Think McCain and Vote Obama.

McCain has something right in the campaign. His slogan "Country First" should be aimed directly at the people of which Obama's tax cuts leave out. Take a little mathenatical walk with me...

You are a family making $250,000 take home a year. Let's say in 2005 you bought a $345,000 home at 5.75% interest with a 30 fixed loan. Your loan payment, if you put 15% down is $1750.72 before PMI, utilities, etc. With all the dealings lately, you've been getting nervous. Homes in your neighborhood won't sell, there is even talk of a few forclosures and your neighboor who bought a similar house at the same time you did, just sold for $245,000! Holy crap! That's a 30% depreciation! (I know that this is possible because the house we just bought was 345K in 2005 and we bought it for $245K.) That is a $100,000 LOSS over three years. You had been counting on the value to rise, you hadn't choosen this neighboorhood for the schools and had planned to move in 2010 to get your kids to the schools of your choice! Ahhhh!

No fear, Obama has a plan that will raise your taxes and save your house. WTF? Obama's plan is to give a tax cut for families filing with an AGI of $95,000 or lower, keep taxes where they are for those with $95,001 to $249,999 and raise taxes for $250,000 or higher families--how is that going to help me you say. Tis an outrage! I already pay 35% in taxes, this isn't fair!

Have I mentioned what the tax increase would be? 2%. 2 percent of $250,000 is $5,000. Now, $5,000 is not a small chunk of change--2% for me is $880--I know that money is a difficult thing to part with, especially when you are already feeling the pinch of the bad economy. However, think about it like this:

In addition to cutting wasteful spending (as both parties want to do) Obama wants $5,000 more a year from you in order to revive the economy. Not fair again you say! I've done my part, paid my mortgage, and all I am seeing is falling home prices and plummeting 401Ks! But listen to McCain "What's good for the Country is good for you". Chances are whatever you do to make your 250K is middle class dependant. Fair? If the middle class is doing well, your business makes more and you get raises. More money--hooray! However, when the middle class is doing poorly we all suffer. Even the economy. That is what is going on right now.

Normal middle class families are not able to make ends meets. Befuddled with all that's happened with the financial crisis, the economy is fragile and the middle class needs help. The best way to help is to provide government assistance from job creation, to mortgage programs, to straight out stimulas packages. Those things require money. So, let's call that $5K a year an investment in the middle class.

An investment in the middle class would mean more people working (economy up). An investment in the middle class would mean more spending (economy up). An investment in the middle class would mean less people are losing their homes (economy up). If more people are working, there is more money to be spent. The more money spent, the more profitable businesses are, the more profitable businesses are, the more money for more jobs and more raises! Hooray!

But most of all, it would affect the housing crisis. If John and Susie down the street don't sell for 20% loss but actually LOSE their home, your home price will take a bigger fall than 20%. If John and Susie get some government assistance to keep their home, it's in your best interest. Let's say the tax cut lasts for Obama's presidency and the next, that's $5K a year for 8 years. That's $40,000. That's a rough number to deal with. You know what's more rough? The 30% or $100,000 your home has already tumbled. With a stable middle class home prices will rise again and you won't end up owing more on your house than it's worth--something everyone is at risk for, not just those with sub-prime or ARM loans.

So, to end our mathematical journey, at the end of 2016 you've paid $40,000 more in taxes than you would have if the tax laws stayed the same. However, your home price stabilized and you sold it at cost in 2010. You didn't come away with the profit you hoped, but you did get your kids to the schools you wanted. You walk away with a total loss of $40,000 over 8 years. The possibility of not stabilizing the middle class and re-energizing the economy could have cost you at least $20,000 more--see below.

Let's say under McCain you got a 2% tax break, so over the next 8 years you made $40,000 more than today's taxes. However, $40,000 for every 250k and over ended up putting a burden on the economy and although your home price stayed where it was in 2008, you ended up selling for a loss of $100,000. Thus, making your total loss $60,000 at the end of 2016.

The chart version for the visual learners.

Obama McCain
-$345,000 house purchase price in 2005 -$345,000 house purchase price in 2005
+$345,000 house sale price in 2010 +$245,000 house sale price in 2010
-$40,000 tax increase from 2008-2016) +$40,000 tax increase from 2008-2016
-------------------------------- --------------------------------
-$40,000 total profit/loss -$60,000 total profit/loss


So all you fiscally conservative high earners, when you go to the polls, think McCain and vote Obama.

Great bad Joke

What's the difference between a pitbull and a hockey mom?

