Obama can throw a kajillion dollars at this economy and it won’t fix the problem.

As Suze Orman says, “What makes you think this is about money?”

 This is a problem in people’s hearts. This is a problem with how we think about money and things. This is a fundamental problem with our relationship to money, other people, our businesses, our government.

As soon as everyone takes responsibility for their part in this and changes their thinking – the economy will miraculously improve.

It won’t go back to what it was. Who wants an economy based on lies? No one. That’s what got us here in the first place.

We don’t want to  go back to being an economy based on debt. Circulating Credit is NOT the answer to America’s new economy. Circulating Credit is the bad mojo that created the current unemployment rate of over 8%. If companies are charging their employees salary and benefits they didn’t create a JOB. They created DEBT. There can be no stability in an economy based on debt. As long as we keep thinking like this – we’re in for bigger trouble.

I still have a glimmer of a hope that I’m going to turn on Larry King or CNN or my local news and hear someone – a banker, an automaker, a mortgage broker, a Republican, a George Bush, a kajillionaire businessman, an upside-down homeowner, a government official in charge of interest rates, a stock broker - talk some sense.

Here’s the Crib Notes for Talking Sense about this economy:

We screwed up. We believed we could ride the credit train forever. We thought profits were limitless. We didn’t think. We didn’t think about how our actions would effect the next generation. We didn’t care how our actions affected you. We didn’t think about the whole. Our extreme capitalism harmed our capitalist economy.  We’re sorry. Please forgive us. We take responsibility for our actions and vow to change the way we do business. We’re going to be socially responsible in our business practices from here on out.

You can not change what you do not acknowledge.

Post from: Blisstree

Obama, Why Haven’t You Fixed the Economy?

Having my Mac down is simultaneously like being lost and cut-off from part of myself and liberating – like being let off my leash.

I imagine it will be the same with my iPhone – which I don’t have yet, but. . .

I find my cell phone so stupidly lame that I don’t use most of its features. I know my experience with my future iPhone will be much more attached. I know I will love it like I love my Mac. I’m a little afraid to get it for fear I’ll be strapped to it and stop living a real tangible life. I think my husband and I are both willing to stop eating for two months to buy 2 iPhones.

Yesterday, I found myself watching Apple’s stock. I don’t own Mac’s stock, but if there’s a company I’m pulling for – it’s Apple.  When I heard Steve Jobs was sick, I had actual anxiety.

Why? Dude they’re inventing the next version of a book. It’s said to be like Kindle, but I know, know, know it’s going to be so much better. It will probably write books just for me based on my tastes and past book buying history. It will fit in my back pocket and last for a billion years. It will make me feel wonderful and excited and smart.

Be healthy Steve, keep the stock up.

Post from: Blisstree

Love Note to Apple

My biggest health tip?

Hate exercise? Change your mind.

Post from: Blisstree

Top 100 Healthy Moms

I can spend 1 of them exercising.

(And if I haven’t been doing it at 6 am when its pitch black and the mythical rapist is the only one out at the track – well, during The View or Oprah on my garage sale eliptical is still an hour of exercise. And if I ate 4 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies last week, oh well – I still got all those exercise endorphans to my brain!)

Post from: Blisstree

One Hour a Day

She had chosen the dogs and the dogs’ names before she told the kids they were even getting dogs. Hello. Fun stealer.

I woke up this morning and thought, “Now I really have to get that dog fixed!” about our puppy.

Oh shut up, America. The secret’s out and I know you’re as broke as me. I didn’t know the dog wasn’t fixed when I agreed to rescue her and I didn’t have $50-$100 just sitting around waiting for something to spend it on.  Keep the judgy to yourselves.

I figured I could just keep her in the backyard until I could afford the vet. Frankly, I had some human medical issues – like my hemochromatosis, hormones and family dentist visits – I wanted to take priority.

Then this morning I found the neighbor’s dog in my yard and Lily, my tiny little dog comparitavely was hiding from them in the front yard. Guess I have to move her vet visit up ASAP if she’s going to get unauthorized visits from the new neighbors.

I’m like Kate – what was I thinking saying Yes to a dog?

I hope it’s not too late – the last thing I need is for my one dog to morph into 6.

Post from: Blisstree

Kate Gosselin Got Dogs!

I make a distinction between wanting to kill a baby – which is no “right” I feel compelled to defend – and enforcing personal autonomy over women’s bodies and this includes ferility, having many babies and large families, medicine, battery and rape within marriage, etc.

