Dear Mr. President

Dear Mr. President and Members of Congress,
I am really growing tired of your inability to accomplish anything. All of this talk about the "fiscal cliff" is incredibly irritating. In case you haven't noticed, we've been sliding down the side of that cliff for years now. Apparently none of you do your own grocery shopping, put gas in your cars or subscribe to cable TV. Now we stand on the precipice of the largest tax increase since World War II. As you sit back and debate tax increases on "the wealthiest Americans" our national debt increases 4 BILLION dollars a DAY! This gubmint borrows, on average, 2 million dollars per MINUTE! The amount of gubmint waste is mind boggling. The Department of Health and Human Services has just announced a 500 Million Dollar Program that will, among other things, seek to solve the problem of 5-year old children who "Can't sit still" in a kindergarten classroom. And now, Mr. President, you have the audacity, the gall, the unmitigated arrogance to propose PAY RAISES for the Vice President, Congress and Federal Workers! You, Sir, are the epitome of what is wrong with this country. Maybe you don't know or maybe you just don't care but you are the reason people are so angry. You and your fellow politicians are so out of touch, so blind to what is happening right in front of you, that I am frightened. While the hard working people of America faces a tax increase of $200 a month, you're discussing raising your own pay. Who does that!?! You were elected (not by me) to protect the people of this country, not profit from them. You stand in front of the TV cameras and go on and on about how much you care about the people and how you're trying to do what's best. You're such a hypocrite. This ridiculous "tax on the wealthiest Americans", making the "rich" pay their "fair share" so you can take their hard earned money and give it to millionaire Congressmen who sit on their A$$ES and do nothing! You want to give pay raises to federal workers while your policies are putting private sector workers on the unemployment line by the millions. What is wrong with you? Are you really that clueless? So, Mr. President and members of Congress I say to you, ENOUGH! Stop threatening me with your self-created fiscal cliff. You are the one who crafted and approved this doomsday spending plan. Why would you do that? Now, when your bluff is called, you say it's not your fault. Well, it is your fault. You did this and now it's time, for once, to be the Leader you were elected (not by me) to be. Stop all of this game playing, bickering and threats. Stop wasting our money on nonsense. Cut out this useless spending. STOP borrowing money we can never repay. Stop pretending to compromise and start actually negotiating. I know that a $200 a month tax increase means nothing to you and yours. That's why you want to raise the pay of your minions. So they won't revolt! Mr. President, I can't afford a $200 a month tax increase. I simply can't. I won't be getting a pay raise next year. I didn't get one this year, last year or the year before. You are making it impossible for me to live. Do you understand? Do you care? You are making it impossible for me to make ends meet. I don't have an extra $200 a month and I don't know many people who do. Please Stop this Insanity! Don't make me come to Washington!
Po

A Time for Reflection

Hello my dear friends. I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas. With the new year right around the corner, now is the time that many of you create your list of "resolutions" for the coming year. I, for one, do not make new year's resolutions. I believe making resolutions creates unnecessary pressure and, in the end, sets you up to fail. I don't know about you but I have more than enough opportunities to fail throughout the year without inventing new challenges. How many times can we resolve to lose weight, exercise more, save money and spend more time with family and friends? So, my dear friends, I propose that, instead of resolutions, we reflect on a series of soul searching questions, the answers to which will make us better people without the possibility of failure.
Question #1  What can I do to make myself better in the new year?
Question #2  What one thing can I do to enrich the lives of those around me?
Question #3  What luxury do I regularly indulge in that I can really live without?
Question #4  What is one thing I've always wanted to do but can never seem to find the time?
Question #5  What can I do, right now, to break my old routine and start moving forward?
These questions, obviously, are designed to make self improvement possible. If you're looking more for self awareness than self improvement your first question should center around why you're even reading this blog. Anyway, to make your journey a little easier, I've provided my answers to the questions above.
Answer #1  This took much reflection as I am already pretty freaking awesome. I need to be kinder to those I deem, well, stupid. I can be more patient with the intellectually challenged.
Answer #2  Again, difficult, as I already write this blog. How much more enrichment do you people need? I could be more sympathetic to the troubles of my friends and family.
Answer #3  I may enjoy gambling a bit too much. I can reduce the amount of money I put into my "play account" by 20%.
Answer #4  My much anticipated first book continues to collect dust. I can try to get my ADHD under control and focus a little more.
Answer #5  I can stop turning on the television as soon as I get home.
There you have it. I've outlined a plan to help me make 2013 a little better than 2012. I don't have a deadline. I don't have set goals. I have a workable plan for self improvement. No stress. No chance for failure. Just a few simple questions that I now have the answers to. Happy New Year!
Po

