It's been a long month. My absence, which I've learned has filled countless buckets with the salty tears of disillusionment, can no longer be tolerated. It is time to speak, so speak I shall.
Last night, at 6:30 PM, I was frantically pacing across a cold tile floor, my heart racing, my hair graying. At 7:00 PM, I was driving. Erratically. On NPR, I heard news of hope.
"I'm standing in a hotel conference hall where Republicans are meant to be gathering for a victory celebration. The cheese is out, the tables are set, but there are only a few people here, and they don't look very happy. Judging on each Party's party, I'd say the Democrats have this one in the bag."
I smashed through my door and turned on my computer and television. As I watched MSNBC, C-SPAN, CNN, and Fox, I surfed New York Times, Washington Post, Electoral Vote, and Digg. My eyes strained, my mind stretched, and my fingers flew as each passing moment brought news of both victory and defeat.
"Obama has taken both Pennsylvania and Ohio. McCain's road from here is VERY steep."
At 10:30 PM, I cracked the first of many smiles.
As the West Coast polls closed, it was clear the end was in sight. New data was pouring in, Obama had taken Virginia. My mind eased and my fingers slowed. In a few minutes, John McCain would concede the election.
And concede he did. I hate John McCain's policies. I hate John McCain's temperament and judgment. I DESPISE the way John McCain ran his campaign. HOWEVER. I have a deep respect for John McCain's graceful bow to the better man, and his sincerity in wishing that his followers band together with the rest of the nation to solve the problems of tomorrow. Kudos John McCain, you have regained your dignity.
At midnight, November 5th, 2008, history was made. President-elect Barack Obama walked on stage with his family, thanked the crowd, then delivered the greatest speech of our generation.
---
Today, we turn the page on eight long years of fear. Eight years of lies. Eight years of secrets. Eight years of war, of fundamentalism, of divisive hatred. Today, we look forward to eight years of hope. Eight years of truth. Eight years of transparency. Eight years of peace, of hard work, of unity.
Many difficult days preceded today's triumph, and many difficult days lie ahead. But, now, with the dark days of despair behind us, we can turn our eyes toward the warm, distant light ahead and work to break the chains of ignorance that have held us back for so long. Today is both the end and the beginning. A long and difficult road is ahead of us, but I'm ready. Ready to stand up and fight for my future, ready to work tirelessly to restore the ideals upon which this nation was founded, and ready to embrace the hardships that await us.
Today, for the first time in my adult life, I'm not ashamed to call myself an American..:-)
-Matt
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Fight the bailout...
For those that don't know, both the House and the Senate passed a bill to use $850 billion taxpayer dollars to bailout Wall Street investors and conglomerate banking institutions. The stock market continued dropping. On top of that, President Bush side-stepped the whole democratic process prior to the passage and had the federal reserve print an additional $630 billion. In short, America will soon be the victim of hyperinflation much like Germany after World War I.
I wrote my Congressman urging him to vote against the bailout. Surprisingly, he responded.
Dear Mr. Brinn:
Thank you for contacting me about Congressional action to address our
nation's economic crisis. I appreciate hearing from you.
Today the House of Representatives debated H.R. 1424, the Emergency
Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. This bill aims to prevent harm to
Americans that would result from a collapse of our nation's financial
system. I voted for H.R. 1424, which passed by a vote of 263 to 171.
President Bush promptly signed this bill into law.
I share my constituents' anger about this mess and how we got here. The
government did so much wrong, and while Democrats in Congress tried to
set them straight many times, we obviously did not do so strongly
enough.
At the outset of the debate over the original, unacceptable Bush-Paulson
proposal, I argued that the bill would need to include these principles:
taxpayer ownership and protection, aggressive oversight, and help for
homeowners. These principles are all met in part, but this bill is not
perfect. For one thing, the Secretary of the Treasury should have even
greater limits. The cost recovery from the financial district should be
sooner. I dislike the Senate's adding extraneous tax provisions. Every
Member of Congress has a better idea of how to fix the problem, but no
one has 218 votes for his or her plan. This is the compromise.
As I can tell, there would be harm in doing nothing. The crisis is real.
We need to act quickly to staunch this crisis of confidence, because if
credit locks up, it affects ordinary Americans, ordinary homeowners, and
every small business. It is already happening.
Some have suggested we defeat this bill to teach a lesson to Wall Street
highflyers. We could do that. We could teach a lesson to Secretary
Paulson, President Bush, and the regulatory agencies. We could teach a
lesson to the mortgage companies who entice borrowers to get over their
heads. We could teach the Senators a lesson not to attach extraneous
things to a financial bill. We could let the credit markets freeze up.
