I've Moved!

You can now catch the blog over at http://morningsnarkreport.wordpress.com/. Thanks for all the love snarkers!!

Give 'Em a Head Start

So if you follow the facebook page you probably saw how a Richmond preschool program has banned students from bringing sack lunches unless they have a doctor's note deeming said lunch necessary. From what I gather, the expense of feeding each and every preschooler in this program will be covered by federal dollars -- federal dollars which I'm sure could be better spent elsewhere, like paying for another teacher or at minimum teacher's aid, or provide supplies to classrooms. I know, I'm just a silly stay at home mom whose child is not yet in preschool, so what do I know?

I know that first off, the fact that they're taking away the choice of the parent what to feed their child is ridiculous. By mandating and acting like they're going to provide a much more nutritious and filling lunch for the kids is just silly. We all saw how well Michelle's school lunch program went over -- kids were left still hungry and school districts had wasted much needed money. I'm sure that we can all remember times when we were in school and how hard it was to pay attention when you were starving. And I remember when I was little, my mom always made sure we had plenty to eat in our lunchboxes -- the basic minimum was a sandwich, a drink, and two snacks, sometimes she'd add a thermos of soup or a salad or whatever to switch it up. Yes, we had lunchables from time to time and we were usually allowed to buy lunch no more than twice a week until we got older. I enjoyed bringing my lunch honestly because it meant that I didn't have to stand on line and wait to eat and have less time to eat -- which again should be considered in if our children are left hungry. The less time they have to eat, the less they do eat, and hungry kids (and adults) are definitely no fun to be around. So these preschoolers, how much time do they really get to eat? I know B takes his sweet time to eat and I don't see it getting any better. Or what about the kids who are so used to grazing throughout the day and suddenly they have a set eating schedule? Are they getting enough to eat, or are they refusing food because at that point in time they're not hungry? Or do those who know better never took this into consideration?

So, with the choice of bag or buy no longer yours (unless you go through the hassle of getting a doctor's note, and to be honest, I'd probably beg our pediatrician to sign off on something even though B doesn't have food sensitivities or allergies), it also throws out the choice of what your child gets to eat. To be quite honest, after seeing what the government allows people to get on food stamps, I'm not going to exactly be thrilled with what they're going to serve in the cafeteria most days. I posted a while back what Rambling Mom said her preschooler was given for lunch but in case you missed it, it was a piece of fried mozzarella, a couple of carrots and a few pieces of broccoli. So not only do I feel that the kids are clearly not getting enough to eat with this "lunch" but the quality sucks too. I really don't care if the mozzarella is baked and not truly fried, it's just something that I'd prefer my kid not to eat. I mean I'm sure the turkey & gravy that we all loved on Thursdays growing up wasn't premium turkey, it probably was a lot better than a freakin' mozzarella stick! It makes me wonder how many parents are like, seriously, this is the crap you feed my kid?

Finally, let's talk about the real push here. With Ocrapcare looming and being forced upon the masses to further establish that you need government to survive, this only starts kids off early thinking that the government shall always provide for you. I'm not naïve enough to think that growing up in our cushy middle class neighborhood some of my classmates qualified for free lunch. While I totally understand providing for those who absolutely and truly need it, we never actually knew who those kids were so there wasn't a stigma surrounding it. No one starved, and I'm sure that if a kid had truly needed a lunch a teacher or someone would have come through and made sure that kid ate. The kindness of those who aren't being forced to provide always seems to be much greater than when forced and mandated. But having government money provide free meals to all preschoolers just seems like an agenda push to me -- if a family can afford to pay for their kid's lunch, or would just rather pack their kid's lunch then so be it. Like I said, that money could easily be distributed to other areas that need it more than this program. Sadly, cynical me thinks that most parents would be stoked for their kid to receive this "free" lunch and just let it slide -- and let it progress into the upper grades and further engrain the theory of "government will always provide" even if the government can't afford to provide.

Unmotivated Monday

I'm exhausted, no other way to put it. We went away for the weekend and had a blast and I'm just exhausted. I still haven't seen the 60 Minutes piece on Benghazi and from what I've read it was good but to be quite honest, I'm still hesitant about it. I'm also laughing over the fact that the Marines were going to change their headgear into something seriously hideous. These people that the administration are making sure are getting to be the top brass just need the boot because they don't appreciate tradition and the understanding that you don't mess with things that aren't broken in the name of political correctness. Oh and who is shocked that Michelle's old college classmate is the one who got the no-bid contract for the Ocrapcare website. Dear people, are you fed up yet? Ok, I'm needed by my munchkin. Sorry this was so short, I'll try to do a headline scan while he naps and then get my snark on.

Easier Said

So I have a few moments alone because hubby was miraculously given a three day pass, did my hair and makeup without my little two year old tyrant demanding something or other from his ever so loyal momma, and I started the usual round of reading. Today's tirade will be short and sweet as I'm using the iPad, but it ties into yesterday's. Here's the article that has me rolling my eyes this morning.

