Redistribute This....

Unless you were born last year, you are aware of our President's desire and agenda for the "redistribution of wealth" in America (if you were born last year, stop here). From the beginning I have disagreed with the concept for a number of reasons (none of them greedy or coldhearted), but I have since realized that the intent behind the President's push for the redistribution of wealth is in fact, not for reDISTRIBUTION at all. It's reSTRICTION of wealth that he wants. Obama and his fellow socialists in Washington (prove he has no socialist agenda and I'll quit calling it that) have no intentions of redistributing wealth in America among Americans in terms of "spreading the wealth" directly to the people, from those with much to those with none. Their intent, rather, is to restrict wealth among the wealthy PRIVATE* (not government) sector -those who are actually out there WORKING, creating & providing jobs, EARNING their "wealth"- by imposing crippling taxes that the government can collect and distribute as they see fit, when they see fit, and to whom they see fit. Who does this usually mean? Themselves. What Obama, Pelosi, Reed, and the rest of the liberal vultures in Washington want has nothing to do with helping the American people and everything to do with control. MORE control. More control over the American people by enslaving them to a government that determines *what/when/if* they *can/can't* have *this/that/the other*. It is true that we are enslaved to he who holds our debt. It is true in many ways, the least of which is this, which is his intent. Do we accept it or change it? It's our choice, America. And we must choose wisely.

A Not So Beautiful Day

So here's the thing... Lee Dewyze. American Idol. Meh..I didn't watch this season, so I can't really have an opinion on him yet... but I know his first single is a cover of Beautiful Day by U2 which instinctively made me cringe. However, because of my love of all things music and (more importantly) ALL THINGS U2 (!!!!!!!!!!), I had to give it a shot. After all, half of America or something close to, voted for him in the surprise win over expected winner Crystal Bowersox, right? So, off to YouTube I flew, in search of this potential tragedy. My search revealed a few recordings, only two of which I could make it through (actually, I couldn't make it through the whole song in either case). First, his performance of Beautiful Day on the American Idol finale. Tell me the people who voted for him did so before this. Please. *Please*. Otherwise, it is clear that America has a BIG problem. I don't remember how far I got into this version before I started wailing, trying to plug both ears with one hand while frantically pounding the "back" button with the other. Dear crap, are you serious??? (no offense, dude)
Version 2 found me sneering at Meredith Viera as she introduced Dewyze (do you have to pay for a name like that?) on The Today Show, performing the U2 cover live. With every muscle in my body clinched tight, I prepared for the worst. But after just a few notes the tension eased and I relaxed into the gentle sway of Beautiful Day, the acoustic version. Just Dewyze and his guitar, accompanied by piano, and a quasi-folk feel-good groove flavored with a raw, husky swirl of a voice. Very appealing. Very chill. Very me... For a second. Then my brain came to, snapped out of the drunken state of bliss it often escapes to when guitar and voice combine, and I remembered what song he was singing. EW!!! Seriously? This is U2, dude. Ugh!
I mean...kudos to the kid for winning American Idol, and kudos for rockin' a pretty sweet acoustic version of the song, but we're talking U2. Period. You don't cover U2. Period. I begrudgingly admit the acoustic arrangement was clever and even kind of beautiful, but there is never....never, ever, ever....a proper occassion for U2 to sound like John Mayer. Ever. There is a genius about this band of Irish boys...a wisdom, crafted over decades of pain, love, and fear...of celebration and condemnation...that goes into every song they will ever sing. Not just the lyrics, not just the tune, but the the entire arrangement of a song; from its conception to the moment crowds of thousands sing along as it is sung live, on stage (by Bono, that is)...that makes each song a special gift. A gift so good, so real, so beautiful, that it can't be recreated.
Sooooooo, A+ for effort, kid, but I'm afraid this just proves the saying, "often imitated, never duplicated". When it comes to covers, step away from the Irish rock band. Or you might get hurt.

Soooo, I got my new driver's license in the mail today and..........

Dear Old North / Tarheel State,

1. Someone makes a double stick tape that will attach my license to the piece of paper to which you must attach it to send to me (since your new super secret process of issuing my license is now too involved to print it out while I'm actually there, in person, to tell you what all the pretty road signs in the little photo viewer mean, and by "there" I mean in the middle of bum-freaking NOWHERE, 58 turns past Furman Drive where you USED to be, and by the way, maybe send Google your new address because they obviously don't have it) won't leave a nasty residue on my license to which many germs and things will permanently (and ocassionally my fingers when rifling through my purse) adhere. Buy some. And use it.

2. I said lighthouse, not airplane.

3. Because I pay you not only a license renewal fee, but also yearly vehicle taxes, I expect a photo that is at least 3 notches better than a picture my cat can draw of me. I mean come on.. we know it's a digital camera. Really not that hard to say "Ooh.. let's try that again". Takes what, 5 seconds? I mean, this picture is for eight years. Eight years. And a little photoshopping never hurt anyone, you know. But I mean...let's be honest. Photoshopping isn't really even an issue when the actual digital quality of the photo suggests you took my picture with a homemade Quaker Oats box camera.

So anyhoo, my tax dollars obviously aren't being used to pave/patch/fill this great state's road pimples (er, craters?), so using them towards these simple changes would be greatly appreciated, thanksloveyameanit.

OK, Blog.....

I gotta say...... I've been super down & out when it comes to blogging. I want to be naked, free, exposed in my writing, but for the past month or more, every time I log on here to let my feelings flow, I clam up. Shut down. Nothing. Why? What's keeping me, the one who won't shut up, from painting my life, my feelings, in words? Ugh! I feel like..restrained..chained up..ugh.

And in the things I don't understand category......

Gene Simmons's hair.
And Kathy Griffin's hair, while we're at it.

Kellie Pickler. Yeah, that's right, I said Kellie Pickler.

I was just thinking... people make fun of Kellie Pickler all the time, calling her ditzy, airheaded, whatever, but... I have to stand up for her and say she can't possibly be that airheaded. I mean, she's gotta have a LOT of brain capacity up there to store all that dumb, you know?

Apparently I'm Stupid. If You Can Explain It, You Win!

Two Couples. Couple A and Couple B. Bear with me...

Couple A:
Husband is self-employed, wife is stay-at-home mother for two children, ages 3 and 4.
Monthly expenses paid out of pocket:
Mortgage
Home Insurance
Health Insurance
Life Insurance
2 Car Payments (car 1 is 5 years old, car 2 is 6 years old)
Car Insurance
Power
Water
Cable
Internet
Phone
2 Cell Phone Payments
Food, Gas, Misc.
Charitable Donations
Additional Payments (not all monthly):
Property Taxes
Car Taxes
Fire Tax
Yearly income of husband is less than $250,000 per year. And that's before he pays payroll and payroll taxes for his 2 employees and all the other taxes & licenses associated with his business.
April 15th arrives and Couple A pays approximately $20,000 in state and federal income taxes.

Couple B:
Husband employed by pharmaceutical company with good salary and benefits.
Wife stays home with 2 children, ages 2 and 3. Couple lives with wife's mother rent free. Mother also pays for groceries and everyday living items/expenses.
Monthly expenses out of pocket:
Car payment and insurance on new luxury SUV
Beer & Liquor
Marijuana (no, really.)
Gas
Monthly expenses PAID BY GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS:
Health insurance for both children
WIC
Food stamps
SSI for both children ($300per month!)
And maybe even more.....
April 15th arrives and Couple B receives a tax refund greater than $10,000.00

Er...help?