We could let small businesses fail to meet next week's payroll. We
could let college students drop out because they can't pay tuition. We
could leave farmers, homeowners, and factories out in the cold. Would
that teach the right lesson to the right people? I don't think so.
Instead, I supported this bill because there is more harm if we do not
act, because of its improvements, because it will cost far less than the
original Paulson proposal, because it adheres to the principles we laid
out at the beginning of the debate, and because it includes a temporary
Alternative Minimum Tax fix and my own property tax relief initiative.
We will be making a serious mistake, however, if we do not act further
to address this crisis. There remain long-term problems: problems of
bond traders wheeling and dealing in paper with no thought of the homes,
factories, and people behind these bonds; problems of some employers who
show no allegiance to their workers; problems of families who even in
good times consume more than they save; problems at regulatory agencies
that revel in the unrestrained trading.
We have more to do to address our weak economy, which we learned today
has seen a loss of 159,000 jobs in the last month. I will continue to
lead efforts in Congress to get to the root of the problem, repair bad
mortgages, and to help middle class families. We need a program similar
to the Home Owner's Loan Corporation (HOLC), which the Federal
Government created in 1933 in that mortgage crisis. The program, which
lasted 20 years, shored up a collapsing market by purchasing delinquent
mortgages at a discount and working with homeowners to restructure the
mortgages into more manageable terms. Congress and President Roosevelt
authorized HOLC for $4.75 billion - or $76 billion in today's dollars.
With this investment, in its first two years, HOLC helped more than 1
million homeowners. When the HOLC finally ended, it showed a net $14
million surplus for taxpayers. We should not wait for a new
administration to address our nation's pressing economic concerns.
Again, thank you for contacting me about this crucially important issue.
I look forward to hearing from you again about this or any other matter
of concern.
Sincerely,
RUSH HOLT
---
He told me that Republicans were to blame and Democrats had been trying for years to avert this crisis. In short, he lied to me. I replied.
Dear Mr. Holt:
Thank you for the quick and lengthy reply. I appreciate your sense of duty
to maintain a dialogue with your constituents. However, I must say that I
fundamentally disagree with your decision to turn a blind eye to the
majority of Americans by voting yes for this bill
(http://tinyurl.com/4gox6n). Understand that this issue is the defining
issue of this generation, so your failure to listen will cost you my vote
and the vote of everybody I know come November 4th.
Here's why.
You said, "I share my constituents' anger about this mess and how we got
here. The government did so much wrong, and while Democrats in Congress
tried to set them straight many times, we obviously did not do so strongly
enough."
The blame for this economic mess does not fall solely on Republicans,
Democrats, Wall Street Suits, or Irresponsible Homeowners. Here are the
facts.
The federal reserve cut interest rates to a record low after the dot-com
bubble, allowing homeowners to purchase houses beyond their means. Both
Republicans and Democrats are to blame for supporting mortgage tax
deductions which gave additional incentive to these buyers. Real estate
agents continually sold large houses to families that couldn't afford them
so that they could make more commission. The Clinton Administration pushed
hard for low down-payment requirements for middle and low class families.
Mortgage brokers gave uncredited buyers adjustable loans with interest
rates that grew exponentially over time. Wall Street firms turned these
high risk loans into Mortgage Backed Securities, while the Bush
Administration turned a blind eye. Finally, it was everybody's fault to
believe that the housing bubble would continue expanding indefinitely.
(http://tinyurl.com/4tsmnf)
Market bubbles, by definition, must pop. We are at a critical moment in
America's economic history, and we need to choose our actions wisely. The
right thing to do is to let the financial institutions at fault collapse,
which will provide opportunity for a larger number of smaller banks to
take their place. More banks means more competition. This will drive
housing prices down to their true worth while providing new jobs in the
banking sector.
At this point, depression is inevitable. We should take our punches now by
letting the conglomerate banks fail, having the market correct itself in a
year or so. Instead, you've decided to print $800+ billion dollars in
order to temporarily save these failed institutions. Instead of allowing
the market to correct itself, you've inflated the bubble to the point that
a pop would cause global economic Armageddon. Where is the $800 billion
coming from? Surely not through taxation, that would bankrupt millions of
Americans causing riots in the streets. No, the plan is to create this
money from thin air, destroying the value of our currency and driving the
price of necessities sky high.
By voting yes for this bill, you've made your choice. Unfortunately, it
was the wrong one, and America will pay the price. You and everybody who
voted for this bill are to blame for the inevitable economic crisis that
will come, so don't be surprised when you lose reelection on November 4th.
You'll have earned it.
