Well, it's Kerry 1 Bush 0 after the first debate. Thank God! I know some democrats began to lose hope in getting that bumbling, reckless idiot Dubya out of Washington in the past months.
The Bush campaign has been using the easy, catchy labels like flip-flopper and exercising their practice of Weapons of Mass Diversion. I have been so waiting for the moment when the two men had to stand in front of non-biased questioner and answer questions intelligibly and truthfully without the handpicked audience applauding on cue.
Bush got smoked. Couldn't he look any less presidential? Besides that, Kerry got his messages across concisely and consistently. Hmm.. maybe he should carry a two minute timer around with him from now on so he can't ramble on and on.
Let's make it 2 for 2 Senator Kerry.
I was sick again last night and I'm tired of it. All this medicine I'm taking, I could at least feel better. Since that's not the case and I can't get off these meds without the test, I decided to stay home today and drive to Baltimore to the next Hospital on the list.
It only took me 30 minutes to get there. I walked in, handed the nurse the test, she said she'd take me back in a few minutes and... SHE DID! No drama. She took my blood and sent me on my way. 20 minutes and I was on my way home. Why has it been so hard when that was all there was to it!
Hopefully my doc will get the results next week and give me the go ahead to fill my new perscription.
Friday I had another doctor's appointment. I made it because the physcian's assistant told me to make come see them, but the doc was looking at me like what are you doing back again. I was in the office for 2 hours and nothing was accomplished. So the doc's secretary finally confirms that my health ins. doesn't require authorization (why couldn't she call and tell me that?) so I went to the hospital for the third time to get the special testing done. I sat there for 15 mins before someone comes out and tells me that THEY DON'T DO THOSE TEST KITS ANYMORE! I said, are you kidding me, since when? She says they're too much trouble, we stopped 8/17.
I'm just too through now. Someone up there is seriously screwing with me. I waited 3 weeks for the stupid nurse to call my insurance to pacify the stupid hospital and now they don't do the stupid test anymore. I can't believe what a nightmare this has been. Now I have to find some place an hour or more from my house to try and get the testing done. Have mercy!
Why does ANYONE support George W. Bush? I have heard some say he is good for the economy and has a good business sense. Forget the fact that his business ventures before he went into politics were disasters. Let’s look at his economic performance as president:
* 2.9 million private sector jobs were lost since Bush took office
* 2.5 million people lost their jobs since Bush took office
* Unemployment rate increased by 37 percent since Bush took office
* An average of 79,000 jobs were lost per month under George Bush (as apposed to an avearage of 135,000 jobs being created under every president since Truman)
* The country has gone from a $281 billion surplus to a $521 billion deficit, so far.
* When Bush took office, a $5.6 trillion baseline budget surplus over the next 10 years was projected by the Congressional Budget Office. This number has been reduced to a projected $5.2 trillion baseline budget deficit since then.
* Bush’s 2004 budget deficit is the highest in history by $188 billion. (ecclipsing his father’s previous record)
* Personal bankrupcy filings have increased by 10% under George Bush.
* Out-of-pocket healthcare cost increased by 50% under George Bush.
* Job-based health insurance costs increased by 14% under George Bush.
* College tuition & fees increased by 35% under George Bush.
* Gas prices increased by 11.5% under George Bush
* Set all-time record for biggest annual budget increases
* President's Economic Plan Claims Outsourcing is Good for America; Millions of Jobs Will Be Lost to Outsourcing.
Now let’s get the ecomonic experts opinions:
* Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan urged Congress to cut the growth of Social Security and Medicare, warning that without immediate measures, the U.S. will face unsustainable deficits, rising long-term interest rates and slower growth in living standards. Rising pressure on U.S. finances from an aging population makes it vital to fix the social safety net soon with steps such as raising the age for full retirement benefits..
* Goldman Sachs economist Ed McKelvey stated in his firm's newsletter that "the U.S. federal budget is out of control." The $374 billion dollar budget deficit in the fiscal year that ended on Sept. 30, 2003 which was by far the largest dollar amount ever, is expected to rise to $525 billion in this fiscal year. Should that be the case, the Times reports that "the annual budget picture will have deteriorated by more than $650 billion" during Bush's term as president, from a surplus of $127 billion in fiscal year 2001.
* U.S. Comptroller General David Walker refuted George W. Bush's claims that his administration can cut the federal deficit in half within five years without changing policies. According to the Los Angeles Times, "Bush has argued that by 2006, growth prompted by his $1.7-trillion tax cut plus spending cuts will pare deficits in half." Contrary to Bush's claims, Walker, the nation's chief fiscal officer stated that, "The idea that this is manageable or that we are going to grow our way out of the problem is just flat false."
Let's here one of his business associate's opinion of his business acumen:
Co-Founder of Carlyle Group, David Rubenstein, talking about setting up Cater Air after Carlyle acquired it: “When we’re putting together the board,” Rubenstein said, ‘somebody came to me and said ‘Look, there is a guy who would like to be on the board. He's kind of down on his luck a bit. Needs a job. Needs some board positions. Could you put him on the board? Pay him a salary and he'll be a good board member and be a loyal vote for the management and so forth.’ …We put him on the board and (he) spent three years. Came to all the meetings. … And after a while I kind of said to him, after about three years – ‘You know, I'm not sure this is really for you. Maybe you should do something else. Because I don't think you're adding much value to the board. You don't know that much about the company.’ The board member told him, Rubenstein said, ‘Well I think I'm getting out of this business anyway. I don't really like it that much. So I'm probably going to resign from the board.’ And I said, 'Thanks.' Didn't think I'd ever see him again. His name is George W. Bush,’ Rubenstein said. ‘He became president of the United States. So if you said to me, name 25 million people who would be president of the United States, he wouldn't be in that category. So you neverknow." Nicholas Horrock, “White House Watch: With Friends Like These,” UPI, July 16, 2003 .
[SCARY]
Are you better off than you were four years ago? Is the country? When can we start blaming bad economic conditions on W?
Would you hire George Bush to run your company? A lemonade stand? Hell, I wouldn't trust him to be the banker in a game of Monopoly.
Yesterday we bought Jill Scott's new album, Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2.
I wasn't planning to rush out and buy it the first day in stores, but we just happened to be in Best Buy and just happened to notice that it was there. Naturally, we had to get it. Jill's first release (yes, I called her Jill... we're tight like that) is one of the rare albums that I've liked every single track. I'm happy to see, although I've only listen to 10 out of 16 tracks, this new album may have the same appeal.
It's very mellow and jazzy like her first album, but so far, I haven't noticed as many "upbeat" tunes like It's Love. Still, all the songs have a very positive poetic vibe that she's made into a trademark. I can't wait to hear those last 6 tracks. Even if they're terrible, I've alreay gotten our money's worth on the first 10.