Russell Brand, Russell Brand, Russell Brand. Dearest I hope you've been busy redistributing your personal wealth amongst the masses and that's why you cannot bloody we'll buy a proper shirt (let alone outfit), haircut and a shave. Somehow I doubt that and you present yourself as this "free spirit" type. While you gave this interview to the BBC, that somewhat makes me roll my eyes a bit less, however knowing that you still manage to come stateside and are supposedly big in the Hollywood circles (I don't get it as I don't find you funny, attractive or appealing) this might rub some Yanks the wrong way -- and perhaps some of your super rich LA pals. For me personally, it's hard to begrudge someone who has worked their way up in the ranks and made it big and have done well for themselves -- that is after all the American dream, no? While I don't agree that entertainers (actors, athletes, etc) should get paid in the extraordinary ways they do, it is what it is -- and if they pay their taxes, what I do care what they do with their money? It's their money. This whole notion of redistribution of wealth is absurd to me because I'm one of those odd Americans who believes that you work for what you earn. Granted I had everything I could ever want growing up, but since I became an adult and moved out on my own, eventually got married and had a kid I understand how hard my parents worked to give me an easy life. If we keep giving out welfare and begin to redistribute wealth and heavily tax corporations, I don't think our economy will ever be great again. We will forever be stuck in this rut and after a while, those who work hard for everything they have will just stop working because what's the point?

We need to move away from relying heavily on the government and downsize them before the rest of the country is downsized. We need to get back to basics on so many levels and realize that if we want to be a great nation again, to once again be a super power we cannot continue on this path. This national wasn't founded on socialist principles and it would serve those in DC well to remember that.

It Was a Late Night...

...and it was totally worth it to see my Sox win the first game of the World Series. I had to catch up on some stuff before I got to this and now I'm doing this I'm all hmmmmmm what to snark about today? It's sort of hard to snark when it's glorious out and I can move my work outside and let B run around our yard with the pup, listening to the sounds of heavy artillery in the distance. One thing is certain, I love the sound of artillery and helicopters flying overhead -- especially at night. It might be weird to some people but I compare it to when I was at college and lived in my sorority house, my room was street level and the road it was on was the main road from downtown to the hospital. You just get used to it and it becomes oddly comforting. Anyway...

Ok, a quick glance at The Blaze and I've got it! This totally gave me a chuckle, Hollywood is now concerned about the government spying on people. Not that I fully believe that they'll blame their pal O, I'm sure they'll just say that he has to do it because George W made him or something. The fact is, I generally roll my eyes when Hollywood steps out for a cause of any kind -- and then when they step into politics they end up just seeming silly. Point in case: Ashley Judd. Goodness. I'd sooner keep Mitch then ever trust her to look out for the best interest of my home state. And I love how her grandmother even said that she was skeptical of Ashley running and thought Mitch was just doing a fine job. Having someone who is anti-coal isn't beneficial for Kentucky, but she's Ashley Judd, clearly she knows what's best. I just roll my eyes too at the possibility of Ben Affleck running for a seat in Massachusetts. When push comes to shove, honestly, how well do these celebrities relate to every day people? I have a hard time believe that some of them can (Kimye, I'm staring you and your pals the Carters down) and will ultimately understand what is best for the people they represent. And what happens when voters get starstruck by celebrities running for office, will it be a fair fight of voting on the issues, or just because the candidate did some high grossing film or television show and is a household name? Sure we treat candidates like rock stars these days, look at Barry, but I think by doing so is to the detriment of the people. Sigh. I've totally gone off on a tangent and now hubby is home, so off to lunch.

Short and Sweet

I didn't sleep much, my kiddo was cranky up until he demanded that he needed to be cleaned up and therefore take a bath and now he's just running around like a crazy person. So here's what it is...

Seriously, for all those who whine and cry and think that I'm mean (because you never say it, but I know that there is one person out there who probably thinks I hate poor people, which in turn makes me laugh because I am one of the poor people) but I'm going to start lobbying all these politicians to target food stamps after Ocrapcare. Why? Because I'm sick of seeing stories like this. I honestly understand the people who work their asses off -- sometimes in multiple jobs -- and still make peanuts and are just trying to do everything they can to support their family, I get that and think that as long as these people aren't abusing the system let them have their food stamps. But the others? Drug test, make them come in person with a legitimate federal ID to prove that they are a legal citizen and are searching for work, etc in order to try to stem fraud. And if they're busted once, no more. If they can't get off the system within a certain time period, bye! I'm over tax dollars being handed out like kitkats on Halloween. If this could totally be privatized and organized by non-profits working with major brands (ie ConAgra, Kraft, etc) to do a supplement program, I bet it would run more efficiently and be a better value for all those involved. Just a thought.

The Tale of Vicarious Parents... Or Something Like That

These are the days of frivolous lawsuits and people blubbering about being bullied and parents who hover over their kids constantly but yet try to be their best friend. So what does all this have in common? Well, minus the lawsuit (which cynical me thinks is honestly in the works if this parent doesn't get the results they want), it has a lot to do with high school football. Reports came out that a parent filed a bully complaint on a school's website over a high school football game after the parent felt that the losing team was bullied. Say what? Given the trash talk climate of the NFL and even college level, you've got to roll your eyes. I did when I saw this and when I read the article my eyes were super sore. I know that the trend in sports for youngsters (like B's age group) is a "mercy" rule which I hate because I think it just teaches kids to be poor losers. Ok, so I get that this high school game was a crazy large defeat (91-0), but the coaches of the winning team did everything they could within regulations to try to make it not well a total destruction. In fact, the coach of the losing team even stated in the article: "I think the game was handled fine...They’re No. 1 for a reason, and I know coach Buchanan." Pretty classy from the coach whose team had a huge loss. He could have whined about it and pitched a fit and acted like a jerk but he didn't, and I'm sure that he talked with his team and they were bummed but probably held their heads up high and just let it go to focus on their next game.

