Debt Deal Signed – Now what?
Posted by Michelle Moquin on August 3rd, 2011
Good morning.
The signing of the debt deal is over but the results of it are just beginning. How will our country deal with this disastrous deal? Sign it or don’t sign it and/or invoke section 4 of the 14th amendment? Either way, both were full of dire consequences. I haven’t said much about it but here’s my two.
By giving in to the republicans as our president did, it will seem as if they, the republicans “had to rescue the government and to help the incompetent President solve the debt problem.” This is what the republicans are thinking, and we can imagine the talking points they will use to try and convince people of this. By signing the deal it will also ruin any chance for president Obama to fix the economy or to help the people who really need financial help, because as we know of the republican party and the debt deal that was signed, it is a deal that once again takes from the middle class and poor, and gives to the rich. In my opinion, this deal will solidify the hold on the financial monopoly the super rich, corporations, banks and the republican party has on our country.
On the other had if he had vetoed the bill, and invoked section 4 of the 14th amendment, which I was hoping, I believe he would’ve had a chance to make real progress towards fixing the country’s financial ills. But it would risk our country losing the AAA credit rating that the US currently has. Losing that is like throwing the baby out with the bath water. And losing that rating, it would not matter if he helps the people, if interest rates are shooting out of sight because it becomes much more difficult for the US to borrow money, because they defaulted on their debts and their credit rating fell below AAA.
However if the credit rating didn’t fall, he could win big though because he would be using the 14th amendment to give himself line item veto. Lots of good things could’ve come from it. It would most likely prevent the republicans from trying the tactic they are using on him ever again. Plus it would have given him enormous political clout. The Dems would get sole credit for any fix that resulted from his line item veto. The republicans would be left looking like fools at best and insignificant bystanders at worst.
But should President Obama have invoked the 14th? With the stakes as high as they would have been, what president would risk being the President that got the USA’s credit rating reduced to less than AAA since it got that rating? He also knows that the only option the republicans would have left if he did veto their grand stand play would be to attempt to force the US’s creditors and the World Bank rating system to lower the US’s credit rating to make Obama the first US President to have that happen. Not exactly what any president would want on their watch over the country. And no doubt that is exactly what the ruthless republicans would do.
The ruthless republicans do not care the damage it will cause to the nation as a whole, they are only interested in winning back the White House.
That being said, I think president Obama did the only thing he could do. I support him in his decision.
Your thoughts? Blog me.
Ym: I have commented to you in the past, but I have to jump in on the praise too, as you have gone beyond anything you have written before. With so much that gets said here, your words, your romantic rant is simply divine to read. Even though your sweetheart has not made a comment here, no doubt she is smiling from ear to ear..no doubt she feels so blessed and lucky…so special, to be loved by you in such a way that seems rare in the over all picture of this world. I too feel that way when my love writes me such beautiful words. And yes, you too Larry. Both of you written words are such sweet HOPE that there are more men out there who truly love, appreciate, and revere women.
Doug: That’s quite the ride. Talk about going deep. :)
Oh..I do want to say more but my time has ran out. I’ll address those of you that I missed, tomorrow.
Peace out.
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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August 3rd, 2011 at 10:24 am
Surprising Secrets from the World’s Happiest People
Dan Buettner
We’ve all heard that “wealth doesn’t buy happiness.” Neither, it turns out, does social status, youth or beauty.
Social scientists have collected tens of millions of data points that help identify what truly makes people happy.
Genetics and life circumstances can influence happiness, but personal choices account for about 55% of it. That means we all have more control over our happiness than we may realize.
National Geographic author and explorer Dan Buettner spent five years talking to people in areas identified by researchers as the world leaders in happiness—Denmark’s Jutland Peninsula… Singapore…Nuevo León, Mexico … and the town of San Luis Obispo in California.
