I’m not going to apologize for not writing sooner.  So, if that’s what you expect…read no further.

I lost another friend last week.  Man these women are dropping like flies.  Here’s the problem.  It’s me.  I’m intolerant of stupidity.  I tend to voice my opinions and rather loudly.  I can put up with stupid in the short term, but then that one statement pushes me over the edge and I give as loudly as I get.  In this case it was pretty loud.  You see apparently I am very liberal.  Which I have come to decide, means I think.  This particular friend used the term liberal to describe me in such a way that it came off sounding like m’er f’er.  To say she is conservative is a gross understatement.  Gross! Understatement! 

I tried for months to ignore the crap she was selling.  However, when she starting spewing bullshit I had to respond.  When I responded I was told that I had “no knowledge of economics and was ignorant of history.”  I took this revelation poorly.  I have never done well with anyone calling me ignorant.  I am a lot of things, but I assure you ignorant is not one.  All of this has to do of course with the current government, and in my opinion, her hate mongering.

 First she was shocked by my claims.  Then she told me that she had never used the words “ignorant or stupid” which is a direct lie.  I had commented that she “hid” behind her first amendment rights to which I was told that I could either read her stuff or not.  (Needless to say I chose not)  She then described our current President as wishy-washy.  He is not.  He is dealing with a senate that is unable to allow him to do the things he knows are right.  I cannot wait for the Democrats to quit being afraid of their constituents and actually pass some legislation without waiting for Republican approval.  I told her this and commented on the filibustering currently going on.  Of course, technically there has been no filibuster…technically.  So she jumped on this like a duck on a June bug. (Aaarghhhh!)  When I told her that the current pres. is well spoken and educated.  She threw Bush in my face, and told me he had attended Yale.  I don’t know how emphatic I can be about this…he attended Yale because he was a legacy.  He was barely a C student, and his IQ is so low if he committed murder in Texas he couldn’t even be put to death.  You betcha’ that’s the image I want to send out as the leader of the free world.  Please!!!!!!  She told me Obama couldn’t speak to 6th graders without a teleprompter.  Bush couldn’t speak. Period.

Recently a friend of mine died.  She was a single working mother of two little girls.  She had health insurance that didn’t cover well care.  She did not receive yearly mammograms because she could not afford them.  By the time she felt the lump in her breast she was stage 4.  I asked my “friend” to write a letter to her daughters and explain to them why we did not need health care reform.  She told me that health care reform would not have helped her.  I was told that I was ignorant of countries with national health care.  If I had not been I would have been aware of the dissatisfaction of the recipients of these benefits.  Well, my darling ones, when I worked for J.B. Hunt trucking I dealt with Canadian drivers who had national health care.  Their private insurance was primary and I had to know what would and would not be covered by these insurances.  It was also different per province.  I studied these things extensively so that when they called in I could tell them well this covers this, but not this and so on.  I know that elective surgeries are hard to come by…because they aren’t deemed necessary.  Many times these procedures were done in the United States.  I also know that they triage cases on a “1-10 scale”.  This is done in order to be certain that a life saving surgery is not usurped by a sterilization procedure.  Gosh, is it just me or does that seem to make sense?  Now granted, Canada’s health care isn’t perfect.  None of it is, but it is better than nothing.  A whole lot better…and I am also intelligent enough to know that American health care will not be exactly like any health care that has come before it.

I was insulted when she told me to check with a friend who was sitting in the middle of 44 inches of snow.  Therefore, there is no global warming.  Now the part that irritates me about this is that this woman called me stupid.  I kid you not, I could have reached through the computer and slapped her upside her head!  I sincerely wish the term global warming had never been coined.  If it had always been referred to as global climate change, maybe these morons could see that it is indeed happening and it won’t stop if we don’t do something about it and soon! She called it” bogus crap.”  I was accused of believing everything Al Gore said (guilty), and was told “many” scientists don’t believe it.  Well, honey, many more scientists do.  In addition, if I’m wrong about climate change the end result will be a cleaner environment and a better world for all.  If she’s wrong…we are all going to experience a life changing event.  The ice caps are melting.  The temperature is changing.  I don’t understand how anyone can look at the demise of so many species or the creation of new ones and deny that things are changing.  Remind me to send a donation to the polar bears. 

When I mentioned what a joke Sarah Palin was, and that I would rather move to Canada than have such an ignorant person in any position of authority.  I was lambasted again.  “Your (sic) probably one of the many uninformed people who believe Sarah Palin said she could see Russia from her house.  She didn’t Tina Fey said that on SNL.”  Well a) proof read…and b) while you aren’t making an exact quote of the interview…she did say that Russia was so close she could “practically” see it from her porch.  This was her entire foreign policy.  For God’s sake…if that doesn’t scare you, you aren’t paying attention!!!

I think her biggest point of contention (yes I know, there were many) was when I said that the Constitution needed a face lift.  Well, I stand by that.  This lovely document was written more than 220 years ago.  Things have changed more than a little since then.  When our forefathers gave us the right to bear arms it was because we lived in a country where arms were necessary to survive.  Most people lived miles apart, and many were their own security forces.  There is also a huge difference between a rifle and an AK-47.  No one outside of the military, let me say that again, no one needs an assault rifle.  Freedom of speech has always been open to interpretation but apparently for this friend it translates as “I’m free to speak…you keep your pie hole shut.”   Our forefathers could not have possibly had the foresight to create a document that would last for hundreds of years.  The technological advances alone have changed the course of human history.  They were men, not prophets.