What gets me is, if the coach didn't have an issue with it (and I'm sure if he did, then he would've taken it up with the officials and the opposing team's coaching staff at the game) then what right does this parent have to go onto the school's website and fill out a bullying complaint? What the hell does that accomplish and teach the kids? Nothing. It just reinforces the notion of "I'm entitled to feel good and get my way and if I don't, I'll just complain and make someone else deal with it" that has become so rampant. And if it was done on behalf of their child, well son buck up. I know, I'm one of those mean parents who doesn't believe in letting your kid win Candy Land to avoid a meltdown. Like I said earlier, kids need to learn how to be good losers -- we've seen what happens when they can't be good losers (or even good compromisers). If we keep allowing the bully card to be played when it's not actual bullying (and quite honestly, I'm over the whole bullying "phenomenon") then it will be harder to take real cases seriously (umm does no one teach "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" anymore?). If we keep telling kids that it's ok to throw tantrums when you don't get your way, even clear into adulthood, then we're doomed as a nation even more than I thought.

Good for these coaches for not making a huge deal over this game and for treating it as just that, a game and not an end of the world scenario -- especially in Texas where football no matter what level is the end all, be all.

My Bologna Has A First Name... B-A-R-R-Y...

So, I missed His Highness' speech as I was busy hanging out with my kiddo, but I've been scanning the sites to see what I can gleam. The first thing that has stuck out is that a lady who has supposedly been helped by Ocrapcare. She was in a very nice dress by the way, and her hair looked professionally done too... Did Michelle loan out her stylist to make sure these people looked campaign perfect? I'm not saying that these people aren't normally presentable, I'm just saying that perhaps they should have surprised these people in their every day routine and videoed them to get a candid reaction rather than just have them stand in the background much like the service members who stood behind Michelle when she did her thing at the Oscars (I still giggle thinking about how she "presented" the award to a movie that was about a hostage situation when just prior her husband and bestie Hil couldn't save the four Americans killed in Benghazi). The point is, I'd rather have these supposed Ocrapcare beneficiaries be ambushed and give their testimony rather than just be trotted out for a background and to look pretty -- and faint, which was a relief for the administration because that's now the story than what actually should be the story.

Anyway, for a man who says there's "no excuse" for the website, which he's right there is no excuse since they've had three years to make sure this thing was ready to roll "glitch" free, he has a lot of excuses. I don't believe he's frustrated at all, I honestly believe that he has no clue what's going on since he's exempt from it. And encouraging Americans to "bypass the site" and use old school techniques like snail mail and the telephone seems kind of crazy given the age in which we live. Is it because if people utilize old school methods, it's easier for them to keep avoiding reporters and people demanding to know how many people have enrolled? Of course! And then we all know that the flailing US Post Office will be to blame when these supposed applications get lost in the mail. I'm sure those with Obamaphones have no problems getting through to submit their applications, and you know it's just one more thing they'll be going around screeching, "I got more free shit from the government! This is free!" because they don't understand that someone else has to work to pay for their freeloading ways. I love too how he didn't say when exactly the issues with the site will be fixed. If he's so adamant that this is law of the land and people just need to accept it, wouldn't a) this site have been beta tested to find any of these supposed glitches? and b) he have a set deadline to have this crap up and running smoothly? Vague is the game, because the more vague he is, the less accountable he feels he is and the easier to pass the blame onto someone else -- damn the Tea Party!

The fact is, a vast majority of Americans do not want this. Forcing people to purchase health care is just absurd and the only reason why they are fighting for this so hard, and forcing people into it is because this is just one less hurdle to overcome to fully take over and establish a tyranny. And to that my friends I will never claim, "Long live Obama."

If You Fix It... They Will Still Hate It

I feel like asking if anyone is actually enrolled in Ocrapcare is like asking "Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?" I know that supposedly hundreds of thousands have applied but no one is actually enrolled and bought a plan -- and there has been a lot of claims out there that people (both liberals and conservatives) are seeing a significant jump in their the new plans. Good ol' Kathy Sebelius is saying that they're going to hire tech geniuses to help fix the "glitches" (I'll do it for free: scrap the whole freakin' thing!) and the President is supposed to come out with a mea culpa, however we all know how that will go.

