From Away
Living and writing in Maine but forever From AwayArchive for joblessness
Signs of the time
A picture is worth a thousand words even if it is taken in the rain from the inside of a car in a parking lot across the street. As a small (really small) business person I feel for the business that is closing. It’s just so shocking to see all those Obama posters on the building as well.
I know I’m not voting for President Obama for the very reason shown in this photo — the economy continues to be terrible, huge numbers of people are still out of work, our children and grandchildren are in debt over their heads because of this administration, welfare is on the rise, and commerce is screeching to a halt like the store in the picture. Obama signs pandering for votes are plastered all over the place anyway. I find it hard to believe that people would miss the irony here. So much about this photograph could be said…
Not real certain I want to vote for Mr. Romney because from where I stand it doesn’t look like the republicans have done much to help the situation. However, I have yet to find a store closing with Romney campaign posters plastered all over.
Just saying.
Don’t Tread on Me
Okay. I’ll bite. Why does President Obama think I didn’t build my own business?And why does he think he can speak to this issue; he has NEVER built a business. Sorry it is not the same thing if you KNOW people who have built a business.
The spin on this put-his-foot-in-his-mouth moment is that he was trying to say that all of us had help and we didn’t get to where we are alone. That we need someone else like, for instance, the government.
Regardless of the spin what he said was I couldn’t do it myself thank you very little. The government can help me the most by staying out of my way.
I started a business that is so rare that the insurance companies don’t have a classification for it. I’m a freelance secretary. I didn’t copy someone else’s idea. I did it because I lost my job due to the economy (thanks government) and realized there wasn’t a lot of options open to me (thanks again government). I had the skill set but didn’t know a thing about running a business. I learned. No one handed it to me. No one but family encouraged me. I paid for everything including my mistakes. My “resources” didn’t seek me out; I found them.
I’m not anywhere close to being a Fortune 500 company but it just dusts my doilies when others (who have never operated a business) tell me I didn’t do it on my own. I did.
I learned to write novels on my own as well. Even though I could write all my life none of my teachers along the way picked up on it and I had to figure that out as well.
So there.
When you try to build a business on a shoe string then you can talk about whether you did it on our own or not Mr. President. Either way don’t speak for me or about me because, Mr. President, you aren’t qualified to.
President Obama Values My Ongoing Support
You’ve seen homeless people on sidewalks, corners, and in the middle of intersections. Can’t be certain but it appears the number of panhandlers have grown a little bit over the past several years. I guess the increase in panhandlers can be attributed to our robust economy. In fairness I must admit that some of the people shouting at us from the middle of the road aren’t interested in money as much as their message. Usually that message is “The End of the World is Near!”
Looks like political parties have taken a cue from our homeless friends. At least they aren’t standing all scruffy in the middle of the road shouting “Give me money.” No, the political parties are panhandlers (with an end of the world message) via the United States Postal Service.
At least the guy standing in the middle of the intersection makes his message clear. I got this card in the mail this week and I still don’t understand whether President Obama and the Democrats need our money because the Republicans are trying to stop progess that the Republicans have made? Or the progress Democrats have made? Or the progress made by the indefinable “they” from the land of “them” my Mom is always talking about?
This is just getting embarrassing.
I’m wicked glad that I am an unaligned voter.
A Battle of Titanic Proportions
I have been dealing with a head cold the past few days and the headache was bad enough that I couldn’t look at a television or play my favorite MMOs. So I lay in bed taking cold remedies, reading novels and dozing off.
When I got up this morning (thank you sweetie for letting me sleep in) I decided to catch up on the local news and see what has been going on while I was out of commission. There it was — just in case anyone didn’t know by Monday– an article about the Patriots losing to the Giants covering almost the entire front page.
Oh there was the regular informational column that ran the length of the left side. At the bottom an article about a group of Bowdoin College students who are unplugging from Facebook by Darren Fishell and a photograph from the Bowdoinham Ice and Smelt Festival beard growing contest taken by Darcie Moore. Running partially down the right side and continuing on the back of that section was an article about cuts in local school funding by Mr. Fishell. The majority of the front page was about the “Super Disappointment” titled “Patriots unable to win biggest game for Kraft ” by AP writer Nancy Armour.
The Super Bowl was the big news especially here in New England. I was in the San Francisco Bay area when the Bay Bridge World Series took place and everyone there was pumped. Two teams from the same neighborhood competing against each other. Doesn’t get better than that. It was the same with this Super Bowl only better — not only the same neighborhood but rivals. Good stuff. Even though I knew what happened I eagerly scanned through the article. I like sports.
My eyes kept drifting to the little column on the right side. According to Mr. Fishell’s article because of the loss of the Naval Air Station, the poor economy and cuts by the state government the Brunswick school system is strapped for money and resources. They have been making deep cuts over the past few years and now they are talking about cutting core programs. In addition to the financial barriers it seems the school system is also struggling against apathy.
I looked again at the photograph of the two Super Bowl coaches taking up most of the above the fold space.
I don’t blame the Times Record they are in business to make money. They are going to print what will sell papers. I don’t blame Ms. Armour for writing the article (which I enjoyed) for the same reason. I also believe that organized sports have a place in our society and I don’t blame that. I blame us.
When a game — yes, just a game — is more news worthy than education can there be any doubt what message we are sending?
Unaligned Voter and Proud of it.
Yesterday while I was registering Mom’s car at the old town office I made good on the threat I have been making for several years now. I registered as an unaligned voter. I no longer support any political party. I am sick of the eternal ramp up to elections, the empty suits, the emptier promises, the mudslinging, and the massively rude behavior that comes with it. Sometimes when I read the news I think these guys must be hiding in the bushes spying on one another waiting for something they can exploit into a smear piece. All political parties behave the same way while telling you that their way is the truly American way.
So if I don’t agree with you that means I’m un-American?
A group of us were sitting around the other day discussing the current batch of cookie cutter candidates (doesn’t matter which party) and one of the guys said, “None of these guys have any plan for a zombie apocalypse. You should vote for me because I have a plan.” We all laughed and politics took a back seat to how we each would prepare for a zombie apocalypse.
As funny and entertaining as talking about a zombie apocalypse was, it drove home a real point with me. Pick a problem; the economy, the terrorist threat, hunger, joblessness, homelessness or health care insurance do any of our representatives, any candidates currently running for office, any political party, or politically aligned group really (honestly) have any kind of plan other than to make certain their guys get elected?
I will no longer excuse the hypocrisy. No political group will decide who I should vote for or insist that I support a platform that I don’t. I’m unaligned.
From Away 