Sincerely,
Matt Brinn
Concerned Citizen
---
I urge you all to write your own representatives to let them know that they will lose reelection if they continue to ignore their constituents. It's time to stand up and fight for our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness..!
-Matt
I wrote my Congressman urging him to vote against the bailout. Surprisingly, he responded.
Dear Mr. Brinn:
Thank you for contacting me about Congressional action to address our
nation's economic crisis. I appreciate hearing from you.
Today the House of Representatives debated H.R. 1424, the Emergency
Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. This bill aims to prevent harm to
Americans that would result from a collapse of our nation's financial
system. I voted for H.R. 1424, which passed by a vote of 263 to 171.
President Bush promptly signed this bill into law.
I share my constituents' anger about this mess and how we got here. The
government did so much wrong, and while Democrats in Congress tried to
set them straight many times, we obviously did not do so strongly
enough.
At the outset of the debate over the original, unacceptable Bush-Paulson
proposal, I argued that the bill would need to include these principles:
taxpayer ownership and protection, aggressive oversight, and help for
homeowners. These principles are all met in part, but this bill is not
perfect. For one thing, the Secretary of the Treasury should have even
greater limits. The cost recovery from the financial district should be
sooner. I dislike the Senate's adding extraneous tax provisions. Every
Member of Congress has a better idea of how to fix the problem, but no
one has 218 votes for his or her plan. This is the compromise.
As I can tell, there would be harm in doing nothing. The crisis is real.
We need to act quickly to staunch this crisis of confidence, because if
credit locks up, it affects ordinary Americans, ordinary homeowners, and
every small business. It is already happening.
Some have suggested we defeat this bill to teach a lesson to Wall Street
highflyers. We could do that. We could teach a lesson to Secretary
Paulson, President Bush, and the regulatory agencies. We could teach a
lesson to the mortgage companies who entice borrowers to get over their
heads. We could teach the Senators a lesson not to attach extraneous
things to a financial bill. We could let the credit markets freeze up.
We could let small businesses fail to meet next week's payroll. We
could let college students drop out because they can't pay tuition. We
could leave farmers, homeowners, and factories out in the cold. Would
that teach the right lesson to the right people? I don't think so.
Instead, I supported this bill because there is more harm if we do not
act, because of its improvements, because it will cost far less than the
original Paulson proposal, because it adheres to the principles we laid
out at the beginning of the debate, and because it includes a temporary
Alternative Minimum Tax fix and my own property tax relief initiative.
We will be making a serious mistake, however, if we do not act further
to address this crisis. There remain long-term problems: problems of
bond traders wheeling and dealing in paper with no thought of the homes,
factories, and people behind these bonds; problems of some employers who
show no allegiance to their workers; problems of families who even in
good times consume more than they save; problems at regulatory agencies
that revel in the unrestrained trading.
We have more to do to address our weak economy, which we learned today
has seen a loss of 159,000 jobs in the last month. I will continue to
lead efforts in Congress to get to the root of the problem, repair bad
mortgages, and to help middle class families. We need a program similar
to the Home Owner's Loan Corporation (HOLC), which the Federal
Government created in 1933 in that mortgage crisis. The program, which
lasted 20 years, shored up a collapsing market by purchasing delinquent
mortgages at a discount and working with homeowners to restructure the
mortgages into more manageable terms. Congress and President Roosevelt
authorized HOLC for $4.75 billion - or $76 billion in today's dollars.
With this investment, in its first two years, HOLC helped more than 1
million homeowners. When the HOLC finally ended, it showed a net $14
million surplus for taxpayers. We should not wait for a new
administration to address our nation's pressing economic concerns.
Again, thank you for contacting me about this crucially important issue.
I look forward to hearing from you again about this or any other matter
of concern.
Sincerely,
RUSH HOLT
---
He told me that Republicans were to blame and Democrats had been trying for years to avert this crisis. In short, he lied to me. I replied.
Dear Mr. Holt:
Thank you for the quick and lengthy reply. I appreciate your sense of duty
to maintain a dialogue with your constituents. However, I must say that I
fundamentally disagree with your decision to turn a blind eye to the
majority of Americans by voting yes for this bill
(http://tinyurl.com/4gox6n). Understand that this issue is the defining
issue of this generation, so your failure to listen will cost you my vote
and the vote of everybody I know come November 4th.
Here's why.
You said, "I share my constituents' anger about this mess and how we got
here. The government did so much wrong, and while Democrats in Congress
tried to set them straight many times, we obviously did not do so strongly
enough."
The blame for this economic mess does not fall solely on Republicans,
Democrats, Wall Street Suits, or Irresponsible Homeowners. Here are the
facts.