You can't neuter a hockey mom.

Because She Hates Them

Below is an article, "Why Feminists Hate Sarah Palin" and it is the basis of the following blog.

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB122143727571134335-lMyQjAxMDI4MjExNzQxMzc3Wj.html

First of all, I don't read the Wall Stree Journal, it's a little too partisan for me. I do my best to read non-partisan news and reject articles that are clearly slanted--unless provoked.

I wouldn't have even come in contact with this mess of an article if the subject of my last blog hadn't sent an email with this article out in mass, including Jason. Let's note though, that after reading my last blog (how did she even get to it? Whole 'nother Oprah) she send a text to Jason demanding he never speak to her again because I was "crazy", "mean and bitter" and "obviously intimidated" by her... doesn't she know verbal restraining orders work both ways? Anyway....

The poorly written article tries to snare feminists in a Catch 22 by not supporting a woman working her way to the top because of her politics, atleast that is what I got from my reading of it. It insinuates that feminists have turned their back on Sarah because she's "too good at having it all". No, feminists applaud that. Sister, if you can do it all, then good for you! They also applaud the fact that her husband stands behind her and provides the support she need be as successful as she is. The article, however, goes too far and says: "Here, the great woman is out in front and the great man provides the support. Isn't that real feminism?" Eff no it isn't! A great woman can be a great woman because she is a great woman, not because she has someone, specifically a man behind her! Not every woman chooses a partner, or chooses not to have a partner and not everyone of those partners are men! Every woman should be able to pursue the life she wants regardless of socioeconomic or marital status. If you have someone by your side, that is awesome for you, but no one should be constrained by their marital status to success.

The article touches on, but fails to take a stance on (or even make any valid point) that Sarah is against instituionalized day-care and throws her support behind tax breaks for in-home care. Question: why only support one? Why can't we do both? Not everyone wants their kid in day care but not everyone has the luxury of affording in-home care, whether it be a partner or a outside provider. If you are a single mother who loves their children but wants a career as well, day care my be your only option. A true feminist doesn't punish women for being single parents or even two workng parents by only providing aid to "in-home care".

As I have been saying all along, I have no problem with Sarah Palin's story as a woman. I think that she is an inspiration that if you work hard you can achieve what you are working for. She's not perfect and that helps show that you don't have be a perfectly manicured Michelle or Hillary to be an inspiration to young women--or even liberal! However, when your politics intefer with others to achieve their dreams you are not a feminist. Feminism is a sisterhood and to deprive any other woman her right to be a mother, make family planning choices, pursue an equally compensated job as a man's, or ANYTHING else makes you decidely against feminism, even if you have a great story. So why my friends do feminists hate Sarah Palin? Because she hates them.

The origin of Pride

Jason just received a text message from one of this ex-girlfriends exclaiming:

"I love Palin! I am so happy to be a woman!"


My friends, for the first time in history I was literally speechless. Jason showed me the text message and I could neither say nor do anything. I wanted to vomit--I literally felt like someone had punched me square in the gut.


It's not that I didn't know this girl was conservative (conservative may be mild) or that I thought she would have not supported Palin (she's a female Dentist, so she isn't totally antiquated) but to think that someone hung the pride of their femininity on someone like Palin makes me sick.



This is not a sexist blog, this has nothing to do with ability--women are just as qualifed as men in all aspects for all jobs. This is about one female disrespecting all females and calling it female pride.


I am not a staunch Democrat. I am not a staunch Conservative. I fall in the "Moderate" territory and I can respect that everyone has their own beliefs that dictate their lives. I do not just respect that, I welcome that! Everyone has their own truth and it is these individual truths that make us all unique and beautiful. What I do not think is beautiful and what I can not respect is one person telling another person how they should live their life. I do not find anything about Sarah Palin beautiful or respectable. Palin has not only consistently voted Pro-Life and against comprehensive sexual education, but she wants to COMPLETELY overturn Roe vs. Wade. Pro-Lifer's must understand that making abortion illegal will not make abortions go away.

Remember Dirty Dancing? Abortions will become back alley procedures, done by Doctor's whose licenses have been revoked for performing such procedures or quacks seeing a need and filing it. Women will go in droves to Mexico and Canada whose standards may or may not meet the standards of our own. There will be no way to ensure the safety or correctness of the procedure and many WILL incur permanent damage to their reproductive systems, many WILL become ill from infection and many WILL die. Not to mention, if women do get the procedures done and do become ill or injured during, the insurance companies won't cover the hospital bill to heal those woman because they had an illegal procedure done.

