Friday, January 22, 2010

Ketchup Time

Ed finally started school this week. I thought he was going to drive me insane with his complaints about wanting to go back. He's taking trig, another music class - this time learning basic piano, philosophy, and film appreciation. He's a little confused with trig, although he's enjoying the other classes.

He tried to explain about what he's learned in philosophy at this point, particularly the difference between truth, knowledge, and so on. What he says makes a lot of sense. It doesn't make it any less boring though. I don't understand why someone wasted their time thinking this crap out.

He brought home his syllabus for his film class. He has to watch movies like Casablanca, Sunset Blvd., and Citizen Cane. Jon and I have most of these films. Hopefully we can make a few evenings out of watching some of our favorites again. Love Sunset Blvd. Love Casablanca more. According to a lot of the experts, Citizen Cane was suppose to be the best film ever made. In my humble opinion? Uh, sure. It's the best film ever made after Casablanca, Judgment at Nuremberg, Inherit the Wind, Sunset Blvd., and a few others. Pity he doesn't have to watch any John Wayne movies. I have enough of them.

I invited my daughter to bring home another cat thinking that about how much I miss having my own personal pet at home. I had bonded so closely to Pizza and I miss her so badly. Same with Blacky, although I have to say she was definitely Jon's cat, she loved all of us. Anyway, Scrambles moves in and she planted herself in Bill's lap. She's his cat. I'm jealous maybe, but I'm glad he has that special relationship, just because I don't know how long we'll have him around.

Damn, that cat has big paws.


Funny thing about Scrambles. I kept her in my room the first couple of nights because I thought for sure that Mike would eat her up. He has a really nasty streak in him. Instead, J.J. is pissed and Mike is doing his best to ignore her. At least when we're around. Ed caught him grooming her yesterday. He isn't the hard ass he thinks he is.



I'm kind of pissed off. No, more than that. I'm really pissed. When the Republicans had a 51 vote majority, they pushed everything President Bush asked for right through the Senate. Now that the Democrats lost that one vote, taking them down to 59 Senators, they can't pass health care. Yes, I'm liberal on some issues. The fact is I don't have health care, and I haven't been to the doctor in years. My sister asked me if I go to the hospital when I'm ill. "No," I told her, "I stay home and wait until I get better."

"They're suppose to take care of everyone no matter what the illness."

"Sure they do. That doesn't mean they don't charge all their patients. And it doesn't mean that they don't turn their bills over to bill collectors when the patient can't pay. They want their money, too."

Why can't the Dems get their acts together and make this happen? Whether they lost Ted Kennedy's seat or not, they still hold a bigger chunk of both Houses than the Republicans did at anytime under Bush.

I hate watching the Republicans walk in lock step. Ask one member of Congress what his views are and he or she will cite exactly what every other Republican cites. I can't tolerate the idea that we've elected robots rather than rational, thinking individuals who know the difference between right and wrong. I realize that's subjective, but taking money from insurance companies and pushing a company line that does nothing but hurt the middle and lower classes is immoral. If you don't believe that lobby money isn't in play here, it is a simple matter of checking out few web sites that list what lobbies pay what. It is an eye opener.

One other item. I don't like today's ruling from the Supreme Court. Corporate America should never be allowed to donate to a Presidential candidate whether directly or indirectly. This is not a matter of free speech as some people say, it is a matter of more business as usual.

Okay, rant over.

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