The federal reserve cut interest rates to a record low after the dot-com
bubble, allowing homeowners to purchase houses beyond their means. Both
Republicans and Democrats are to blame for supporting mortgage tax
deductions which gave additional incentive to these buyers. Real estate
agents continually sold large houses to families that couldn't afford them
so that they could make more commission. The Clinton Administration pushed
hard for low down-payment requirements for middle and low class families.
Mortgage brokers gave uncredited buyers adjustable loans with interest
rates that grew exponentially over time. Wall Street firms turned these
high risk loans into Mortgage Backed Securities, while the Bush
Administration turned a blind eye. Finally, it was everybody's fault to
believe that the housing bubble would continue expanding indefinitely.
(http://tinyurl.com/4tsmnf)
Market bubbles, by definition, must pop. We are at a critical moment in
America's economic history, and we need to choose our actions wisely. The
right thing to do is to let the financial institutions at fault collapse,
which will provide opportunity for a larger number of smaller banks to
take their place. More banks means more competition. This will drive
housing prices down to their true worth while providing new jobs in the
banking sector.
At this point, depression is inevitable. We should take our punches now by
letting the conglomerate banks fail, having the market correct itself in a
year or so. Instead, you've decided to print $800+ billion dollars in
order to temporarily save these failed institutions. Instead of allowing
the market to correct itself, you've inflated the bubble to the point that
a pop would cause global economic Armageddon. Where is the $800 billion
coming from? Surely not through taxation, that would bankrupt millions of
Americans causing riots in the streets. No, the plan is to create this
money from thin air, destroying the value of our currency and driving the
price of necessities sky high.
By voting yes for this bill, you've made your choice. Unfortunately, it
was the wrong one, and America will pay the price. You and everybody who
voted for this bill are to blame for the inevitable economic crisis that
will come, so don't be surprised when you lose reelection on November 4th.
You'll have earned it.
Sincerely,
Matt Brinn
Concerned Citizen
---
I urge you all to write your own representatives to let them know that they will lose reelection if they continue to ignore their constituents. It's time to stand up and fight for our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness..!
-Matt
Friday, September 26, 2008
The first presidential debate...
Post 150!!!
The first presidential debate has happened. It lasted 97 minutes. The moderator, Jim Lehrer, was disappointing. His questions addressed broad concepts rather than clear issues, and he did a terrible job keeping the candidates in check. He was supposed to moderate the debate. Instead, he posed questions that allowed the candidates to recite their talking points and argue semantics without having to cite their sources. John McCain took full advantage, extending his answers well beyond the alotted time and changing the subject with long-winded anecdotes. Barack Obama had the decency to ask Lehrer to continue at one point, but he, too, was guilty of taking advantage of Lehrer's meekness. Hopefully, the next two debates will have better moderators.
As for the actual content, John McCain kept his cool better than anybody expected. For the majority of the debate, he answered his questions with a level head, but most of his responses had zero substance. Half the time, Senator Obama had to interrupt him because he was supporting his points with pure falsehoods. Barack Obama successfully rebutted dozens of times throughout the night. His constant interjections of "Not true, John" did well to dismantle many of McCain's tired talking points.
The climax came during a question on dealing with foreign leaders, when John McCain vehemently disagreed with Barack Obama on the importance of talking with Ahmadinejad of Iran. McCain forcefully defended his refusal to talk to aggressive foreign leaders, while Obama dismissed him as erratic and undiplomatic. This exchange showed Senator's McCain's true temperament, a frustrated man whose worldview is racist and Americacentric. The best jab came when Obama asked McCain if he'd refuse to meet with Spain, referencing McCain's gaffe last week. He had no response.
The closing remarks of the candidates were particularly important. Barack Obama spent several minutes talking about the world's opinion of the United States. Having recently spent several months abroad, his vision of bettering America's standing on the international stage resonated with me deeply. McCain's closing remarks on placing trust in his experience did not.
The outcome of this debate will not be considered the best case scenario for either candidate. John McCain, on the surface, was able to hold his own. Elementary investigation into his points would reveal his inadequacy as a candidate, but that doesn't mean he will lose any blind supporters. I think Barack Obama successfully strengthened his base support and his performance will usher left leaning independents to his side. It's too early, however, to declare a winner.