In his new book, Thrive, he identified the main characteristics of what he calls thrivers, people who consistently report the highest levels of well-being. Here, secrets from the world’s happiest people…
Own one TV, no more. Americans spend more than four hours a day, on average, in front of the television. This is time that they’re not spending with other people, including their families. (Family time in front of the television is not the same as real interaction.)
In the places where happiness is highest, people spend the least time watching television. It’s not that they never watch—they just watch less than most people.
I advise people to own no more than one television—and to keep it in an out-of-the-way place, such as the basement.
You still can watch your favorite programs, but watching will become a deliberate activity, not something you just do automatically.
Create a “flow room.” In Danish society, most families have an area in the house where everyone naturally congregates.
I call these rooms “flow rooms” because they’re places where time seems to flow away when people are engaged and enjoying one another’s company.
Flow rooms have no screens (TVs or computers) and no clocks. They are quiet environments where it’s easy to engage in meaningful activities with family.
In our house, I chose a room with good lighting and the best views—it’s comfortable, and everyone in the family wants to be there. I keep it stocked with good books, musical instruments and the best family games.
There’s nothing formal about our gatherings. People wander in and out. Because it’s so pleasant, we spend a lot more time there than in front of the TV or separated in different parts of the house.
Experience the “sun bonus.” By most standard measures, people in Mexico should be less happy than those in other countries.
About 60% of the population is poor. Education and health care are less than optimal. Yet on the happiness scale, Mexico ranks high.
This is partly due to the “sun bonus.” People in sunnier climates are consistently happier than those who live in northern countries.
Those of us who live in colder, less sunny climates still can take advantage of the sunny days we do have by getting out and enjoying the sun.
The vitamin D that is produced in the body from sun exposure is sometimes called the “happiness vitamin” because it increases brain levels of serotonin, the same neurotransmitter that is increased by some anti-depressant medications.
Stop shopping. The satisfaction that we get from buying things—an expensive watch, a new suit, a fancy car—wears off within 14 months.
Yet in the US, we’re pressured by the media and social expectations to always want more. In order to get it, we have to work longer hours and take fewer vacations, which generally reduces happiness.
In Denmark, regulations limit the number of hours that shops can be open. In Mexico, most of the inhabitants are not running a status race with their neighbors.
For more happiness, take the money that you could spend on nonessential items and spend it on something that lasts.
For example, take a vacation with your family or sign up for a painting class. The experiences and good memories will continue to give satisfaction for the rest of your life.
Employ yourself. Self-employed workers and business owners report some of the highest levels of well-being. It may be because they are more likely to pursue work that they love or simply because they feel more in control.
The happiness zone of San Luis Obispo, California, has far more self-employed people per capita than the average community in the US. These self-employed workers are shop owners, graphic designers, artists, wine-makers and the like.
The more autonomy and control you have over your job, the more likely you will be satisfied with your work.
Make new friends. People around the world report higher levels of satisfaction when they spend time with family and friends.
Every additional friend that you make (assuming that these friends are upbeat) increases your chances of being happy by 9%.
People who get together with others for at least seven hours a day have the highest levels of happiness. That sounds like a lot, but the time quickly adds up.
For example, everyone eats lunch. Ask a coworker to join you, or sit with a group in a cafeteria. Talk with friends during coffee breaks.
After work, encourage the family to eat and socialize together, rather than dispersing to separate rooms. Take classes or join a club.
The Danes don’t identify themselves as being particularly outgoing, yet 19 out of 20 Danish adults belong to clubs dedicated to arts, exercise and hobbies.
Get addicted to this. The happiest people almost always volunteer in some fashion—at their church, with environmental groups, for social-service organizations and the like.
Volunteering means spending time with others, and it also takes your mind off your own problems and increases self-worth and pride in your community.
Studies have shown that altruism has an effect on the brain that is similar to that of sugar and cocaine. It creates feelings of well-being, along with an addictive feedback loop that encourages people to keep doing it.
