05 Nov 08 The Morning After The Night Before

I’ve never wanted or intended to fill this blog with politics. There are plenty of other places for that, and indeed other blogs to which I contribute which do a fine job in bringing political news and opinion to the web.

However, it is the morning after the night before. The parties will have wound down by now. Some people will have a sore head. Some of those sore heads will feel sore that they didn’t come through last night; others will be jubilant. However, once all the cheering and crying and consoling have died down, there is the serious business of getting on with business as usual, for everyone of us.

It’s my view that this country certainly needed a change. God knows we need a change of direction, a break from the discredited Republican elite that has been driving the global economy into the abyss. I’m sure that the GOP will spend quite a lot of time licking its wounds, and wondering where it went wrong.

Firstly, it had a huge weight around its neck in the form of GW Bush, who has arguably had one of the least successful presidencies in US history. Instead of Bush reaching out to the world, he turned his back on it. In this global age. no country, however big, can afford to do that. Like it or not, it is important to be seen as a friend and a supporter to most of the world, and not simply as a bully that wants all its own way. Just as in school, that is no way to make more friends, or garner support for your ideals. You have to negoiate with people, persuade them that there is a better way, and remember that your own way isn’t always the only way, and sometimes isn’t the right way for them, even if it seems the right way for you.

Many things that the outgoing administration seem to have held up as the right way, are seemingly not so at this point in time, particularly with the global economy in tatters, largely fuelled by a credit crisis that began right here in the USA.

That’s another reason why Obama was successful last night. Folks wanted change, and more folks saw Obama being the author of change than they did McCain.

Many folks, don’t have any or very much trust in politicians. They’re often seen as self-serving egotists who are ‘in it’ for their own ends. They speak but don’t deliver. Experience tells me this is often the case. Obama might prove to be one of those. I hope not. I always hope, in any election, that, whoever is elected, they really do go on to make the changes needed to help make nation and world a better place.

I’m not afraid of an African-American as President, in fact I look forward to the day we no longer even notice race or gender in elections. It should be insignificant.

I am not excited at the result, not jubilant or estactic. I am cautiously optimistic.Then again, that’s how I treat life. Never be so optimistic you can’t see the hole in the floor because you’re dancing too wildly. At any point in time, you’re at where you’re at, and you’ve got to find the positive aspects of that, and move forward to where you want to be.

That is true for the United States right now. Things could be a lot better for many people, but things could be much worse, for many many more.

So when the corks have stopped popping, and the euphoria on one side, and the despair on the other, has died down, let’s hope that, whoever got your support, that the people in this great nation, can work together to re-vitalize the American Dream.

There is always hope for a better brighter day tomorrow.

Tags: abyss, blog, blogs, bully, change god, change of direction, credit crisis, global age, global economy, GOP, gw bush, many things, night folks, point in time, political news, presidencies, reaching out to the world, republican elite, serious business, wounds

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12 Mar 08 3BT

Three Beautiful Things started off as something I was going to do every day. It’s a bit like dieting, or exercising, or going to bed earlier, or quiting smoking or drinking . So many things start off with such good intentions and then fall by the wayside.

I’m trying to get some order back into my life with Remember The Milk, and I think it’s starting to work.

Still back to this posting…

It’s a lovely mild sunny late afternoon as I type this. It’s almost 6pm, but with the clocks having gone forward already this year (earlier again than it used to be), it’s still broad daylight. I like the longer evenings, and as it’s only March, there’s a few months of those going in the right direction!
The smell of a roast dinner cooking. I’m getting real hungry, smelling the pork chops and roast potatoes, but it will soon be ready to eat.
a nice cold beer while I am writing this. Need I say more?

Tags: beautiful things, broad daylight, clocks, cold beer, evenings, going in the right direction, good intentions, late afternoon, many things, pork chops, roast dinner, roast potatoes, wayside

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08 Feb 08 Real Needs vs Perceived Needs

I was reading this article at Home Economics 101

I so agree with Heather’s comments. We’d bought many of those gadgets over time, and when we moved we sold many of them on eBay, and we’ve not replaced them. Some people would probably say that some things go into the “cant live without” category, but we really didn’t use them, when we bought them before!

Electric Popcorn Maker
Deep Fat Fryer
Ice Cream Maker

Sure, everyone’s mileage varies, but, for us, these were items that seemed such a good idea at the time, but rarely ever got used.

Regarding everyday cleaning items. We’ve reduced our use of bleach containing products which really aren’t good for the environment, and instead we have one of those spray bottles, that we fill with a 3% peroxide solution. You can use this for so many things from sterilizing counter tops, to using it on cuts. You can’t do the latter with that bleach-containing spray cleaner. You can use it in the washing machine too, instead of bleach, it’s kinder to fabrics.

We keep oil in a spray bottle too, and although we don’t fry a great deal of food, it’s great for using a minimal amount when we do shallow fry, and it’s good on the grill too.

I tend to “turn off” with advertising. I seldom watch TV, but if I do, within an hour, I could possibly be convinced that I need at least two new pills to alleviate the symptoms of the illness I didn’t know I had until now. I should also be eager to reach old age, so I can take advantage of that too good to be true reverse mortgage offer.