Another Year Over...

Well hello my dear friends! It has been awhile. I must say that these past few months have been crazy around this prison. There just never seems to be enough hours in the day but, I'm not telling you anything you don't already know. Anyway, as I was sitting here this morning, enjoying a little nip, I began reflecting on 2012 and how fast it seemed to go. Some much tragedy; the recent horror in Newtown, CT, the terrorist killings of our Ambassador and three others in Benghazi, 396 US Military Personnel killed overseas,  Hurricane Sandy, the reelection of Obama, the million dollar GSA Las Vegas party scandal, the Buffalo Bills, Honey Boo Boo, the list goes on and on. There were good times as well. The recent Mayan "mea culpa", big wins for US Olympians in London, NASA landed the Curiosity Rover on Mars, again, the list goes on and on. We are about to be bombarded by the "Best Of" and "Worst Of" 2012 reviews. This gives the media a chance to tell the rest of us "lesser informed and enlightened" folks what is really important and what isn't. After all, if it weren't for Barbara Walters, I, personally, would not have known that Honey Boo Boo, Seth MacFarlane and Kristen Stewart were fascinating. I always thought they were irrelevant and, well, goofy! It's amazing what you can learn from the media! Because so much of our lives are actually "staged" by the media now, and by "staged" I mean that they release information, not when they learn it, but when they think it will have the greatest impact. A perfect example this year was the General David Petraeus scandal. It had been going on for years. The media knew and they had the proof weeks before the story was released. Why? Because it would have been politically inconvenient to release it sooner. The delay didn't change the story but it did change the way we viewed it. This is the world we live in now. Perception is reality. "Reality TV" is anything but, criminals are touted as heroes if they can catch a football or hit a baseball, the most powerful politicians in the world lie with impunity and the "News Media" now gives us their opinion on what they think we need to know. Parents today have the hardest job of any generation before them. I would not want to be in their shoes. Many of our senior citizens are struggling to survive, more and more families are going hungry, hard working blue collar people continue to watch their jobs disintegrate, the price of food, housing and education continue to skyrocket, and the beat goes on. So my friends, I say to you, let's start turning this thing around, one cat at a time! Here is my challenge to you for 2013. Help where you are able. I know we all talk about it. Many of us do it already. But this time, beginning on January 1, 2013, let's really make it happen. Check on your neighbor, especially on days like today. That little kid down the street, the one running around it a thin little jacket when it's 20 degrees, put a warm winter coat in a box on their door step. Bring a box of canned good to the food pantry, not just on Thanksgiving and Christmas, once a month if you can. Make Random Acts of Kindness less random. Don't throw out those perfectly good clothes that don't fit. Take them to the Goodwill. If you've just retired, "Dress for Success" is a great organization that redistributes gently used business suits to women in need, trying to get into the work force. Take part in at least one charity fundraiser in 2013. Don't wait to be asked. In 2013, let's all take the initiative and see what a difference we can make. There are brighter days ahead for us all! Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy, Generous New Year!
Much Love,
Po

Dear Santa

Hello my dear friends. I have a rare treat for you! Every year my captor, who is a goober, writes an actual letter to Santa! I know, right? Anyway, I managed to snatch a copy of this year's masterpiece. Read on...