Also, volunteers are healthier. They tend to weigh less than those who don’t volunteer, and they’re even less likely to suffer a heart attack.
Commit to volunteering for a set period of time—say, once a week for four weeks. People are more likely to keep doing it when they make this initial commitment—and then get “hooked” on the rewards.
Keep the faith. Religious people tend to be happier than those without faith. It’s not clear whether religion makes people happy or if happy people tend to be drawn to religious practices.
Either way, those who are religious have less disease, live longer and are less likely to engage in dangerous behavior (such as smoking and heavy drinking).
In Mexico, for example, more than 80% of people who were asked, “How important is God in your life?” responded with a 10 on a scale of one to 10, compared with only 58% in the US.
This helps explain why people in some parts of Mexico, despite the hardships of daily life, tend to thrive emotionally.
Even if you’re not religious, you can achieve similar benefits by cultivating a sense of spirituality—and a belief in giving back to your community and making the world a better place.
Personal interviewed Dan Buettner, founder of Blue Zones, an organization that studies the regions of the world where people commonly live active lives past the age of 100.
Based in Minneapolis, he is a writer for National Geographic and author of Thrive: Finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way (National Geographic). http://www.BlueZones.com
August 3rd, 2011 at 10:56 am
No. 215 of 365
Conservative history: Defend the Vietnam War.
Point out to any handy liberal that the United States won the Vietnam War. America was never defeated on the battlefield, after all, and the United States compelled North Vietnam to sign a peace treaty.
When American troops left South Vietnam, it was still a sovereign, independent, non-Communist country, and American troops had also given the rest of East Asia a 2 1/2-year breathing space from Communist expansion.
It was only after the liberal Democrat Congress refused to hold North Vietnam accountable for violating the peace accords and walked away from America’s commitment to South Vietnam that victory became defeat.
The lesson: liberals can’t be trusted—by us or by our allies.
===========REBUTTAL=============
First let’s address the facts. 99% of the time when dealing with the republican “talking points” one can counter them by simply quoting the facts, The reason republicans need talking points in the first place is to teach their rank and file how to lie with seemly truth, when actually they are just lying in a clever way.
Here for example they tell their rank and file to just claim that America won the Vietnam War. Really I guess Germany and Japan can now claim they won WWII based on that standard. All they have to say is that they compelled the Allies to sign a peace treaty.
When we left Vietnam it was in a mad rush to avoid the North Vietnamese Army from putting their feet into our butts as they came in to relish in our defeat. We fled in such a rush that we left many of our vietnamese allies to be tortured and killed by those communist victors.
I would also like the republicans to explain why the claim of leaving “the rest of East Asia a 2 1/2-year breathing space from Communist expansion” is a victory win the war in Vietnam was fought to end Communist expansion? Again a lie in a clever way to avoid the fact that America got its ass kicked by Communist North Vietnam.
By the way, have you noticed that the same people who committed thousands of your relatives and friends to physical and mental injury not to mention more than 50,000 deaths are now doing a robust business with this still Communist country.
When will you learn, it is about the money folks? The battle against Communism was about the money the military industrial complex could make providing the materials to conduct a war against Communist North Vietnam. Those are the same people now making a killing doing business at America’s employment expense with the “terrible” communists. Vietnam is a Communist country like China.
So now let me get this straight the republicans claim that dems lost the war because they refused to hold North Vietnam accountable for violating peace accords that America begged for because it got kicked out of Vietnam by that same North Vietnamese army.
Oh, yeah that means Germany eventually lost WWII when they didn’t hold the Russians accountable for violating the peace agreement when they put up that wall around East Germany.
The REAL lesson to be learned here is republicans will look you straight in the eye and boldly lie to you about obvious facts that can be easily checked because they don’t give a damn whether you agree with what they plan to do as long as they have the votes to do it.
Its called States Rights.
Robert
August 3rd, 2011 at 11:06 am
Michelle, I agree with you. I’m white but it is thrown in my face every day that most of my race hate the fact that a black man sits in the White House as “The Most Powerful Man In The World.”