Not only will there be dangerous abortions procedures, but there will be many more unwanted babies born. That's more babies born to teenage girls who leave their newborns in dumpsters and toilets. That's more babies born to women unable financially or without the personal resolve to raise them, leaving the women to drop them off at hospitals, police and firestations all over the country. Sure there is adoption, but is that what we want? Orphangaes full of children, children going in to the foster system (I have yet to hear anyone rave about their childhood in the Foster system).

Banning abortion is not the answer, comprehensive sexual education and an open door policy regarding safe sex at home IS. But wait, Palin is against that too! Palin is not for women, she is against them. She is for with holding information and medical procedures because of her personal truths--truths she doesn't have to take away from others to hold herself. Only the insecure and unsure require all to abide by their believes in order to legitimize them.

So, when this woman sent Jason that text message, what she said was this:

"I do not respect the bodies or the decisions of my fellow women. I believe the choices of Ms. Palin and my own, should dictate the choices of every American female. I base the pride of my femininity on the disrespect of other women."

Fuck you, Alison and fuck you too Palin. I cannot and will not respect you as a woman for even daring to take these choices away from me. I have never been more angry in my entire life and to think it is all over a text message.

day-glow, velcro, unicorns and now

Well, July was sort of a bust for blogging but let's see if we can't make it up this month. Onward!

I think I may have just fallen in to the correct career path, you see, when I was young, I was relentlessly ridiculed for my choice of apparel. Apparently, I never matched and not just mismatched, but horrifically paired clothes that should not even co-exist in the same closet. The most notorious outfit consisted of a cream turtle neck two sizes too big, day-glow pink jogging pants with neon yellow and neon green cuffs one size too small, Prince purple scrunch socks, and dirty (very dirty) black velcro low-tops all topped off with an ill-tended perm. I eventually wised up and stopped wearing hand me downs from various generations before me and begged my mother to actually buy me clothes. It also helped that my friends felt bad for me and helped me pick stuff out (sometimes Bonnie would just redress me). I eventually got better at fashion and did a pretty decent job at blending in to the preppy/classic crowd (although I longed to match my socks to the twinkle in the eye of the unicorn on my sweatshirt!) So, I am sure that everyone had someone like this in their life and they were teased terribly until they a.) fell in to that social funk where they are simply known as the eccentric dresser who talks to their yogurt or b.) figured it out. But my friends, did any of those people grow up and take a career where they would be praised for their poor sense of style? Yes, you heard it folks, Interior Design (and probably all forms of design in general) perceive the uncorrdinated mess that Crystal, who probably reminded me of my fashion follies everytime there was a relevant chance, as "avant-garde", "daring", "fresh" and just plain "awesome". Today, for example, I am wearing wide legs dark jeans with my white and pale blue New Balance shoes, a mint green top that says "Green is the new black" in oversized dark green block letters, giant orange hoop earrings I once wore with a Halloween costume, and a black newsboy cap because I didn't brush my hair... I have gotten three compliments and one was from a straight man. It's amazing! I can't go wrong; I wake up, put on some skivvies, grab two things out of the closet and POOF! Instant interior design fashion genius! This may be the proudest moment for that little girl who walked Avondale Upper Elementary School like a catwalk, unaware and without care for the lack of proper outfit coordination--revenge is so sweet served 14 years cold.

**To my credit, one of my best friends Colleen, actually admired me for my fashion choices, simply because I didn't care that everyone thought I looked ridiculous--I loved my outfits and wore them with pride! My poor fashion may just be the reason we are friends. Go me and my Prince purple scrunch socks.

Friends, feel free to post your favorite pre-fashion sensibility outfit!

Iowa, Auto-Immune and Insecurities

I love my blackberry. Really, it is the most genius piece of equipment and has kept me euphorically entertained on my road trip to and from Michigan. I do however have beef with its vocabulary. Yesterday while updating my Facebook status to “Katie is inclined to believe deer in Iowa are suicidal” (due to the exorbitant amount of mutilated Bambis on the interstate) when my precious Pearl did not recognize “Iowa” as a word and instead offered me “upward” and “ipwa”. My immediately thoughts were this:

1. I knew Iowa wasn’t a legitimate state and as such I will spend no money is the flat –cow-infested patch of land, which mocks our proud country by posing as a state and…
2. Really?