 I was also accused of having no proof of any of my statements.  I was told I use talking points only.  I heard our President called a socialist who has already done more damage than all of the president’s before him (no proofs here…but I’m the one using talking points).  I commented that Obama couldn’t win with republicans and that I was sick of hearing republicans decry the stimulus only to be more than happy to have their pictures taken with the big check that saved their state from economic ruin.  I was told “Obama is a son of a bitch….Texas governor refused the stimulus cash…North Carolina governor tried to but was forced by the courts….” Now I have to do some research, but I was watching Rachel Maddow the other night and she showed at least 10 republicans smiling into the camera and stating how the stimulus had saved their states.  Not a single one had a gun to their head…or a court order.  Someone is just not listening….and it ain’t me. 

Finally, I told her that at some point taxes will increase.  They have to.  It is our taxes that fund public education and create jobs…which is desperately needed.  Road repairs, bridge repairs, and many other basic needs are met through tax increases.  I get so irritated when parents complain about the lack of funding for education, but then refuse to vote for millage increases that will improve the school system.  You can’t eat your cake and have it too.  I was informed that her daughters attend private school where each child is educated for 1/2 the cost of public education and their ACT scores are 4 points higher on the average.  Hooray for her.  Most people can’t afford private school.  My kids went to public schools and received great educations.  They had above average ACT scores and went on to receive scholarships.  I love our public schools, but they need help.  That is not theory, it is just fact.  We have several private schools in our area.  They do not, on average, have higher ACT scores.  I’m glad her daughters were lucky.  Many are not.

I’m stepping down off my soap box now.  Before I do let me state again…I’m not stupid.  I am a well educated, wife, mother, grandmother, and daughter who wants to see programs in place that will insure the continued care and survival of my family…extended and other.  I want to keep the American dream alive.  I don’t want to see the success of the few at the expense of the many.  I am not a socialist, but I believe that we must all work together to accomplish those things which need to be accomplished.  We have to quit being an “it’s all about me” society.  We are one people.  If a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, then we are only as rich as the most impoverished among us.  I believe change will come…I have to.  I would like it to be with this President, but I don’t believe it can come until both parties can come together and work for the greater good.  If that doesn’t happen then it is up to the majority to go medieval on the minority’s ass and get some things accomplished.  If you can’t see that, I can’t help you.  I would hate to believe that I really am ignorant or stupid…I choose to believe that I am aware.

It has already been pointed out to me that I have failed at my New Year’s Resolution.  My very astute non-vag. daughter pointed out that perhaps I had chosen a resolution that I knew I would fail at in order to be able to blog about it.  Alas, that was not my intention.  I began this blog with the intention of writing everyday.  At first I did.  Then my life got in the way.  Now I find myself being constantly audited by the very subjects I would most often blog about, and as such rules have been made.

It is the fault of my children, husband, sisters, and others that I do not blog any more often than I do.  Only The Precious cares little whether I blog about him or not, and I feel that will change as soon as he can read.  My children have asked that I not write about them.  If I do I must never mention names, and only mention scenarios in which none of their peers could ever recognize them.  I have tried to point out that I have never signed this blog with my name so how would their friends know…their answer has always been “I’ll know.”  Therefore, I can only blog about my children when doing so casts them in a good light.   They are written about very little.

I can’t blog about my husband or our sex life in anyway except using very broad brush strokes.  His brother and sister read my blog and God forbid they should either one find out that he has a sex life.  Just for clarification for them and my kids…we don’t.   We never have.  We never will.  Ours is a totally platonic relationship. We’re just two really good friends, who happen to love spending all of our time together.  There’s nothing dirty going on.  (Please contact me if you are interested in buying the Golden Gate bridge, or any of several national monuments.  Phone 1-800-GUL-ABLE…true spelling didn’t work)

I can blog about my sisters.  Correction.  I can blog about two of my three sisters.  One of the nasty bitches threatened to give mom by website if I don’t watch what I say about her.  That’s a shame too, because aside from mom she was my best blog fodder.  If I lose mom I might as well just shut down the site.  The other two I don’t really see often enough to rage on.  One lives about 2 hours away.  The other lives about 15 minutes away, but she doesn’t like me so we don’t see each other often.  If we did I can promise there would be plenty to blog about.  Fur tends to fly when we are together for too long.  I blame her…she of course can’t see her fault in matters.  I almost said what a bitch she is, but I took the high road (insert nah nah nah nah nah).

I can’t discuss a lot of things.  I haven’t been out as much to discuss the ladies of the block.  My very dear, very southern friend who lives down the street probably thinks I died.  I can’t always blog about politics and religion (one of which I am very adamant about and the other I have a much more relaxed view on than most family members).  I can’t discuss my exercise regimen, because if you know me you know that would be one effin’ short blog.  I can’t discuss garden club, book club, or bridge because I don’t garden.  I only read things that I think will shock people, and I think bridge is something you use to get over water.

So, my dear ones, loosen the restraints!  If you can’t do that, then for goodness sakes send me some topics.  I can talk about anything for a little while.  Do you want to know how I handled my hysterectomy?  Let me know.  Do you want to know if I think turning 50 is cool because you get free checking?  Just ask.  I set up the face book page for aging disgracefully.  Just do a search when you log on, and then leave me your comments, complaints and or questions.  Seriously, it’s your fault if I don’t have anything to write about.  I think all three of you should just be ashamed of yourselves!