The hatred and disgust is not openly discussed. But you can see the wheels turning in their heads as they look for clever ways to disguise their hate when they tell you why they can not support Obama.
I include this op piece and video from Olbermann’s anger with the Debt deal as a way of saying Olbermann means well but he doesn’t get it.
The majority of this country is white and that majority will never get behind anything that will make a black man sitting in that seat look good.
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huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/02/olbermann-debt-ceiling-special-comment-protests-obama_n_915957.html?utm_source=Triggermail&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Daily%20Brief&utm_campaign=daily_brief
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Kenny
August 3rd, 2011 at 11:14 am
Damn, Michelle, wouldn’t it be wonderful if more women learned this and could act on it without worrying about the financial situation it would put them in?
==========================
Jennifer Lopez, who has had a string of high-profile relationships, says she’s learned to walk away from something when it isn’t right.
“Sometimes we don’t realize that we are compromising ourselves,” she tells Vanity Fair. “To understand that a person is not good for you, or that that person is not treating you in the right way, or that he is not doing the right thing for himself – if I stay, then I am not doing the right thing for me. I love myself enough to walk away from that now.”
=============
I applaud what she is doing and the fact that she puts the idea out there. Too bad most women are dependent on that extra pay check and cannot leave a terrible situation.
Alycedale
August 3rd, 2011 at 11:20 am
CRIKEY, mates!
If I could write like that, maybe the shelias here would be nicer to me, it they could read.
August 3rd, 2011 at 11:25 am
Robert Scheer: The Recovery Is Dead, Long Live the Recovery
Neither party has ever dared to use the deficit ceiling to blackmail the entire nation — until now. And for that, the GOP is the party clearly at fault. But it is also true that it was Barack Obama who folded.
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Michelle, I am posting this to show that as you and Kenny explained may white men just don’t “get it.” Or they refuse to accept the fact that most of white america is made up of tacit racists.
Luis
August 3rd, 2011 at 11:34 am
The republicans in Wisconsin are losing the recall race according to the polls, but they have control of the voting count.
This is class warfare. Will the dems come out and vote? I hope your blog will make a difference Michelle.
You are widely read here. Please encourage the people besides the rank and file to get out and vote.
What if anything can you do to thwart the republicans from stealing votes during the count? Any help would be appreciated.
Janet.
August 3rd, 2011 at 11:45 am
The republicans have been paid off to support the Keystone XL pipeline. The 36-inch pipeline would stretch more than 1,600 miles from Alberta, Canada through several states and into Nederland, Texas.
To be honest several democratic legislators stand to make a pretty penny from the bribes also. It seems that the mood among some dems is that if you can’t beat them, then make a little money too on the side.
Look for Rep. Lee Terry(R.-Neb.) to take the lead on this issue. He is one of the leaders for the corps that stand to make $billions from the deal.
August 3rd, 2011 at 11:58 am
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August 3rd, 2011 at 12:00 pm
I agree Michelle, Obama is doing the best he can with the little support he has from white america.
————————————
“President Barack Obama signed a historic deficit-reduction package into law Tuesday that aims to cut trillions of dollars from federal spending while increasing the debt limit immediately.
The president called the weeks-long standoff over raising the debt ceiling “a manufactured crisis” that didn’t help a faltering economy.
He also made it clear that he’ll continue to press for tax increases in the months ahead to help balance the federal budget.”
August 3rd, 2011 at 12:03 pm
I’m sorry Michelle, but I think Obama should have stood his ground. Apparently so does Dennis Kucinich.
======================
Dennis Kucinich, Speech: “The “debt crisis” was spurred on by credit rating agencies of dubious integrity threatening a downgrade of the nation’s credit unless the government cut spending.
Most of the cuts are guaranteed to hurt those who live at society’s margins, while S. 365 protects the investor class whose interests are served by the rating agencies.