-Matt
The first presidential debate has happened. It lasted 97 minutes. The moderator, Jim Lehrer, was disappointing. His questions addressed broad concepts rather than clear issues, and he did a terrible job keeping the candidates in check. He was supposed to moderate the debate. Instead, he posed questions that allowed the candidates to recite their talking points and argue semantics without having to cite their sources. John McCain took full advantage, extending his answers well beyond the alotted time and changing the subject with long-winded anecdotes. Barack Obama had the decency to ask Lehrer to continue at one point, but he, too, was guilty of taking advantage of Lehrer's meekness. Hopefully, the next two debates will have better moderators.
As for the actual content, John McCain kept his cool better than anybody expected. For the majority of the debate, he answered his questions with a level head, but most of his responses had zero substance. Half the time, Senator Obama had to interrupt him because he was supporting his points with pure falsehoods. Barack Obama successfully rebutted dozens of times throughout the night. His constant interjections of "Not true, John" did well to dismantle many of McCain's tired talking points.
The climax came during a question on dealing with foreign leaders, when John McCain vehemently disagreed with Barack Obama on the importance of talking with Ahmadinejad of Iran. McCain forcefully defended his refusal to talk to aggressive foreign leaders, while Obama dismissed him as erratic and undiplomatic. This exchange showed Senator's McCain's true temperament, a frustrated man whose worldview is racist and Americacentric. The best jab came when Obama asked McCain if he'd refuse to meet with Spain, referencing McCain's gaffe last week. He had no response.
The closing remarks of the candidates were particularly important. Barack Obama spent several minutes talking about the world's opinion of the United States. Having recently spent several months abroad, his vision of bettering America's standing on the international stage resonated with me deeply. McCain's closing remarks on placing trust in his experience did not.
The outcome of this debate will not be considered the best case scenario for either candidate. John McCain, on the surface, was able to hold his own. Elementary investigation into his points would reveal his inadequacy as a candidate, but that doesn't mean he will lose any blind supporters. I think Barack Obama successfully strengthened his base support and his performance will usher left leaning independents to his side. It's too early, however, to declare a winner.
-Matt
Thursday, September 25, 2008
You can't beat our meat...
Unless, of course, our pork is drawn to look like a giant penis. Then, I guess, you COULD beat our meat. If you really wanted to...-Matt
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Looking up...
A couple of days ago, towards the end of my shift, I happened to notice something wonderful. Though the primary purpose of carrying a camera is to ward off attackers with a blinding flash, capturing photographs is a little known secondary feature. Abandoning a customer desperately in need of a pretzel, I zombily* shuffled outside to photograph a phenomenon...
Ooooohhhhh...
Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh...
Later that evening, I was visited by extraterrestrials. A brilliant spherical light appeared in the sky above me. It remained stationary for several minutes, then disappeared behind a cloud. Moments later, it reappeared. For several hours, it hovered motionless in the sky. I was able to capture a photograph of the UFO...
I apologize for the graininess. My camera doesn't take night photos very well, so this is the best that I could do. I'm truly honored to have witnessed such a profound moment in history. I ask that everybody lay down their arms, hold hands, and welcome our new alien overlords in peace..;-)
-Matt
*-No, it's not a word. Yes, I used it anyway.
Ooooohhhhh...Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh...
Later that evening, I was visited by extraterrestrials. A brilliant spherical light appeared in the sky above me. It remained stationary for several minutes, then disappeared behind a cloud. Moments later, it reappeared. For several hours, it hovered motionless in the sky. I was able to capture a photograph of the UFO...
I apologize for the graininess. My camera doesn't take night photos very well, so this is the best that I could do. I'm truly honored to have witnessed such a profound moment in history. I ask that everybody lay down their arms, hold hands, and welcome our new alien overlords in peace..;-)-Matt
*-No, it's not a word. Yes, I used it anyway.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Saturday, September 13, 2008
I'm out of ideas today...
Thirteen days of NaBloPoMo hath sucked away all of my ideas. Here we are. Today, I went to work. I came back from work, defrosted some Italian sausages, and read lots and lots of political articles. Nothing new today, except Barack Obama is now losing the election...
...
...
...
.. I'm hoping the presidential debates change that. I can't imagine anybody will watch them and see John McCain as a more capable man for president. The first is Friday, September 26th at 9 PM EST. Also, Sarah Palin finally did an interview. Our potential vice president didn't know what the Bush Doctrine was. Good...
...
...
...
..I'm sorry for today. Hopefully, tomorrow will be better...
-Matt
...
...
...
.. I'm hoping the presidential debates change that. I can't imagine anybody will watch them and see John McCain as a more capable man for president. The first is Friday, September 26th at 9 PM EST. Also, Sarah Palin finally did an interview. Our potential vice president didn't know what the Bush Doctrine was. Good...
...
...
...
..I'm sorry for today. Hopefully, tomorrow will be better...
-Matt
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