I came to my pro-choice stance in college reading the science fiction classic, Ender’s Game, written by Orson Scott Card. In the book, America has put a limit on the number of children families can have to preserve resources. But, they are looking for a genius child to save the world so they test certain bright children and allow a few families to have 3 children.

Fundamentally I want the government and all other entities to stay out of my womb. Period.

It may sound far-fetched, but China has been doing this for decades. I’ve heard many people say they think the government should legislate or regulate fertility treatments because of Nadya Suleman’s Octuplets and such responsibility should be prevented and we shouldn’t have to pay for it. Next thing you know we’re telling Michelle Duggar she can’t have any more children because who would want 19 children? Then were prosecuting people who try to have a singleton after a multiple birth.

No way. I defend Octimom’s right to have as many children as she wants. I defend my right to have only two. I defend Roe v. Wade only as a defense of physcial autonomy for women.

Think Ender’s Game is ”just a book?” So was The Communist Manefesto, The Bible, and Fatherland.

The entire universe was created with the words “Let there be light.” 

I defend her right to choose. I defend her right to reproduce I defend every single woman’s physical autonomy.

Post from: Blisstree

Octimom, Choice, Life, & Science Fiction

An elderly couple upgrades their ride and trades in my dream car.

My local car salesman calls me because he knows its in my price range. The month is coming to a close and he has bills to pay.

The mechanic says it’s clean and mechanically sound with a great price.

The owner of the dealership says he’s hoping my husband’s company makes it because his car dealership is dependent on its employees. He’s also running for school board and wants our vote. He thanks us for buying the van – and he means it, he doesn’t want his business to go under.

We stop and buy insurance from our friends from church. They thank us for getting the loan locally, they’re also on the bank’s board.

My husband calls a local bank, he does freelance work for them, the manager gave us an interest rate at 6%, 3% lower than other banks we asked.

They make plans to play golf in the future.

We spent $7,500 for our dream van.

The salesman made a commission, the car dealership made a profit, the insurance broker made a commission, the bank manager made a commission and the bank took its cut.

That’s at least 5 families and 3 small local businesses whose economies were positively impacted by the purchase of my van.

Hopefully, all of them will look to my husband in the future for freelance graphic design and advertising and it will come full circle. We’ll be needing another car eventually.

That’s what we did to affect the unemployment rate and the economy yesterday.

Post from: Blisstree

Economic Dominos – Buying Local

Today we’re going to stimulate the economy.

Car dealers are hurting, nearly bankrupt. If George Bush were still president he’d tell us to be Good Americans and go buy a car. It will help the banking, credit industry and the car industry.

Our van, our only car, died last week. DEAD. There’s no fixing it. It has 238,000 miles on it and needs a new engine, a new air conditioning system and a new electrical system.

I’ve written that having one car is not an emergency. I’ve been riding my bike around town for months. It’s fun. It’s good exercise. All that sunshine and exercise is good for the positive attitude.

Plus, seeing my kids and I on our bikes makes everyone smile. I feel like an ambassador for happiness, exercise and joy.

No car at all in rural America actually IS an emergency.

We have no money saved for a car. We were too busy bailing water out of the sinking ship that was our van and our other money suck car from the 1990s for the last 2 years. A lot of our savings – our master plan – tanked this year.

Can anyone think of better option than to buy my Dream Ride at 8-9% interest?

This 2005 Dodge Caravan is the Mac Daddy of all minivans. It’s a moving hotel as comfortable as my living room.

The leather seats heat your bootie.

The two side doors and the hatch back open and close electronically with a key clicker.

It beeps when you get too close to something behind you.

So, we’re going to do our part America. We’re going to do our part to stimulate the economy.

Post from: Blisstree

Saving the Car and Banking Industries or Being a Good American

Post from: Blisstree

The Missing Piece Meets Big O

The Discovery Training is more physical than I expected.

I’m in the best shape of my whole entire life.

And yet . . .

The peeing my pants in public is just too much.

Stupid post-birth incontinence.

I finally went to my room for the Diva Cup. It helped.

Today I ordered the bizarro Berman Center Isis Beginner Pelvic Kegel Trainer Muscle Exerciser.

I saw it on Oprah.com during the Best Life Web Cast with sex therapist Laura Berman.

Evidently my vajayjay needs her very own workout – with weights. It’d be humiliating if it weren’t so hilarious.

In a few weeks, she says I’ll be strong enough to graduate to this bad boy:

Post from: Blisstree

Kegel Olympics