If we want to reduce the debt, we have to stimulate the economy, which is hobbled by a jobless recovery.
This bill fails on its own terms, which are allegedly about fiscal accountability.”
================
We are swimming with the sharks and getting eaten alive.
Lance
August 3rd, 2011 at 12:04 pm
Robert Scheer, Op-Ed: “In the end, Obama agreed to major cuts at a time when the government needs to spend more money on extending unemployment insurance, mortgage relief to avoid foreclosures, and support for state budgets so that more teachers and firemen are not laid off.
That would put money in the pockets of people who would spend it, rather than continue the tax breaks for the rich and coddling the corporations that are sitting on a $2 trillion surplus they refuse to invest.”
August 3rd, 2011 at 12:10 pm
Hafa adai
It looks like the scammers are up to their old tricks. They never miss an opportunity to fleece the public. Here’s one dealing with Bogus job offers on Guam.
_____________________________________
Be wary of job offers in Guam’
By Mayen Jaymalin The Philippine Star Updated August 04, 2011 12:00 AM 0 comment to this post
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) yesterday warned Filipino workers against accepting offers to work in US military facilities in Guam.
POEA chief Carlos Cao Jr. said unscrupulous individuals have been victimizing thousands of prospective overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) by offering them employment in Guam.
Cao said a man identified as Eduardo Monserate Jr., who also claims to be a relative of a POEA official, has been recruiting housekeepers and laundry workers for the US Naval Base.
He said Monserate is not collecting placement fees from the workers, but is asking them to pay P3,500 for medical examinations at the Bougainville Medical Clinic in Malate.
He said they received reports that Monserate has been actively recruiting workers in Davao City and Cagayan de Oro City.
Cao said recruitment for employment in Guam has not started, even as he advised applicants to deal with licensed recruitment agencies and not through direct hiring.
The Middle East chapter of Migrante, meanwhile, cautioned OFWs on a new modus operandi of some licensed recruitment agencies to connive with foreigners, who illegally recruit workers.
John Leonard Monterona reported that they have assisted 10 OFWs who were recruited by a licensed agency to work as fishermen in Saudi Arabia, but ended up jobless. He said similar incidents were recorded in other parts of the Middle East.
“If an OFW was recruited for a particular job and upon arrival to the country of destination there is no such job existing, then he is a victim of illegal recruitment,” Monterona said.
______________________________
Again the old adage – If it seems too good to be true, it usually isn’t true can save you a bundle. Listen to your inner self and check before you give anybody any money.
Peter
August 3rd, 2011 at 8:07 pm
I saw this girl she was the kind of woman any man would want. She was gorgeous.
So I sat and watched her. Men kept buying her drinks all night. Then this guy sat beside her and said nothing. He wasn’t that good looking but there was something about the way he sat.
Girls would come up and make small talk while they waited for the bartender to fill their order. He smiled and they swooned.
Since I am a big alien fan of your blog. I thought what if he was an alien. So I went up and ordered a drink. Then I looked straight at him and asked have you ever posted to Michelle’s blog as an alien?
He smiled and said, “I thought you would never ask.” I was dumb struck. I said do you know what blog I am talking about?
The gorgeous girl next to him said “I couldn’t help overhearing your conversation, you mean Michelle Moquin’s blog don’t you?”
I said yes, he smiled and said “I guess you’ve made your connection.” Then he politely excused himself and offered me his seat. He left. I took his seat. Me and gorgeous babe spent the night talking and getting guys to buy us drinks.
Then I took her home and we made incredible love. Who was that guy, Michelle?
Or should I be asking Howie that?
Sharon
August 3rd, 2011 at 8:28 pm
Michele, You are a married woman. So is my tender Mrs. What I don’t understand is why she still sees me. How about an opinion?
Her husband is better looking, has more money and fucks her good, so she tells me. I’m just the Mister on the side.
