This morning, I went to Facebook and amidst all the folks wishing each other and their moms a happy day, one friend (an ordained minister) had posted a missive from the Huffington Post about remembering those who aren’t “mothers.” I actually think that it is a good thing, as there are many people who have longed to be a mother and have not been able to for one reason or another. I myself have had 4 miscarriages and so I understand that pain. . . but God has also graciously given us five children that are still living. I really cannot empathize with women who simply have been unable to have children and I’m not going to pretend that I can.

What got me going, however, was the rest of the post. My friend had written that she wished that churches “would not hurt these women tomorrow. But I know they will.” One of her friends followed up with the fact she “hates” Mother’s Day. Even though it was her choice not to have children, she always feels “less than” on Mother’s Day.

This is when I realize that there are many adults who need a Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle to bop them with some reality and common sense.

Can’t childless women choose not to feel like neglected victims and instead focus on being thankful for their own mothers? Even folks who might have had rotten mothers can be thankful that their mothers didn’t exercise “choice” before their lives even began.

What a wasted opportunity for my friend to encourage all women to think beyond their own borders. All of us have hurts and areas of continued pain that we could focus on until we’re just having what my mother calls a “pity party.” But that usually produces nothing but bitterness. Instead, why not just focus on being thankful for all mothers and not begrudge them a special day.

Hard to do in the middle of a firestorm.

Since taking back over the family newspaper in September, it has felt like one fire after another. In the middle of fighting them all, we’re trying to be proactive and implement new strategies so we can be a paper that succeeds and not a statistic.

Could really use a clone right about now.

Today’s fire: sloppy-handiwork-by-people-formerly-in-charge

Trying to use databases from this guy is aggravating in the extreme. It is like he just stuck info “wherever.” Reminds me of my kids. When asked to “clean up” a room, they sometimes resort to the “just get it all on a shelf, somewhere” method. Not really paying attention to if that is where it belongs.

So, I’m having to go through a database piece by piece and sort out the mess. Not what I really need to be doing since I already average 5 hours of sleep or less a night.

Grrrrr

Ha!

Anyway, I’m back. Don’t expect I’ll get a whole lot written about my gardens. . . . unless I get a lot of questions about what do with all the grass seed they are producing.

I’ll probably stick to politics and venting about work!

House Financial Services Committee Chairman Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., left, talks with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, right, and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, on Capitol Hill Tuesday, March 24,2009. Frank’s committee has passed a bill giving Geithner extensive control over salaries of employees working at companies receiving government bailout funds. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Is this really where we, as Americans, want to be?

In our great drive to put coveteousness  into action, do we really want the US Government now telling everyone just how much money they can make?

Where are our students of history?? Can no one remember what happens when the private sector is no longer private? Are we all just a bunch of lemmings?

Why were there no neurosurgeons on hand to help out Natasha Richardson after her head injury? Had too many left for other countries (read the US) where they could actually make what they are worth?

If we allow the US Government to start regulating who can accept and who can reject bailout money (see Wells Fargo) and THEN put salary controls on everyone in the companies who accept bailout money. . . we will quickly see The Great Brain Drain of the Obama years as our best and brightest will go elsewhere. Look at Jim Rogers for an example.

Loyalty will only take you so far. Smart and gifted Americans, who are worth their salaries, will decide NOT to stay in a country that punishes achievers.

I try so hard, so hard, not to laugh. I mean – it really isn’t funny.

Plus, my kids are starting to think there’s something wrong with mom.

Soooooo, is there anybody who doesn’t think the current, ahem, pull back in the market has anything to do with the Federalization of General Motors??

What the blazing heck does Obama’s administration know about running an automobile company?? They can’t even get people to man the phones over at treasury!!

Grrrrreat!

The Germans, the French and the Chinese are our only hope for a check or balance to the outrageous plans by this current administration to somehow spend our way, with money we don’t have, out of the most serious economic contraction since the Great Depression.

The Germans, because their PM Angela Merkel has thankfully said “no more stimulus”; the French, because Sarkozy will pick up his ball and go home if there is any more talk about loosey-goosey “stimulus” spending; and the Chinese, because if they decide that the “good faith” of the American Government is worth. . . well, worthless,. . . they can decide to stop lending us any more money by refusing to by our securities.

Then, we’ll really have some fun!

Our dear leader, President Obama, extending the royal Olive Branch to those pesky Iranians. Again.

And what does he get in return?

Indignation, sarcasm, and a whole heaping bunch of guffaws.

From the AP:

Iran played down President Barack Obama’s new video message to the Iranian people on Friday, saying it welcomed the overtures but warned that decades of mistrust can’t easily be erased. . .“Obama has talked of change but has taken no practical measures to address America’s past mistakes in Iran. If Mr. Obama takes concrete actions and makes fundamental changes in U.S. foreign policy toward other nations including Iran, the Iranian government and people will not turn their back on him,” Ali Akbar Javanfekr (Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s press adviser) told the Iranian state-run English-language Press TV satellite station. . .

Obama has repeatedly signaled a willingness to engage with Iran about its nuclear program and hostility toward Israel, a key U.S. ally. At his inauguration, the president said his administration would reach out to rival states, declaring “we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.”

But Iranian leaders have been not been as eager. Ahmadinejad has said Iran would welcome talks with the U.S.—but only if there was mutual respect. Iranian officials say that means the U.S. needs to stop accusing Iran of seeking to build nuclear weapons and supporting terrorism, charges Tehran has denied. (Meloff’s emphasis)

What? Has April Fool’s Day been moved forward to March?

How does one negotiate with a bully who pulls out the knife every time you look away. And then puts it away with, “I’m just kidding! Come on – don’t you know a joke when you see one? Stop being so judgmental!”

I almost agree with michaelemlong, “Iran plays down new Obama video – thats ok i ignore everything he says”

I just can’t seem to ignore it.

I’m over on FB and I see that one of my liberal friends has posted how much she liked the address.

Sigh.

It is not about not liking people who are liberal or who has the right to believe what. It is very hard not to feel polarized when you see your country on a fast track to financial, social and political hell and the President is shoveling the coal just as fast as he can.

But, back to his Nowruz address. He spoke of “diplomacy that addresses the full range of issues before us” and “engagement that is honest and grounded in mutual respect.”

Well, if only the people in Iran were able to hear that. And if only we could all trust that he was saying one thing, but making plans for another. And if only the Iranian leadership gave a d— what the Great Satan really had to say.

Alas, he’s looking like the last country bumpkin to fall off the truck on the way to the big city.

I’m off to research how to build my own underground bomb shelter. . .

Geithner can’t even seem to do his current job.

You know. The one that involves saving our economy from the worst economic disaster of all recorded history?

Yeah. That one.

The NY Times can see that he already has too much to do.

Compounding the strain on the Treasury, almost all the top posts beneath Mr. Geithner are still vacant. Though he has hired about 50 senior advisers — about half the number he hopes to recruit — the White House has become so worried about potential tax problems and other issues in the backgrounds of candidates that it has nominated only a handful of people.

“Tax problems?” Har har.

But seriously, folks, this is the guy who can push the financial Big Button. And according to former Fed chairperson Paul Volcker,

“The secretary of the treasury is sitting there without a deputy, without any undersecretaries, without any, as far as I know, assistant secretaries responsible in substantive areas at a time of very severe crisis. . . ”

Oh well, never fear, good citizens,

Treasury officials contend that Geithner is receiving plenty of good advice

Whew!

(Oh – just couldn’t resist this flashback. Poor Dave. Totally overestimated the integrity of the current administration.)