Dear Santa,

As you know, I have been exceptionally good this year. In light of this, I'm sure you'll agree that I should be generously rewarded! Since it has become clear that you are incapable of delivering a Buffalo Bills playoff berth or even a decent quarterback, I've compiled the following list of choices for you. If it's not too much trouble I'd like you to select at least two things from the "really need" category and at least one thing from the "really want" category. You'll note that I have not, as in years past, included any references to your family, elves or "reindeer as the other white meat". I hope this clears up any misunderstandings about "perceived threats" that apparently prevented you from fulfilling my requests in the past. With that said, I really need a 4-cup measuring cup; a set of metal mixing bowls; a functional pepper grinder; a decent pair of driving gloves; Nike golf balls; new Yankees apparel; one of those cool mini pie makers. I really want a Nikon Coolpix S4100 digital camera (any color); single bottle wine chiller; a new wine fridge; a bigger TV for my bar; a sound bar w/ woofer for the big screen. Good luck Santa! I'm counting on you!

I told you she was a goober! 

Po

What Else I Want for Christmas

Dear Santa,
Could you please us someone or something to replace the "reality star" or "celebritard". This Country's fascination with these people is really distorting our sense of success and decaying our moral fiber. I realize that this is an extremely large request so, if you just start with a few, like Honey Boo Boo, Octomom, the Kardashians and anyone associated with Jersey Shore, that would be a good start. Also, any celebrity whose criminal record is longer than their acting credits. Lindsay Lohan comes to mind. I'm pretty sure that any of the aforementioned could be replaced with something shiny, like tinsel or a disco ball. I, personally, find tinsel far more interesting than Snookie. I also believe that the disco ball has added far more to our culture than Honey Boo Boo. So Santa, my plan is to have you replace, say, 25 of these warts on the butt of society each year, the next generation could be free of narcissistic fame whores. Wouldn't that be something! That would give them plenty of free time to focus on the "actual news" you'll also be bringing.  Good luck Santa. We're all counting on you!
PoKitty

What I Want for Christmas

Hello my dear friends. It has been awhile. As you know, the captor broke her paw, so it has been a little difficult for me to get her to open up the laptop. But, I'm here now to start my new series "Things I Want for Christmas".
Dear Santa,
The first thing I need is actual news. Could you please help me with this. I can no longer suffer through this barrage of opinion and idiocy that now passes for news. I'm starving for one simple, untainted source of accurate, unbiased information. I don't want to "go to our website" for details on a story. I don't want to hear what "GrannyFromGeddes" posted on your facebook page. I don't care what's "Trending on Twitter". I want facts. 20 thousand people commenting on an event does not make that event news worthy. Yes, I understand that it's all about the ratings. I have "news" for you. Inserting pictures of a viewers cat into your "newscast" does not increase ratings. It lowers IQs. If you want to increase your ratings, try offering some content worth watching. Also, including at least one anchor/reporter who actually understands what they're reporting would be helpful. The other day, as I suffered through 30 minutes of "local news" the "Big" story was about the kids from the TV show Two and a Half Men making a YouTube video telling people not to watch the show. First of all, that's not news, it's entertainment at best, but it became the lead story. The trouble is the anchor kept referring to the actor as "Agnes T. Jones" instead of "Angus T. Jones". You would think that after the first THREE times he did it, someone would have corrected him, but no. That same anchor does his entire newscast from an iPad and continually refers to it, "Checking the iPad now", "According to the iPad". I understand how trade deals work but seriously, buy a damn iPad and spare us the constant product placement. It's supposed to be a newscast not a 30 minute infomercial. In the past year I've heard "Reporters" say things like "according to facebook" or "according to their website". Are you kidding me? When a reporters first thought is check the internet all hope is lost. Maybe you're not aware of this but sometimes things on the internet are not true. Seriously. Sometimes people just make stuff up. It happens! So Santa, if at all possible, could you bring me, bring us all, a little actual news. It really could make this world a better place. Thank you
PoKitty