She doesn’t need his money because she is quite comfortable money wise. Me, I’m two paychecks from not being able to pay my rent.
I have a little money saved and a good job. But nothing that could support her in the style she is accustomed to.
I met her through a friend. We sort of hit it off. She didn’t tell me she was married. By the time I found out, I was so much in love she could have told me she was a serial killer and I wouldn’t have blinked.
Well, maybe if she was a serial killer, but she was only married. Happily she says, then why me? She looked at me in that way she does.
It’s a killer! Her eyes open wide, she smiles broadly, and allows her hair to drift into one eye or another so she can shake it clear.
Perhaps you have to be there. But if you were, you would be mesmerized as I am, every time. Then she says, “If you have steak every night, every now and then you need a plate of beans to keep the appreciation.”
So my point is I’m not all that. Only a plate of beans to my Mrs.
But thanks for the compliment anyway.
Ym
August 3rd, 2011 at 9:22 pm
Ym:
Since I am not married. You can not be my Larry. I can imagine that you are as sweet and tender as he is from the way you express yourself. He makes me feel as if I am the only woman on the planet when we are together.
He never smothers me. He often walks away at events and parties to give me the space to be myself. I love the expressions of his feelings about me. The little notes he leaves and the thoughtful ways he shows that he truly cares about what I want or need.
It is those expressions I thought I recognized in your writings that made be believe that you were him. I am an avid fan of Michelle’s blog.
Actually I have never missed in the last 3 years, 9 months 3 weeks and 2 days. As a recovering member of AA I keep meticulous records.
Two things I have to say to you Larry. One , Okay so you are not Ym. And two; had I met you 11 years ago, I may have never become an alcoholic.
I have one thing to say to you Ym.
Why don’t you walk away from your Married Lady before she walks away from you and breaks your heart? There are plenty of single women looking for a man like you to adore them.
Alison
August 3rd, 2011 at 9:34 pm
Hafa adai Ym:
We could certainly use a man like you on the island. My husband could use the competition. And I could work up a taste for a plate of your “beans.”
Lea
August 3rd, 2011 at 10:22 pm
It seems that both Bills have vanished. If any have anything to enhance this picture your input will be welcomed.
August 3rd, 2011 at 10:25 pm
Alison:
Walk??? Walk you say?
She doesn’t walk. She treats mother earth to a titillating rapture of heel-toe as she glides along turning heads, men and women alike, in her wake. Coming or going she is a marvel to behold.
I lust for the privilege mother earth has; it gets to feel the naked touch of her feet in its sands and the rat-tat-tat tease of her high heels on it sidewalks.
I watch with envy as she glides effortlessly through mother earth’s atmosphere, oblivious to the planet and the rest of us, paying silent homage to her grace and beauty.
Oh, to be the man that closes his eyes to fall asleep with dreams of his last glimpse of her only to be blessed with her vision upon awaking.
To be able to toss the covers over his head and inhale the aroma of her body after she has spent a night asleep in their bed.
What bargain did he make with the Heavens for such pleasure?
Ym
August 3rd, 2011 at 10:52 pm
Store-Bought Spinach
Gene Lester, PhD
SStore-bought spinach has higher nutrient levels than spinach kept in the dark. Reason:
The store lighting mimics sunlight closely enough to cause photosynthesis, which increases spinach’s levels of vitamins C, E, K and folate.
Personal interviewed Gene Lester, PhD, adjunct professor and research plant physiologist, US Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, Maryland, and lead author of a study on spinach, published in Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry.
August 4th, 2011 at 7:14 am
Ym, I think your married lady doesn’t deserve the devotion you are lavishing on her. Look around you. There is a world out there.
Make yourself available and it will find you,
Brenda
August 4th, 2011 at 9:01 am
PrP:
Many of us have come here for the first time. We appreciate your willingness to articulate for those of us who are not able to express our true concerns.
Your neutrality is greatly appreciated.
Consortium LSIIGX
D23//7