After updating my status I thought nothing more of the incident until later I was texting Jeff when I tried to type “give” and the most disturbing word popped up: “HIV.” Yes, HIV. My phone was more inclined to give me HIV (full capitalized and everything) than “give”; granted “give” was the second choice in my options, but shouldn’t it have been first? Following then by given, giving and then perhaps HIV? Obviously my phone has messed up priorities: promiscuous sex over patriotic knowledge of the country in which its service area lies within.


In unrelated news, Katie’s Body incorporated has seen an increase is staff and decrease in productivity and has decided to go through a series of downsizing in order to flush out the “dead weight”. The following departments will see long term cuts in size over the next few months: inside thighs, hips and love handles. These departments have been assessed and it is believed that they are expendable and will ultimately result in a healthier and more productive workplace at Katie’s Body Incorporated. Stock holder’s shares will not be affected by this transition.

I love a good bumpersticker

"January 20th 2009, End of an Error."

Job Genius

So, it's official; the last four jobs that I have wanted and gone after, I have gotten. Granted, I was qualified for them, but mainly I attribute my success to one thing: persistance. You see, a lot of people are qualified for what I am doing (errr, a lot in my field that is) but I stood out because I made it a point that they heard from me on a consistant basis. That's right folks, plain ol' stalking. Seriously. Oddly enough, it works and this is why: people love to feel wanted. A job also likes to know you want to be there. The person who calls the most appears the most dedicated to working there, translating in the employer's brain to "the most dedicated" perspective employee. You know, even if this doesn't work... it seems to; so as the old saying goes "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

profanity

sometimes profanity is necessary to express how you are feeling. today, this is how karson and i felt at work:

kb: HATEHATEHATEHATEHATE
ANGERANGERANGERANGER

kd: fuckshitballsmotherdamngodshitbull

kb: ASSSHITFUCKHATEKILLSHOOTINHEADBULLSHITWTFTHISISLAMEKILL

an ultimate truth

KB taught me an ultiamte truth about relationships last night and I thought I would share it:
Love like there is no tomorrow but speak like there is.

Great words of advice, since you can't take back your words. You can apologize, but the sting of what you've said may never go away. Better to count to ten than lose your relationship.

“Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.”

yes, this is a grammatically correct sentence and I am sooooo pissed I did not devise it myself. dammit.

http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/13120

just say no to homeless pizza makers

Under no circumstance should you purchase or eat pizza from men who could be construed as homeless. If I need say more, try it yourself and you will understand.

meaning of life

Recently the lives of many of the people I love have changed, including my own. In the midst of their heartache, break through, new beginnings and ends of eras; whether their changes have been happy, sad, or a mixture of both, I believe I have found the meaning of life:

strive for your own happiness.

One friend built all their happiness on the happiness of others and must learn how to make their own happiness. Another friend lived the same and recently made a bold move and took their happiness even at the expense of others. A third friend laid their happiness on the line for another and now that happiness is being returned three-fold. All of these people are on the verge of, beginning, or truly have found the meaning of life.

95% of me says do what you must to be happy, even at the expense of others. The other 5% says do what you must and avoid hurting others to get what you want (although I would say abuse of any kind is counterproductive to any happiness).

So, with that said, throw up a pray for my friends who may not have found their way yet, but rest be assured they will get there.

random things worth mentioning

this will pretty much be on going.

02.12.08: one of my co-workers said "Wow, talking to you is like talking to google." That may be the best compliment I have received since my boss called me "precocious". It pretty much made my year.

02.13.08: Colleen pointed out that she doesn't know anyone who loves meat on a stick more than me. She's right, I am pretty much it's biggest fan ever. Really, I am a simple girl and all I need is my man meat and my meat on a stick. TMI? Perhaps, but you are reading my personal blog, one would expect to run in to some oversharing once and a while.

02.25.08: on 02.22.08 while Jason and I were at Copper Mountain enjoying a quick lunch before heading back out on the slopes, we saw the most curious occurence--it may be the first and the last time a sighting like this is made. We saw a woman put on her bifocals to use her LG enV phone (a phone designed specifically for texting.) Seriously? That woman is rad.

best year ever

This birthday marks the beginning of the best calendar year EVER for me? Why you ask? Because the stars actually and figuratively are aligned. Let's explore this phenomenon in bullet listed form.

This year I am 24 which is two twelves and accoriding to Colleen twelve is the best number. I will post more when I get the why from her

I was not sick on my birthday. Since I turned 7 years old and was in the hospital with dehydration, I have always been sick--this is the first year I haven't.

