we won't pay any attention to what is really going on. Guess what? The Constitution says, “We the People,” not we the politicians, or we the bankers, or even we the lobbyists, but “We the People.” I am we the people, my neighbors are we the people, and we the people say “YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG!” I saw a recent poll that said nearly 70 percent of American people believe you are doing it wrong. You see we are paying attention and questioning. In the movie, The American President, Lewis Rothschild (played by Michael J. Fox) said to A.J. Macinerney (Martin Sheen),  "I'm a citizen, this is my President (my Congress). And in this country it is not only permissible to question our leaders it's our responsibility!”

And, like President Andrew Shepherd (Michael Douglas) said to Senator Rumson (Richard Dreyfuss), “We have serious problems to solve, and we need serious people to solve them. And whatever your particular problem is, I promise you, Bob Rumson is not the least bit interested in solving it. He is interested in two things and two things only: making you afraid of it and telling you who's to blame for it. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections. You gather a group of middle-aged, middle-class, middle-income voters who remember with longing an easier time, and you talk to them about family and American values and character.” does any of this sound familiar? The point is, none of this partisan political posturing (say that three times fast) is getting anything done. They're not interested in solving the problem, but only interested in serving their own “political agendas” that have nothing do to with the welfare, or the will of the American people. Congress has had over a year to get this budget done, and in times of economic difficulty the budget should have been the highest priority. We the people, are watching and listening, and mostly likely, come the next election, we will remember what you didn't do and why, especially if things get worse. Shut up, do your job, don't default and balance the budget intelligently. More importantly “balance the load,” this time you have gone too far. I'm finished, I feel better now. Thank you.

How will you speak out today”

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