"I believe that the ummm American people have the right to uhhh affordable health insurance no matter what their uhh income, race, gender, sexual orientation, or age. I believe that all umm Americans should have access to health care -- even at uhhh the umm tax payers expense. I believe that the roll out of my uhh signature health care law, in which I, Michelle, our girls, members of Congress, members of the Supreme Court, cabinet members, Jay-Z and Beyoncé, the people in my pocket, the 1%ers (except for Oprah because she has no love for me), and uh those that can afford to pay a concierge doctor are exempt from, isn't full of glitches but a a a uhhh sabotage from our domestic enemy -- the Tea Party and its uh elk (*Snark note: I know it's ilk and if you get the elk reference, I applaud you). We cannot let the Tea Party get away with this, and with the cooperation of the NSA and the IRS, we will find out who sabotaged this uhh this great American dream. Because I uhhh I believe in the American people and -- oh wait, I uhh can't take any questions. I'm late for my tee time over at Andrews."

The fact is, the people in the beltway who are pushing this crap legislation that has so many nuances and so many executive exemptions, that alone begs the question of does this guy really understand the separation of powers, that they need to come to terms and just stop and listen to the American people. Most Americans don't want this. Most Americans are not benefitting from it, but being hurt by it -- either a) they've lost their coverage b) they've lost their doctor c) their coverage is going up d) they cannot afford the new coverage so they're just accepting the tax e) some of the above or f) all of the above. We're lucky and haven't really had to navigate this crap because Tricare was deemed "barely acceptable but acceptable nonetheless" so that's one less thing that military families need to worry about. If you're upset about Ocrapcare, then let your "representatives" know and remember how they vote and if they're really for the people when it comes to the midterm elections next year. I'm not saying vote Tea Party, Libertarian, Republican, Independent, Democrat, Relosi (that's a new party made up of the lunatics who support Reid & Pelosi), whatever but just make sure you know who you're voting for and why. I'm just asking for you not to put up with this bullshit and not to let this crap become law of the land.


***Snark note: Edited 21 Oct 2013 1140 for grammar and spelling errors

Drop the Ball and Run Like Hell... To a Fancy Cocktail Party

Of course some media outlets and people are all, "Woohoo, the shutdown is over!" and you know that Barry is patting himself on the back all smug while chattin' on a conference call with Jay-Z and Bill Maher. Meanwhile, I'm waking up trying to convince my two year old that yes he wants pancakes for breakfast, and no he cannot have orange juice and trying to not to call up my congressional "representatives" (it's awesome how much the retiring senator from my district is being criticized on his facebook page for voting yes) and tell them that they're the biggest idiots ever for going with it.(Here are the links if you want to see how your House Rep voted, and to see if your Senator was one of the 18 who voted against the legislation). So, if you saw the facebook page (seriously, if you haven't like it already, go like it, it's where the Snark is when I can't blog) you know what's coming in today's blog -- lessons we should have learned from the shutdown. So while your people on the Hill are probably nursing some hangovers from last night's parties (please, you know they were all out at a fundraiser or cocktail party or some ritzy bar to celebrate or commiserate), let's get down to the nitty gritty according to, well, me (how does one say me in Chinese?)

- This isn't a long term solution. In fact, this is far from a long term solution. Prepare for another shutdown come January because that's how long this snippet of legislation is good through. The government is funded through 15 January, the treasury will reach its limit 07 February. And be prepared for a bigger, dirtier fight as next year is a midterm year and those with seats up for grabs will hopefully have a change of heart and actually listen to their constituents or risk losing their seat. The race is already on in certain areas (Mitch, you know your seat is up for grabs, however I have faith in my fellow Kentuckians will rally and replace you with another Rand), and it'll just get better if the government shuts down again in January. And don't expect an actual budget to be passed, by forcing these continuing resolutions to pass to fund the government, it gives the executive branch the power to keep on scaremongering that we're going to be in a tailspin if something doesn't happen. Until an actual budget is passed and the government learns how to be fiscally responsible things won't get better -- and I don't expect an actual budget to pass until Barry is out of office (remember, an actual budget hasn't been passed since 2009, and still in 2010 the Democrats held the majority in both houses and held the White House so there was no reason why they shouldn't have passed a budget -- yes I do have my conspiracies, but we'll say those for later).

- Funding piece by piece might have been genius. It started to show what actually needed to be funded by the government and what should switch to privatized funding. I've been a fan of privatizing PBS, NPR, etc for a while now -- in fact they've even stated that most of their funding comes from private funding, so if that's the case, they shouldn't have a problem fully being privatized or adjusting their budgets in order to make do without government funding. Head start should be funded by the state or fully private funding. I know that sounds horrible, but having the federal government fund head start programs seems pretty pointless to me. I did do preschool but I just remember painting, coloring, singing songs and learning the ABCs and how to count to like ten. Now we have head start and kindergarten classes essentially structured like a grade school class. Great, but is it necessary? For me, the only real positive to a head start is socialization for the kiddos. And now it's become such a huge thing that states have lotteries to get their kids in, really? Awesome, let's have parents stress out about that too. Bottom line, it's a state issue of how they want to handle it, not the government (and seriously, after Michelle's meddling with school lunches and that epic failure, should we really let the federal government continue to meddle with funding our public schools?). I've already stated that we can ditch Homeland Security, that will open up a ton of funding for the government. The fact is, the American people need to realize that the federal government cannot and should not fund everything and anything just because you think you have a right to it (I think I have the right to drive a Range Rover and wear nothing but Lilly, but it doesn't mean that it's going to happen because we cannot afford that). Oh and food stamps and WIC need to be state funded, start soliciting monies from the formula companies, the big food companies, and you know what, offer incentives to your farmers.