This year, for the first time in Chinese history, Chinese New Year fell on my birthday. That's pretty sweet. Also, 2008 is the year of the Rat, which is my Chinese symbol! Holy Eff! Such a combination can only mean great things... right!?

The biggest thing that is going to make this year great is my attitude. I totally prescribe to these phenomenons, so, by power of persusation this year will rock!!!

I am a bad girlfriend

scene: jason laying on the flooring mumbling

me: from the bathroom "I can't hear you, you're talking to the floor..."
jason: still laying on the floor, in an exasperated tone "The floor listens!"

This is only funny if you imagine him, 75% serious, totally frustrated and his voice cracking at "listens". Totally LOL funny.

your love is like my change

I was talking to my friend KB at work today and she told me a little anecdote her and her husband say to each other that helps them to appreciate each other... here it goes:

One says to the other: "I wish I could shrink you and put you in my pocket, to carry with me all day."

Very sweet, eh? Keep reading.

Then the other replies back: "But then you would disgard me on the dresser with all the other stuff in your pockets."

I like it; it speaks to the affects of being with eachother literally all the time. I suppose absence makes the heart grow fonder, but one thing is for certain: being joined at the hip does not.

perhaps stupidly admirable

I learned something about myself today. Well, I always knew it, but the pieces sort of came together. I learned that I let my emotions rule matters of the heart and my brain rule matters of reason. It sounds simple but I know a lot of people (including myself at times) where this is not the case. Like, I WANT a laptop--it isn't a rational thing, I already have a computer (although I can find practical reasons for owning one). However, I did not just go out and buy one; I researched them and saved and made a plan for when to buy one. However, when it comes to matters of the heart, although I am aware of time, distance, complexity etc. they do no necessarily get in the way of what I want. Double edged sword? Perhaps, but I would like to think its admirable, nonetheless. Call it my romantic side, because god knows I am not a traditional romantic. Ha!

nobody likes beige...

...not even penguins. I suppose the following article proves that even penguins are as much assholes as people: only the pretty get laid and the ugly get bullied. What a rotten shame.

I am easily amused

Okay, so I know I just posted... but I turned around and watched a commercial that made me damn near pee my pants.

Seriously, I nearly died. You can check out the rest of them at www.elementandfriends.com. OMG I am easily amused.

a thought on miss manners

After reading a friend's away message, I searched out Mrs. Manners and came across the following article regarding engagements. I was so glad someone said what I always thought.

"Dear Miss Manners:
I am feeling incorrect. A colleague recently became engaged and was delightedly showing her ring to the women at work. Each one squealed "Congratulations!" While I am as happy as the others are for her, it seems a bit like she won the grand prize on a game show rather than committed to a lifetime of caring and responsibility.
What is the "correct" response? I settled for something along the order of "I'm sooooo happy for you!" which did not seem as celebratory but was the best I could do on short notice.
There are many young, unmarried women in my office, and I am sure to have to know the answer to this question in the near future.

It is you whom Miss Manners must congratulate. You have stumbled accidentally on the correct approach.
Strictly speaking, a lady should never be congratulated on her engagement or marriage, however charming the gentleman. It is he who is officially the lucky one, to whom congratulations are given. She is properly wished happiness."

Amen. Yes being engaged is great, but let's celebrate the birth of your children and your 5, 10, 15 year anniversary--ya know? I know a lot of women I talked to felt like the engage-ees were less excited about having dedicated the rest of their life to another person, but more so excited to let everyone know that they were good enough to be proposed to. I wonder if getting engaged was always such a spectacle. In a time where divorce is so common, perhaps we should celebrate, as I said earlier, anniversaries and encourage couples to work out what can be worked out; or simply be more discerning about who they choose to marry in the first place. If the situation has gone bad or god-forbid you simply fall out of love with each other, I absolutely do not advocate that two people stay together, but it seems that a lot of people are so anxious to get engaged that they don't sit down and really figure out if when they say "'til death do us part" they can mean it for "as long as [they] both do live". Everything I've seen regarding relationships is enough to make me more than a little wary... is there a book of questions to ask before you get engaged? A Cosmopolitan quiz? Haha... I certainly don't think I am beyond getting so wrapped up in love you forget to make sure it's right, I just hope when the time comes to respond to a proposal it is been a well thought out and discussed decision on both our parts.

I think I have interesting things to say

So, after a lot of thought I have decided one of my new year's resolutions is to blog. I think I have interesting things to say... we'll see.