Who's Really in Charge?

Let's begin with our legislators funding Big Oil with our tax dollars, while Big Oil rakes in record-breaking profits. An Exxon representative actually stated that our gas prices are 30-40% higher than they should be because of rampant speculation on Wall Street. In addition to the extraordinary increases in gas prices, the same speculation is currently driving up our food prices. Plus, legislators and their corporate buddies want to circumvent Dodd-Frank? Really???!!! Do they also really want to get rid of the regulations of the FDA, EPA, FCC, etc. to no longer retain consumer and environmental safety and protection? Cut the social safety net? Repeal Minimum Wage? Cut education budgets? Did legislators in different states "independently" write bills that duplicate, word-for-word, bills independently introduced in many other states, to get rid of collective bargaining and due process for public employees? Want to handicap the odds on those duplicated words being an "accident?" Break public unions?

Anybody finally see where this is really headed, yet? Especially after they created the budget crisis by purposefully removing the protective regulations that would have prevented it from happening, in addition to creating the derivatives market that ignited the blast that blew our economy apart (this is also going on elsewhere, obviously)? What about the mortgage meltdown they created? Was the earlier Savings and Loan scandal a dry run or an unsuccessful plan? We are still in the midst of the greatest transfer of financial and property wealth from the poor and middle class to the wealthy in history! What do you think will happen when we have nothing left, and they've got it all?

One chemical company, Monsanto, owns over 90% of the food seeds, and is reserving them from public use in favor of their own genetically modified seeds. These seeds require the use of tremendous amounts of toxic chemicals to grow. Where's our food security? What do you think will happen to our clean air, water and soil without the EPA? What do you think will happen when there is no longer an educated public who can question things? What do you think will happen to our somewhat free press when they get rid of the FCC? Free and fair elections after Citizens United? Future passports and other forms of identification that will track our whereabouts? Does 2+2=4 yet? Trust them to do the right thing without regulations, oversight, or laws to prevent abuse? Not on your life! I'm not naive, ignorant, stupid, or uneducated.

Mother's Day

On this Mother's Day, I'd like to wish all moms a peaceful and beautiful day. To my mother, may your memory be eternal. I love you and miss you tremendously.

This was such a beautiful day, spent with some of my California family. Sharing a delicious meal with people you love and have known most of your life is such a wonderful gift. After brunch, we went to the local Farmer's Market where I ran into a former student and her mom. This young lady is now a sophomore in HS, earns straight A's, is in honors and AP classes, is in JROTC, and wants to become a nurse. I am so proud of her!

When I got back home, I opened up my Facebook account only to find the most wonderful present - a video of my little godson wishing me a Happy Mother's Day.

When you're given such a perfect day, surrounded by the love of family and friends, how could you not appreciate all the beauty and joy life has to offer?.