- We are no longer the most powerful nation to be feared by the world. We are beggars y'all. It might be time to go ahead and purchase a Rosetta Stone, Chinese Edition and get cracking. From what I remember from my economics classes, it's good for the country to be in some debt, but this much debt and then ask for more? Yeah, no. The longer people in the nation are ok with the freeloaders being freeloaders and not demanding accountability and reform, we'll never get back to being great because we'll be at the mercy of whomever we're borrowing money from.

- Our 80, 90 year old vets have more guts to stand up and fight against the Administration and Congress than those who supposedly represent us. At what point will more Americans take a cue from our Greatest Generation? During WWII, Americans didn't rely on the government for everything -- they grew their own food, lived within their means, rationed what needed to be rationed and chugged along. Here we are, over sixty years later complaining that we can't get free fatty cakes with every meal, that we don't have the latest designer jeans, that we're not getting our free phones and that everyone should have healthcare even though it's not financially feasible, even though it's called the Affordable Care Act. Clearly for a lot of Americans, personal responsibility has gone out the window. Of course, for some people in power they want everyone to rely on the government. Me? I think big government is a recipe for disaster.

There are other things that should have been learned, but unfortunately B is going mad so I need to take care of that. I'll leave you with this though, make fun of the Tea Party, the Libertarians and any other conservative that doesn't trust either political party and/or the government these days all you want, but honestly, I'm thinking that sportin' a tinfoil hat isn't such a bad thing.

Re-edumacation

So I was up quite early this morning thanks to hubby's PT alarm and decided to do a quick scan of articles posted on facebook. I love that more people reposted the Daily Currant's story concerning the impeachment of the President. Honestly until I saw that last night, I had never heard of Daily Currant or if I have I don't remember it, but I did a quick scour of the majors to find out. Well, suspicions confirmed thanks to a look through and then a text from Rambling Mom (Happy Birthday!) to definitely say that it's satire and I went on with my night. The lesson learned people, if it seems too good to be true these days, then it's probably false. Anyway, I saw something about how DC should shutdown once a year (which I kind of think is a great idea). Then the usual shutdown, I blame X, Y but not Z for this shutdown. And then I found this awesome little gem on The Blaze.

I think that Common Core does nothing but hurt our education system. I suck at math, hubby can vouch for that as I've been no help to him in his college algebra class that he's taking this semester. But with Common Core, I'd be a math superstar because if there's one thing I learned in all my political science classes, it was how to bullshit my way through an argument -- and in Common Core math classes, as long as you can explain the wrong answer well that's good enough. Stop right there, this whole good enough thing is crap and teaches our younger generations nothing. Obviously I think it's a conspiracy to groom them to be so complacent and rely on the government and not excel and think for themselves, but anyway. So a common core school outside the district (how convenient) put out this supposedly anonymous survey that was allegedly (anyone else remember those old Starr Jones skits on SNL when they say allegedly? Yeah, that's how it sounded in my head) put together by students. Well of course the school district is saying that people have nothing to fear and that there will be no repercussions based on these "anonymous" student responses. Raise your hand if you're buying that? Raise your hand if you remember every completing a survey like this when you were in school? I sure as hell don't. While I never knew who my parents were voting for (even though I'd beg and plead with them and had my own opinions of candidates since '92, I remember being very disappointed that Clinton won because my little seven year old brain just didn't trust the guy), I could guess based on what was talked about around the dinner table sometimes. Now granted if it is a truly anonymous survey, some of the questions I could care less about (gender, siblings, which neck of Montgomery County do you live), but asking what religion you identify with or what ethnicity you identify with (I always love that question because I put Asian-Pacific Islander and no one every believes me even though I'm well within the legit limits to claim it), household income (really, does any sophomore know exactly what their parents bring in? I mean, I knew growing up that we were fairly well off, but I couldn't tell you exactly where we fell), sexual orientation, and then all the Obamacare, shutdown and the are you a racist question, these are all ridiculous. I fully believe this is to shame kids with well off parents (no matter what their ethnicity because it's not just rich, white people in Montgomery County) and to become the sheeple that this administration relies on. If you start grooming them early and identify who doesn't fit into the mold by using these surveys, you can adjust expectations and education. It's sad that the education of these younger generations are being driven by partisan politics rather than basic facts, and that just trying gets them by.

Monday Monday Monday Blah

First off, thank you all for coming and reading my madness! As of last week I had over 1,000 page views -- I honestly didn't think that would happen as quickly as it did. Thank you all for reading, for sharing, for laughing, for rolling your eyes, and just clicking on the link. You all are awesome.

Now onto the Monday Morning Recap...

I was super bummed that I couldn't have snuck up to see my family yesterday and participate in the Million Vet March. Our vets are the greatest and do not deserve the disrespect that the administration and others are giving them. What upsets me though is the images and reports that were coming in on twitter and facebook: these peaceful protesters were treated as hostile enemy combatants essentially (ok maybe a slight exaggeration on my part, but still). They were greeted by SWAT, mounted police, and of course the NPS (who rightfully did nothing because they recognize how ridiculous this is). It's a stark contrast to a week ago when there was an immigration rally on the "closed" Mall, no SWAT, little police presence (and my guess is absolutely no ICE presence because God forbid someone feel that they're being profiled... wwwwaaaahhhhh). Oh and the immigration rally got port-a-potties too. I guess they figure that since our vets are used to shoddy conditions they don't need such things? It's just sad that people who are here illegally are shown more respect and curtsey than our the men and women who have fought valiantly for our country and for keeping the basic rights of our once great nation in tact -- well, until this administration came in and decided that the Constitution is just a guideline rather than the law of the land.

We're still in a shutdown, or a slimdown as many "news outlets" are calling it. A slimdown would be something that is fully functioning on a limited budget -- from my understanding, we're not there yet. I don't foresee an end to this soon and honestly, I'm ok with that. I don't blame House members who are making an effort to get needed programs funded rather than just say, ok let's fund everything and hope for the best -- even though that's not what the American people want. But you know, it's ok because no one knows what the people want better than the dude sitting up in that big fancy house on Pennsylvania Ave (and yes, I think they should be evicted from it since it's federal property and other people who own houses on federal park property have been kicked out of their houses as well during this shutdown). We won't even get into the wreck that is Ocrapcare as I'm so fond of calling it. But now we enter the phase where Congress is going to discuss the debt ceiling. Read this and try not to roll your eyes so much. Someone needs to show O this speech as he rallies and tries to panic the American people with not raising the debt level. Here's my solution, everyone from the freshmen Congressmen to the administration are up for election in 2014 and can be challenged to keep their seats. I'm over these career politicians, the politicians who are crazy partisan, the ones who don't listen to the American people and the ones that treat the Constitution as a guideline and just do whatever the hell they want.

Finally, it happened again yesterday on facebook. I shared this on my personal page because that's where it happened, but within two weeks on now both my personal and the Morning Snark Report page I have receive an error message saying that I don't have access to a link or it is broken. It's usually when I click on a notification that involves my politics. The status that supposedly broke last night? "Holy crap. So over this PC bs. Let the Redskins stay the Redskins and keep the politics out of it. People need to quit being so butthurt over dumb things, and need to start railing over the things that matter -- like the President wanting to raise the debt ceiling even though he was against it when he was a Senator from Illinois." Facebook is starting to make me feel like some crazy conspiracy theory nutjob, and while I don't mind it too much, it's slightly unnerving. But it also makes me like I feel like I'm doing something right -- I mean, on facebook Morning Snark Report only has 30 followers, scary numbers I know. Maybe I should contact Daisy & Mock and see what they think.

Hope everyone had a great weekend, happy Monday y'all!

Early Morning Pre-Coffee Rant

Warning: I'm half asleep and on the iPad but let's do this anyway.

The government is still shut down and honestly is anyone surprised? It doesn't matter how hard the House will try to compromise while still maintaining a facade of listening to the people (granted I think some reps legitimately are -- no good for them, it's a part of their job so it needs to happen), the administration has told those enforcing the shutdown to make it as hard as possible on the people. I mean closing open air monuments and paying people to stand guard when normally these monuments are minimally guarded, if at all, on a normal basis? Way to go King Barry. Anyway one of the words used to describe the tactics of the administration and Senate democrats is thuggery, which is quite fitting for what is really bothering me, Ocrapcare care.

At five am the last thing I really want to see is a friend sharing a link from the HuffPo about how great Ocrapcare is and how it is a positive effect on society. Ummmm, really? Telling people that they must purchase health care or risk being taxed around of $4500 a year or risk losing their driver's license (real smart given that if it's person who makes just enough to not qualify for subsidies but not enough to survive paying that tax and then their means to getting to their job(s) gets taken away and they live in an area with a limited public transportation system -- yeah totally makes sense), and then possibly facing a tax lien against their house if they are lucky enough to have bought a house in the first place. Ok so I know the tax lien kicks in after twenty four months of non-payment on this tax but considering the IRS is running that part and we all know how non-partisan that agency is, I'm sure they'll stick to the rules. Plus, the last thing I would want is to basically sign over my bank account information to these thugs. If we opted out and paid that ridiculous tax, we would create a separate bank account that would contain just enough to cover what we would owe. Yes I said it, I wouldn't trust the government to take money out of our main checking account. Some days it's tempting just to live out of coffee cans and stashes in the mattress honestly. To me, straight up forcing people to purchase health care or be taxed is nothing but thuggery.

Now, here's a thought that came across my head in my pre-caffeine haze, how dare they tell me what to do with my body and it's health dammit. If you didn't giggle at that just a little bit just stop. If you're confused, just stop. This base is all about the "it's my body" argument when it comes to abortion that it's absolutely ridiculous. Why doesn't that argument resonate with them here? Maybe because they're all getting subsidies and stuff but still, shouldn't they have a consistent argument for all things concerning your body? (Yes I am anti-baby killing, because my body might be carrying a baby, but it is not my place to decide if that baby lives or dies because its their tiny body and if I didn't want to be pregnant well I should have been more careful then) Back to the subject at hand, if it is my body and I should be able to do with it as I please the. Why should the government tell me that I must purchase health care for it? What if I don't believe in modern western medicine? What if it goes against my religion (stop laughing, I know that these crazies only believe in anything but Christianity -- I mean even the Catholic Church is now refusing communion to Nancy)? The fact is if this whole "my body" argument works for the pro-abortion base, then why shouldn't it work for the whole anti-Ocrapcare base? And how upset would they be if we just hijacked that argument and spun it around? That'd be pretty awesome.

But I'm fading so off to grab another hour or two of sleep before my little monster wakes up. I truly want to know how Ocrapcare and this shutdown is affecting you all though, positives and negatives because I'm truly curious. Drop a line in the comments, on the Facebook or email morningsnarker@outlook.com.

Holidays Smolidays

I want to start by apologizing if this is riddled with errors. My laptop is being occupied so I'm writing on the iPad. Blah. Anyway, it's October 4th and per our usual morning routine, B gets breakfast & Disney Junior while I get stuff organized for the day and blog. Today though it's all about Halloween on Disney Junior. What the heck? We really couldn't wait a few more weeks? It's like how the day after Halloween, Christmas stuff  starts to go up. We don't start watching "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" until mid-October because Benny really loves Charlie Brown holiday specials and would watch them year round if I let him. The point is, why in the last decade or so have we turned each holiday into some elaborate commercial thing? For me it totally takes away the meaning and/or specialness of that particular holiday (screw valentines day which is just a legit commercial holiday, I think hubby thanks me for not celebrating it).

But going back to Halloween, when also did it become acceptable for females of all ages now to slut it out? Ok I get it in college, especially freshman year, but to have 12 year olds be "sexy kitties" or post college ladies be "sexy cops" isn't cute. No one wants to see that -- especially on young girls. But again it boils down to a lack of parenting (or a lack of growing up for the older ladies), and I wonder if you don't let your kid dress like a slut every day then why is it ok to encourage it on Halloween? We should be encouraging fun, cute costumes that keep our children children. And for the parents taking your kid trick or treating, if you dress up then be a positive example for you child in your costume choice -- don't scour Pinterest and the stores for the sluttiest thing possible (unless you and your husband are into that and are keeping it behind closed doors, whatever). Once again I wish we could throw back to the 40s and 50s.

Overhaul

So I got some inspiration from a post on the facebook page yesterday when I posted a question, and I like it when this sort of inspiration hits. Yesterday I touched a little bit on some programs I think need to be overhauled, and today it's happening again. It's sad that military pay protection had to be a rushed bill in order to make sure the soldiers didn't go without pay -- it should have been under mandatory spending a long time ago in my personal opinion. However, do you know what is under mandatory spending? Unemployment. Yep, that's right, you can still collect your government paychecks for not having a job, but Congress had to mess around and pass a bill to protect military pay. For. Shame. I have never been a fan of welfare, I was in high school and would often have this chat with two of my teachers my senior year, and my thoughts have never changed despite being explained the economic necessity of a small (like way smaller than what it is right now) unemployed population. I will say that for the people who legitimately were fired and are on a serious search for a new job who collect unemployment, I have no qualms against you -- although you seem to be few and far between, I thank you for not abusing the system.

Abusing the system? Really? Yes, really. There are too many people who fake job search just so they can keep collecting unemployment. But that's just silly, why would anyone do such a thing? Well, for starters because they might be making more collecting unemployment than they would at a part time job they feel is "beneath" them. If you haven't heard about this, please pull your head out of the sand. While it seems that most states let you have six months, many of these states will allow extensions of another six months. There should be no extensions and you shouldn't be able to reapply year after year after year. Yes, that is something I have heard about -- someone will get a job right before they're about to stop receiving benefits and then once they can reapply for benefits will do whatever to get fired from their job and start receiving unemployment again. I know that the economic situation sucks, I'm not completely sheltered in my house, however I do know that there's something. The local Kroger had a laundry list of positions it needs to fill. Now I can also tell you a fun little story about a former crazy neighbor of mine. When we moved to our current duty station this neighbor felt it was her duty to tell my husband that she would talk with me concerning how I can get unemployment benefits. Um excuse me, but what right does anyone have to assume our work situation and educate me on how the system works without my asking for help? None. But yet she told me how I could obtain benefits and just live off that even though I knew I wasn't going to work but be a stay at home mom for a while. I wasn't going to actively look for work so why would I steal benefits from someone who actually needs them?

So how we do overhaul? Here's what I would do:
   - You can apply for benefits for no more than six months in a three year period.
   - You must be interviewed at least three times a week, if a job offer is made and you refuse it, no  
      more benefits for that three year period. (I know this seems insane, but just go with me)
   - You must have proof of citizenship
   - If you are found to be using your benefits for things other than housing, essential food,
     transportation, clothes necessary for interviews and potential jobs then you will be banned from
     collecting benefits-- meaning buying Xboxes, Louis Vuitton purses, expensive sneakers, etc.
     This will be a lifetime ban, not just wait three years and apply again. People who pay into the
     system don't work their tails off so you can use your unemployment benefits for unnecessary
     luxury items.

I know that seems sort of crazy, but the fact is we as a society need to help people become less dependent on the government and learn how to be dependent upon themselves and take personal responsibility. Who knows, perhaps this would help aid in our fight against illegal immigrants. If more American citizens were taking jobs that normally are held by that group, then there's less incentive to just come into our country, get paid (and in some cases collect other entitlements) and send that money back to their home country. The money that legal citizens could put back into the system would definitely help. The bottom line is, honestly, unemployment is a privilege, not an entitlement and people need to realize that -- there's no reason that we should have to pay anyone.

Good News & Silver Linings

That's the theme this week after a few rough weeks. Sometimes we get so embroiled in the negativity and chaos surrounding us that we forget that there's always good news and/or silver linings to crappy situations. For us knowing that our bank would cover our mid-month paycheck if the government did shutdown was a silver lining, hearing that a bill had been passed unanimously through both houses to protect military pay during a shutdown was good (dare I say, excellent?) news. I know that some people thought that wasn't fair that the military would still get paid, however I think these people fail to remember that our troops are essential personnel and our  first line of domestic defense. Plus, many troops don't have the cushy pay that other government jobs have to stash savings (try as we might but it is hard to do!). So, I'm going to throw out there what I think are positives of the shutdown, feel free to disagree.

With the President, Harry Reid and conservatives at odds with each other, they can't interfere with our lives. Seriously, it's nice to not have to worry about a nanny state being implemented on us. (Although there's been a joke since yesterday that I'm being targeted because I was having issues with the facebook page and had a report of not being able to view my blog by a friend) The government in the last few years has been increasingly encroaching our private lives, from the food we eat to whether or not we can have a certain number of rounds of ammunition in a magazine to whether or not you opt to have healthcare. Plus you add in all the PC hoopla and everyone must recognize everyone else (unless you're a straight, white, Christian then you must be ridiculed and punished). Having them argue with each other about all this is a nice little break for some people who are over how much input the government has in our everyday lives.

This next thing might sound insensitive, but when have I ever actually cared about that? I'm bummed that a shutdown doesn't mean that people can't get food stamps -- in the short term. From what I've been reading that if it goes long term, food stamps could be jeopardized on a state by state basis. Now why would this make me happy? Probably because lately there have been reports of rampant food stamp fraud. This is a program that desperately needs an overhaul to make sure that people who actually need the assistance get it, that it is only affordable healthy nutritious food they can receive (no more bakery sweets, no more pop, no more chips, no more lobster, no more steak, no more energy drinks, etc) and that they cannot use it to buy other items, nor can they transfer it to someone in order to get cash back. WIC will also be affected on a state to state basis as well as only so much of it is federally funded. I feel for those who get formula from WIC, I've been there with B when hubby was a private and we were making next to nothing so I get it. However, I do feel that as with food stamps, WIC could stand an overhaul too. It's very frustrating to go into the WIC office, see a parent with the latest smartphone fresh on the market, a new designer handbag, the kid is all decked out in expensive shoes and clothes and you see them in the parking lot and they're getting into a shiny new BMW still with the temp new tag on it. I will admit that I have an iPhone and it's fairly new because a) we had an upgrade b) it was a birthday present and c)  hubby was deployed so we could afford to spend the $99 on an iPhone 4S (I didn't get the 5 because, why would I pay another $100 for essentially the same phone?) -- plus for over a year I had sucked it up and used my iPhone 4 that was crazy shattered just because I was not about ready to pay to replace it for the cost of my upgrade and it still functioned. Sorry, tangent. The fact is, with a government shutdown it's good for some programs to be put on hold because there won't be a crazy amount of fraud happening -- and maybe it will encourage people to buck up, find employment to help them get off welfare. Yeah, I just giggled a little bit too. And I'm ok if we get kicked off WIC, not because I'm all high and mighty and we can really afford to not be on WIC while still being in the level where we qualify, but because if there's a family who legitimately deserves to be on it more than we do, I'm ok with that.

Another good thing about this shutdown? And this might be my favorite story out of this mess, the the Greatest Generation kicking some ass yesterday. Personally, I think it's so stupid to barricade outdoor, open air monuments in the District but well you all should know well enough what I want to say about that. Anyway, how awesome is it that these WWII veterans were able to get past the barricades to see the monument dedicated to them? Pretty damn awesome, and thanks to the Congressional members who stood with the veterans, cut the tape and moved the barricades. Thank you to the Park Police for having enough respect for these men and women to not boot them out and arrest anyone involved. The fact is, the Honor Flight permits should have never been revoked and everyone in Congress and the President should have made sure that these veterans were treated with the respect they deserve and allowed their trips to continue without having to worry about the politics of it all. Perhaps, those on the Hill (and really the American people) should take a moment to recognize that they could learn a thing or two from the Greatest Generation. They watched the horrors of Hitler, they fought against it, when times got tough they rationed everything, they grew victory gardens, had pride in their country and rallied together to stop the greater evils in the world. They were proud to be Americans, maybe we've lost a little (or a lot) of that in the last several years and need it back, we need to be reminded that we were once a great country and we proud of that.